andes mint chocolate cake with peppermint buttercream frosting and chocolate ganache

when we visited ryan's brother and sister-in-law this weekend to celebrate christmas a little bit early we made dessert (of course).  i always crave the combination of peppermint and chocolate during the christmas season, and i love any dessert that combines these two flavors.  so, we decided to make something that was both minty and chocolaty for our early christmas celebration dessert.

what we ended up with was the perfect holiday dessert: andes mint chocolate cake with peppermint buttercream frosting and chocolate ganache.  this cake was a huge hit with everyone, and we definitely will be making it again.

this three-layer cake bursts with flavor in every bite.  the chocolate cake is moist, and the peppermint frosting is sweet, yet refreshing.  the chocolate ganache on the top of the cake is reminiscent of the chocolate on andes mints.  if you have any holiday parties or holiday gatherings this season, i highly recommend this cake.  it is a crowd pleaser, for sure!

andes mint chocolate cake with peppermint buttercream frosting 
and chocolate ganache
prep time: 30 minutes
baking time: 20-25 minutes
yields: one triple layer 8-inch round cake
adapted from bird on a cake

cake ingredients:
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup water
1 cup andes mints, finely chopped

frosting ingredients:
16 tablespoons salted butter, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3-4 teaspoons pure peppermint extract
1/2 cup milk, divided
6 cups powdered sugar, divided
4-5 drops of green food coloring (optional)

ganache ingredients:
1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

directions:
to make the cake: preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  grease and flour the sides of three 8-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper.  in a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and cocoa powder to remove any lumps.  in the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the sifted dry ingredients with the sugar, eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.  beat until combined.  in a saucepan, bring the water to a boil.  carefully add the water to the batter, and stir until it is completely combined.  beat the batter for 1-2 minutes on high speed.  fold the chopped andes mints into the batter, and distribute the batter evenly among the three prepared cake pans.  bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.  once done, allow the cakes to cool in the cake pans for 10-15 minutes.  remove the cakes from the cake pans and allow them to cool completely on a wire cooling rack.

to make the frosting: in the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the butter, vanilla, peppermint, 1/4 cup of the milk, and 3 cups of the powdered sugar.  gradually add the remaining milk and powdered sugar until you reach your desired frosting consistency.  optional: add a few drops of green food coloring to the frosting and mix well.  once the cakes have cooled completely, spread the frosting evenly on the bottom cake, then place the second cake on top.  repeat with the next layer.  spread the frosting over the entire cake, covering the top and the sides of the cakes.

to make the ganache: pour the chocolate chips into a metal bowl, then set aside.  in a saucepan, over low heat, heat the heavy cream.  stir constantly, and remove from the heat when the cream starts to boil.  pour the cream over the chocolate chips.  gently stir the chocolate mixture until all of the chocolate chips have completely melted.  stir in the vanilla.  allow the ganache to cool before drizzling it over the top of the cake.

optional: decorate the top of the cake with additional andes mints.

enjoy!

love, laurie