Chocolate Mint Cake

Chocolate sponge, chocolate mint buttercream and easy yet impressive chocolate mint decorations

Course Dessert

Cuisine British

Keyword Cake

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 35

Total Time 1 20

Servings

Calories 662kcal

Author thebakingexplorer

Ingredients

For the sponge

350 g Butter or baking spread unsalted, softened
350 g Caster sugar
6 Eggs large
300 g Self raising flour
50 g Cocoa powder
½ tsp Baking powder
1 tbsp Milk

For the buttercream

250 g Butter unsalted, softened
450 g Icing sugar
50 g Cocoa powder
2 tsp Peppermint extract
2 tbsp Milk (you may need a little more if using butter)

For decoration

300 g Mint Matchmakers
250 g Aero Bubbles
Green ribbon

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Pre-heat your oven to 160C Fan/180C/350F/Gas Mark 4, and grease and line two 8" cake tins that are at least 2" deep
To make the chocolate sponge, mix the butter and caster sugar together in a large bowl, ideally using an electric mixer for best results
Add the eggs and milk, and whisk until fully incorporated
Add the self raising flour, cocoa powder and baking powder and gently whisk in until you can't see any flour anymore
Divide the mixture between the two tins, you can use scales for accuracy
Bake them for 35 minutes, check they are done by inserting a skewer or cocktail stick in the middle and if it comes out clean the cake is done, then remove from the tins and leave them to cool on a cooling rack
Level the sponges if they have domed at all with a knife or a cake leveller
For the buttercream mix together the icing sugar, butter, cocoa powder, milk and peppermint extract either by hand or with an electric whisk until smooth, if the buttercream is too stiff then you can add a little more milk
Place the first sponge on your cake stand or cake board, and pipe or spread some buttercream onto it, then add the second sponge on top
Smooth more buttercream around the sides in a thin layer, ideally using an angled paletteknife, and stick the mint Matchmakers all around the cake
Tie the green ribbon around the cake in a nice bow, or use double sided tape
Pipe or spread more buttercream over the top of the cake in a generous layer, then placed the Aero Bubbles on top neatly in rows, or in a big pile instead
Store leftovers in an airtight container in a cool place and eat within 3 days

Video

Notes

Make sure all your ingredients (particularly the eggs and butter) are at room temperature before you start baking. If you are using a baking spread, most can be used straight from the fridge if you're in a rush. But real butter will need to come to room temperature to soften.
You can also make an orange version of this cake with orange Matchmakers, orange Aero Bubbles and orange extract.
Although I provide cup measurements, I highly recommend weighing your ingredients out using digital kitchen scales. It is the most accurate way to measure ingredients and will ensure the best results. Digital scales are very low cost and can be purchased for around £12 ($16.50) .
For teaspoon (tsp) and tablespoon (tbsp) measurements, please use measuring spoons and not the type of spoons you eat with. Again this will ensure accuracy and provide the best results.

Nutrition