GF Andes Mint Layer Cake

Serving: Serves 10+

 

Ingredients

For the Mint Buttercream Frosting:

For the Chocolate Ganache:

Instructions

Preheat and Prepare. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the sides and bottom of two 8in or 9in round cake pans. Line the bottom of each greased pan with a piece of parchment paper cut in a circle to fit. Set aside. Line the bottoms

 

Boil. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil and keep it simmering while you mix the other ingredients.

 

Make the Chocolate Ganache.

Place the chocolate chips in a small glass bowl. Heat cream over medium heat in a saucepan on the stove top and remove the cream from the heat when it just starts to boil.

 

Pour over chocolate chips and let the mixture stand for 2-3 minutes before slowly stirring to blend together the cream and melted chocolate. Continue to stir until all the chips have completely melted. Stir in the vanilla.

 

Cooling. Allow the ganache to cool and thicken before you use it by storing it at room temperature while you bake and cool the cake and make the buttercream.

Make the Cake Batter.

Whisk Ingredients. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add the eggs, sour cream, oil and vanilla. Using an electric mixer, beat the wet and dry ingredients together until well combined. Mixture will be thick.

 

Add 1 cup of the boiling water and carefully stir until mixed in. Switch to the mixer and beat for 2 minutes. with mixer.

 

Place the chopped Andes Mints in a zip top bag with a tablespoon of flour. Shake until the Andes Mints are coated, then fold them into the batter. Pour the batter into prepared pans.

Bake. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Tent with foil if the cake tops brown too quickly.

 

Remove from the oven and cool 20 minutes in the pans set on a wire cooling rack. Carefully invert to remove cake layers from the pans and cool completely.

Prepare the Butter Cream Frosting.

Blend. In a large bowl, use a handheld mixer to cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add the powdered sugar 2 cups at a time and mix well in between additions.

 

Mix in vanilla, peppermint extract, and enough food coloring, a little at a time, until you get a mint-green hue. Gradually incorporate the milk until you reach your desired consistency which should be soft, fluffy, and each to spread. You may not use all of the milk. Keep bowl at room temperature but covered with plastic wrap until ready to use.

Assemble the Cake.

Split. Carefully split the two cake rounds into four thin layers horizontally using a serrated knife. Slowly cut through the layers using a gently sawing motion.

 

Place the bottom cake layer on the serving plate you will use for serving. Add strips of wax paper or parchment paper underneath the cake during decorating which can be pulled free before serving. This keeps the cake plate clean.

 

Add a scant 1 c mint buttercream frosting on top of the first cake layer and carefully spread evenly just to the edge using an offset spatula or butter knife.

 

Repeat with three other layers of cake, adding approx. 1 c frosting between each layer.

 

Top with remaining buttercream, smoothing along the sides.

 

Spoon and Spread. Once ganache has thickened somewhat, carefully spoon the chocolate on top of the buttercream and spread to the edges of the cake, helping the ganache to run over the sides. Garnish with additional chopped Andes mints.

 

Adapted from Bird On A Cake