Tippy Tuesday: Chocomint Cake

Yeah, that's the working title of the recipe... Devilmint Cake?  Pepperlate Cake? 
Other suggestions welcome.  :-)

I like peppermint.  I like chocolate.  I like cake.  I like experimenting with cake.  I like festive desserts!  Sounds like a great recipe for coming up with a recipe!  After doing some research, I put together the ideas I found to form a really great cake for holiday parties or wintry events.  I made one for post-Christmas caroling and froze the extra layers to make another cake for New Year's Eve.  The best part, other than the taste, is that it's pretty simple but is far from just an ordinary cake!

The first time, I added peppermint extract to canned vanilla frosting per my husband's "refined (sugar)" taste.  The second go-around I made peppermint whipped cream frosting.  Wow.  Do I ever prefer the real whipped cream!  But, you choose whatever suits your fancy, skill level, and time!  That's why I love cake-making.  You can experiment in so many ways!  And by using cake mixes rather than scratch, you save time and money.  You just "kick it up a notch" as Emeril would say.  Make it "semi-homemade" as Sarah would approve.  It's just fun 'n easy!


You'll need...

2-4 round cake pans

parchment paper

butter

1 box white cake mix

3 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1 cup buttermilk (1 cup milk, 1 Tbs lemon juice - let sit 5 min)

1 Tbs peppermint extract

Red food gel/coloring

1 box devil's food cake mix

3 eggs

1/2 cup oil

1 cups buttermilk (1 cups milk, 1 Tbs lemon juice - let sit 5 min)

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 tsp+ peppermint extract

1/3 cup powdered sugar

*If you don't have four cake pans, prepare each cake flavor at different times.  You can save a layer of each and freeze for the future.*

Cut circles of parchment to fit in bottom of round cake pans.  Using a paper towel, butter paper and sides of pan.  Preheat oven to 350 (325 for dark pans).

For devil's food cake, combine devil's food cake mix, 3 eggs, 1/2 cup oil, and 1 cup buttermilk.  Mix according to package directions.  Pour into 2 prepared cake pans and bake as directed.

For peppermint cake, combine white cake mix, 3 eggs, 1/2 cup oil, and 1 cup buttermilk.  Mix according to package directions.  Add 1 Tbs peppermint extract and mix well.  Divide in half.  Add red food gel/coloring to half and mix well until desired color is achieved.  Pour half of the white batter into each of 2 prepared cake pan.  Dollop red batter on top of each and swirl gently with a butter knife.  Bake as directed.

Cool cakes 10 minutes in pan.  Remove to cooling racks and cool completely.

When cakes are cooled, prepare frosting.  Using a cold bowl and beaters, beat heavy whipping cream until it starts to thicken.  Add 1/3 cup powdered sugar and 1+ tsp peppermint extract.  Beat until stiff peaks form.  Place chocolate layer on platter.  Spread with frosting.  Place peppermint layer upside down on frosting.  Frost entire cake.  Decorate!

You can get the checkered look by cutting a circle out of the middle of each cake layer and swapping them.  You have to frost the sides of the circles to make sure they stay put -- sorta tricky, but worth it if you want the look!  After doing it both ways, I think I personally prefer one layer of peppermint and one of chocolate rather than checkered.

Tippy Tuesday: Sweet Taste of Independence

I would like to share with my readers what is now a new family tradition for us -- a real flag cake! I'm not just talking about the typical strawberries and blueberries used to decorate a cake as a flag. I found the idea here. Props to this young lady for having a practical passion and pursuing it -- she's even been featured on the news! Seemed simple enough and very unique, so I had to try it! And as an added bonus, I'm breaking down and giving you all my secret to souping up boxed cake mix to be an incredibly moist, tender cake. Non-readers might be sorry! ;-)

2 boxes white cake mix

2-3 cans cream cheese frosting

1 tube red food coloring gel

1 tube blue food coloring gel

6 eggs

2 cups buttermilk*

1 cup vegetable oil

Parchment paper

Butter

*If you don't have buttermilk (who does?), use 2 tablespoons lemon juice and add enough milk to make 2 cups. It's a 1 Tbs to 1 cup ratio. Let sit 5 minutes.

Line the bottoms of 2-3 round cake pans with parchment paper. Using a paper towel, lightly coat the paper with butter. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 (adjust to 325 for dark pans). Combine the cake mix, eggs, buttermilk, and oil in a mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat on medium 2 minutes. Use a 1 cup measure to evenly divide the batter into three separate bowls, being careful to get it as exact as you can. In one bowl, thoroughly mix in all of the red gel. In another bowl, thoroughly mix in all of the blue gel. Leave the remaining bowl white. Pour each batter into a cake pan. Bake as directed on box, about 30 minutes. Remove to wire rack; cool for 10 minutes. Turn out of pan onto extra sheets of parchment paper; cool completely. Gently peel off parchment circle.

Level tops of cakes to make each layer the same height. (Here I rabbit trail -- I "splurged" on one of those cake leveler things. If I had known years ago it was only $4 at Michaels, I would have been lovin' cake baking a lot more over the years! It makes QUICK and easy work of leveling tops of cakes and splitting layers! GET ONE! End rabbit trail.) Then, split ONLY the red and white layers evenly into two layers each.

ASSEMBLY:

1) Spread some icing on one white half, top with one red half. Place on center of cake plate.

2) Spread some icing on the remaining white half, top with remaining red half.

3) Find a small bowl or coffee cup that, when placed in center of cake layer, will leave about a 2 inch ring. Use either a serrated knife to cut around the object or if the dish has no handle, gently press the object down into the cake to cut a circle. Do this for both the blue layer and one red/white layer.

4) Spread some icing on the red/white layer on cake plate. Place the blue ring on top. Do your best to gently ice the inside of the blue ring (ha! that was the hardest and most-failed part of making this cake). Gently push the small red/white circle into center of blue ring.

Use remaining icing to finish off the cake! I EEKED out using 2 cans. Three would have been much less nail-biting. :-) I used a toothpick dipped in icing to gently drag in towards the center to create the firework effect.

The thing I love about this cake is that it looks so simple on the outside, unobtrusive and not so special. But then when you cut into it... HAPPY 4TH OF JULY, AMERICA!