Chocolate Mint Cake - Die Die Must Try This...

Not many has eaten this cos it was a very small cake (6")... but the lucky ones who get to eat this say this is the best cake they have tasted so far.

I like the pronounced taste and smell of peppermint and the richness from the chocolate ganache.

I kept this recipe for a long long while but never made it partly because the method is rather uncoventional (you first mixed the butter with flour first, then add to the whisked egg misture), partly because I read from a forum NOT to use Peppermint Essence as the taste will be very pastic.

It set my mind to ease after reading the review here. Well, I can assure you I have neither problem with the method nor the plasticky-taste!

For the essence, I use Lor Ann Creme de Methe Concentrated Flavouring.

The butter and flour paste:

You can smell the mintiness when the cake is about to be ready:
I do not have the 8" pan, so I used the 6". Ended up the cake is too tall to bake evenly. The top and side becomes too dry after sitting in the oven for more than 60min. Also, half way thru I inserted the baking core... which in turns upset the brown and green swirling:

Also the cake has a tall crown which I sliced it off to feed the salivating baker! That's why the final cake here didn't look as tall as it should be.

As for the frosting, I used equal amount of Nestle Pouring Cream (the type that comes in a tin) and valrhona chocolate to make ganache. The nestle cream has the advantage of being able pipe right away but I feel the taste has been compromised. Next time I would certainly make this with dairy whipping cream.

I hope you will try this out too!