Peppermint Mocha Cake

Does anyone else require a Xanax to order a drink at Starbucks? It’s just me? I think you’re lying. It happens every time. I go in with the intent of getting one of those fun sounding drinks and then when it’s time to order, I freeze, as if George Clooney just asked me what I wanted. Small? Wait, no, tall. Cappuccino? Latte? What’s the difference anyway? So out of pure ignorance and mild anxiety, I always order a tall coffee. Boring.

Recently, I was feeling bold and wanted to face my frappuccino fear. I had a plan. I went in, walked straight to the back, pretended to look at all the merchandise and watched other people order. Tall peppermint mocha. Venti peppermint mocha no whip. Tall non-fat peppermint mocha. Noted – this peppermint mocha is either free or really something impressive. I kept listening. Another one. And another. Decision made, I’m ordering a peppermint mocha. So I waited in line. “What can I get started for you?” she yelled across the store, pointing her Sharpie at me. “A tall coffee please.”

Unbelievable. Did I really just do that? I was NOT prepared for the advanced down the line order-taking. That is so not what I wanted. Everyone else’s drink looks so much better than mine. A severe case of drink envy sets in. Should I re-order? Probably not, because I really don’t want to risk a second tall boring coffee. I want peppermint, chocolate and coffee, together as one, topped with a sweet creamy cloud. And that, my friends, is just what I got. I went home and decided to make my own version. A round 9 inch layered one.

Peppermint mocha cake… there is NOTHING boring about this. The cake is moist and chocolatey with a hint of coffee. The peppermint frosting is the perfect sweet, creamy finish. One bite of this and my drink envy quickly turned to cake pride. Let me tell you, a peppermint mocha done right needs a fork, not a cup.

So save your Xanax for Christmas with the family and sign up now to bring dessert to all of your holiday potlucks and parties. Starbucks can keep its Tai Chi lattes, wait Chai Tea lattes. Whatever, I’ll have a grande slice of peppermint mocha.

Recipe adapted from Mrs. Winter’s famous Chocolate Birthday Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:

½ cup salted butter (1 stick)
4 tablespoons instant espresso powder
3 oz unsweetened chocolate
1 cup of water
2 ¼ cups cake flour
1 ¼ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
2 cups sugar
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla

Frosting:

5 cups confectioners’ sugar
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup salted butter, softened (2 sticks)
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
Chocolate shavings and/or crushed candy canes for decorating (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9 inch round cake pans.
2. Heat butter, espresso powder, chocolate and water in a saucepan on medium heat, stirring frequently until all chocolate and butter is melted. Let cool.
3. Mix eggs, sour cream, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl. Slowly add in the cooled chocolate mixture.
4. In a small bowl combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add in the dry mixture to the wet mixture until smooth.
5. Pour into prepared pans and bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven. When cool enough to touch, flip the cakes out of the pans and let cool completely.
6. For the frosting, beat cream cheese, butter and peppermint extract until smooth. Slowly, very slowly, add in the confectioners’ sugar until blended, occasionally scraping down the sides to combine.
7. To frost the cake, be sure it is completely cooled. Place the first layer of the cake on the plate or platter you plan to serve it on. Apply frosting to the top. Place the next layer on top of the first. Frost the top and sides with a very thin layer of frosting. This is called a crumb coating. Allow this layer to harden (you can refrigerate the cake to speed up the process). Once hardened, you’ll have a crumbless hard surface ready for smooth frosting. Apply the rest of the frosting to the top and sides. Top with any desired decorations.

A few lessons learned worth mentioning:

1. I must now label blog food “Do not eat…yet.” I wanted to show you that you can make this cake into pretty little cupcakes. I had one to photograph, but someone in this house ate it. He said he’s sorry and that it really was good…and pretty.
2. All natural candy canes are really hard to find. Four stores later, I found that they are  not worth the price, nor the search. When I make this again, I’ll leave off the crushed candy canes and just use chocolate shavings. Or maybe a sprinkle of chocolate covered coffee beans?
3. New granite countertops are slippery. Do not leave your frosting to whip unattended or this happens. KitchenAid suicide attempt. Surprisingly, it still works.