Mint Chocolate Chip Cake

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Grease and flour 2 - 10 inch square cake pans with butter and flour. line bottom with parchment.

In a bowl place 1/2 c dark chocolate chips, pour hot coffee over top of them and stir until chocolate has melted and is smooth. Set aside.

Whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Beat eggs in a separate bowl until eggs have thickened slightly, ~2 minutes.

While continuing to mix gradually add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, peppermint extract and melted chocolate until well incorporated. Mix in flour mixture until just combined.

Pour batter into prepared pans. and sprinkle remainder 1/3 c dark chocolate chips on top. Bake for 60 - 70 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Set to cool.

Once cool enough to touch turn cakes out of pans and let cool completely on a wire rack. When cooled, if you are making the cake now, slice the cakes so you have 4 layers. (You can wrap the cakes in plastic and freeze for at least 6 hours. It's MUCH easier to slice a harder frozen cake, then a moist soft cake.)

Buttercream: Combine 1/3 cup of granulated sugar and egg whites in a Kitchen Aid mixing bowl. Set up with the whisk attachment. Beat on high until you have stiff peaks. Once you have stiff peaks set mixer to low.

Combine the water and 1 cup of sugar in a saucepan. Cook on medium high heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Then, continue to cook without stirring until it reaches soft ball stage, which is 240 degrees F.

When the sugar syrup cools to approx 230 degrees, start to whisk the egg whites on medium speed. Slowly stream the hot sugar into the whipping whites, still on medium speed. Continue whipping, on high speed now, until the meringue has reached room temperature, about 10 to 15 minutes.

While the meringue is cooling, cut the butter into 1-inch cubes. Once the meringue is cool, switch to the paddle attachment and gradually add butter on medium speed. Cream until smooth and light.

Add vanilla extract, peppermint, and coloring. Using a spoon, mix in the chopped chocolate. Taste! Adjust amounts of chocolate or mint if needed. Use immediately.

Ganache: Put chocolate in a glass bowl. Heat heavy cream on low heat until it just starts to boil. Take off heat and pour over chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is melted and completely mixed into heavy cream. It should be beautiful, shiny, liquid chocolate. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Assemble: Use a nice plate or cake board and put down a little ganache. Put down one of your 4 layers of cake, put approx 1/2 cup of butter cream in center and flatten and smooth to edges.

Repeat process until you've put the 4th layer of cake on top.

Take another 1/2 cup of buttercream and spread on top and sides of the cake. This layer of buttercream doesn't need to be perfect for all it is doing is catching potential crumbs. Now with the remainder of your buttercream, spread on the sides of the cake and try to get it as smooth as possible. Make sure you pull in the edges of the cake so you have a nice sharp corner.

Take your room temperature ganache and fill a uncut pastry bag. Don't fill the bag too much or you'll have trouble with it. When it's filled, twist the top and cut a VERY small amount off the tip.

Take the ganache and start piping drips. This is where a nice edge on your cake comes in handy. At your starting point, keep your bag along the edge of the cake. Start to squeeze and slowly move the bag over the edge of the cake, and then slowly bring it back. The longer you squeeze, the longer the drip will be. When you've gone around the entire cake, fill in the top of the cake. Make sure not to put too much or the ganache will overflow and drip in a way you don't want it too.

Now, your cake could be done at this point if you wanted to keep it simple, but you can also add little extras to the top (ex. Mint Oreos, Andes Mints, etc.).