christmas is the time for this chocolate cake

Ingredients

 

2 cups Cake Flour

 

3/4 cup cocoa

 

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

 

3/4 teaspoon salt

 

1/4 cup vegetable oil

 

4 tablespoons butter, softened

 

1/2 cup granulated sugar

 

1/2 cup brown sugar

 

2 large eggs, room temperature

 

6 ounces milk or dark chocolate, chopped (about 1 cup) and melted

 

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 

1 cup buttermilk (easily made by adding approximately 1 Tablespoon of lemon juice to regular milk; let sit til thickened, about 5 minutes)

 

 

 

For the Frosting

 

 

 

1 cup butter, room temperature (2 sticks)

 

4 cups confectioner’s sugar

 

1 tsp vanilla extract

 

1-2 tsp peppermint schnapps or peppermint extract to taste

 

pinch of salt

 

Peppermint stripe candies, crushed

 

Directions

 

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease your pans with butter and dust with cocoa. Cut a piece of parchment to fit inside the pan and grease and dust the parchment with cocoa.

 

Combine the cake flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt and mix together with a whisk.

Place the oil, butter and sugars in the bowl of your mixer and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stop the mixer and scrape down the bowl. Add the eggs 1 at a time and beat briefly to just incorporate.

 

Add the melted milk chocolate, and beat until mixed well. Combine the salt, flour, baking soda, vanilla, cocoa powder and 1/2 cup of the buttermilk. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Stop again and scrape the bowl. Add the remaining buttermilk and beat for 30 seconds.

 

Pour the batter into the pans and bake: for 8″ rounds, 18 to 24 minutes; for 9″ rounds, 20 to 28 minutes; for cupcakes, 15 to 18 minutes.

 

The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, with just a few moist crumbs. Rest the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely.

 

Once completely cooled, frost with Peppermint Buttercream and garnish with crushed peppermint candies.

 

 

 

To Make the Peppermint Buttercream:

 

 

 

Beat the butter in a stand mixer until smooth, gradually add the powdered sugar and beat to combine.

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