Ingredients
1 box Chocolate Devil’s Food Cake Mix
2 tbsp. buttermilk
7 oz. large eggs
c. water
c. oil
7 oz. chocolate ganache (recipe below)
1 pt. heavy cream
16 oz. semisweet chocolate
2 tbsp. light corn syrup
2 c. granulated sugar
1 c. egg whites
1 lb. butter
Peppermint oil (or extract)
green food coloring
Chocolate sandwich cookies (optional)
Chocolate syurp (optional)
Preparation
Step 1Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray or grease 2 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper.Step 2Make the ganache: Mix heavy cream and corn syrup and heat just to a boil. Pour over chocolate pieces in a bowl. Let stand a few minutes for the cream to start melting the chocolate. Mix until smooth and glossy. Set aside.Step 3Make the cake: Combine cake mix, buttermilk, and eggs for 1 minute on medium speed, or 2 minutes by hand. Scrape the bowl and add the water and oil. Mix for one minute on medium speed, or two minutes by hand.Step 4Add melted ganache (7 ounces) and mix until incorporated, making sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl between mixing.Step 5Fill each pan with about 2/3 cup of cake batter and spread evenly. (This is very important as you want an even layer. An uneven layer will yield a cake that isn’t evenly baked and will also increase difficulty when stacking the cake.)Step 6Make the buttercream: Whisk egg whites and sugar together and gently heat over a double boiler until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture reaches 120 degrees F.Step 7Remove from heat and whip until the bowl feels cool to the touch. Add the softened butter a few pieces at a time. Continue to mix until the mixture is incorporated and fluffy. Add flavorings, and mix until combined. Taste and adjust as necessary.Step 8Assemble the cake: Once cake layers are cool, begin icing and stacking. If thin layers are desired, slice cooled cakes in half horizontally to create more layers. Spread a thin, even layer of chocolate ganache onto the first cake layer. (Works best when ganache is set at room temperature. It should have the consistency of spreadable icing).Step 9Spread a thin, even layer over buttercream over the ganache.Repeat with cake and icings until all the layers are used up. We like to measure our cakes to 3 inches tall. Refrigerate until set.Step 10Coat the outside of the cake with the mint buttercream. If desired, grind chocolate sandwich cookies into crumbs. Coated the sides of the cake with crumbs. Decorate the top of the cake with chocolate syrup.
Recipe courtesy of the Original Smith Island Cake Company
