Dinner Mint Cake Recipe

DINNER MINT CAKE Recipe

Okay, we are heading straight into the home stretch of Tis The Season, and one of things I am always doing this time of year is looking for the perfect combo of show-stopper and easy when it comes to that big holiday dinner dessert.  You know, the one that is going to get you a round of oohs and aahs when you bring it out, and then has your dining room settle down to delirious quietness because everyone is eating in happy holiday bliss…but also the one that is not going to keep you in the kitchen for hours.  Welcome to that dessert!

Ingredients

One 13x9 pan of brownies, baked, cooled and cut in half (line the pan with non-stick foil to make lifting the brownies out as easy as possible!)

For the glaze

10 ounces dark or bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine

1 cup heavy cream

¼ cup light cane syrup (Karo)

4 tablespoons butter, softened

¼ teaspoon peppermint extract

For the filling

12 tablespoons butter at room temperature

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

1½ cups confectioner's sugar

Instructions

1. Make the glaze first so it has time to cool: Put the chopped chocolate in a medium sized mixing bowl. Stir the cream and the corn syrup in a small heavy pot over medium heat until it reaches a low boil.

2. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chopped chocolate and whisk until smooth. Add the 4 tablespoons butter and ¼ teaspoon mint extract and whisk again until smooth. Cover and put in the fridge until it is spreadable, about 60 minutes.

3. When the glaze is set, make the filling: beat 12 tablespoons butter with 2 tablespoons cream and 1 teaspoon mint extract on medium until well-combined. Add confectioner's sugar and beat on low until it is mixed in. Now rev the mixer up to high and beat until everything is nice and fluffy, about 3 minutes or so.

4. Time to assemble! Put the one brownie half bottom side down on a cooling rack that is place on a rimmed baking sheet. Spread all the filling evenly over it. Pop the other half on top, bottom side up (to give you a smoother spreading surface). Take 1 cup of the glaze and spread it in a thin layer over the sides and the top (if you have an offset spatula this is the time to break it out!).

5. Save a couple tablespoons of the remaining glaze and set aside. Put the rest in the microwave for a minute until it is melted. Pour it over the top of the cake, using a spatula to spread it along the top and to help it drip down the sides.

6. If you like, put the 2 tablespoons you saved into a ziplock bag, snip off a corner and pipe decorative squiggles over the top.

7. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, then transfer the cake onto a platter (I use two spatulas for this) and serve!