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| Note the cookies dressing up the holiday glam, garnishing the cake. |
From Denny: Love hot chocolate? Thought of making it into a cake? Britainy Shaw, 25, of Louisiana (before that she lived in Texas and before that in Montana) decided it was a brilliant idea. She heard of Southern Living magazine's contest and decided to enter just for fun, taking third for this cake recipe.
She said her thoughts immediately went to her favorite Christmas flavors. “For some reason, all I could think of were drinks. I love hot chocolate with peppermint schnapps in it.”
Her cake consists of three layers of buttermilk chocolate cake that is filled with a fudge-mint filling, frosted with peppermint-tinged marshmallow crème frosting.
Shaw said the very first time she made the cake it came out perfect; what luck for an experiment! “I’ve just always been watching my mom and grandma cook. I would love to open a bakery one day.” Her cake is featured on Pages 140-141 of the Southern Living December double issue.
Talk about funny; Shaw was sitting outside, reading a Southern Living magazine, when the company called to inform her that her cake had won. She was awarded $500 for her first time effort. That should pay for a few Christmas gifts this year. :)
Let your love light shine! Hot chocolate looks great in this mug... I'm just sayin'
Peppermint-Hot Chocolate Cake
Makes: 10 to 12 servings
Ingredients:
For the cake:
1/2 cup boiling water
1 (4-oz.) milk chocolate baking bar, chopped
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, separated
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup buttermilk
Fudge filling - recipe follows
Peppermint-Cream Frosting - recipe follows
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour three 8-inch round cake pans.
2. Pour boiling water over chocolate in a heat-proof bowl. Stir until chocolate is melted and smooth. Cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.
3. Beat butter at medium speed with a heavy-duty stand mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, 1 at a time, beating until blended after every addition. Add melted chocolate and vanilla, beating until blended. Combine remaining dry ingredients; add to butter mixture alternately with buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed until just blended after each addition.
4. Beat egg whites at medium speed until soft peaks form. Gently fold into batter. Pour batter into prepared pans.
5. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks and cool completely, about 40 minutes.
Fudge Filling
Ingredients:
1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12-oz.) pkg. semisweet chocolate morsels
1/4 tsp. peppermint extract
Directions:
Combine milk and chocolate in a saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for 4 to 6 minutes or until chocolate is melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in extract.
Peppermint-Cream Frosting
Ingredients:
1 (7-oz.) jar marshmallow crème
1 (8-oz.) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1⁄8 tsp. peppermint extract
Directions:
Beat all ingredients with an electric mixer on high for 1 to 2 minutes or until stiff, glossy peaks form.
To assemble the cake, spread the fudge filling between layers and frost with the Peppermint-Cream Frosting.
Delivery: 1 fat elf stuffed full of good cheer! Awww, come on; you know you are part of the I Believe Club. Take home a fat elf today!
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