The Recipe Room

Chocolate and mint, it’s a combination made in heaven!  This mint chocolate cake with almond frosting is so delicious it’s hard to resist a second or even third serving, so if you’re watching your waistline, you’ve been warned! (Also try these chocolate lava cakes.)

I used to make this sponge with mint chocolate frosting too, but I eventually had to admit it was too rich even for my taste and decided to try almond flavour frosting instead.  I think the result speaks for itself, so get baking and let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

For the sponge:

• 220g butter
• 600g granulated sugar
• 3tbsp instant coffee granules
• 2tsp coffee liqueur
• 3 eggs
• 285g cake flour
• 2tsp baking powder
• 1/4tsp salt
• 250g cocoa powder
• 315ml buttermilk
• 2tbsp fresh mint  leaves

For the frosting:

• 375g icing sugar
• 6tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 60ml water
• 1tsp almond extract
• 20g almond shavings

Instructions:

For the sponge:

1. Preheat the oven to 175ºC.
2. Grease and flour a 23cm cake pan or line with parchment paper. Set aside.
3. In an electric mixer on medium speed, cream the butter until light and fluffy.
4. Gradually add the sugar and beat until it turns light in colour.
5. Add the coffee granules and liqueur and mix well.
6. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
7. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa powder.
8. Add this flour mixture to the butter mixture alternately with the buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
9. Stir in the mint leaves. Mix until just blended.
10. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
11.  Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean.
12. Remove the cake from the oven and cool in its pan on wire cooling rack for 10 to 15 minutes.
13. Carefully remove the cake from the pan and continue to cool on the wire rack.
14. Remove and discard the baking parchment.

For the frosting:

1. Blend the icing sugar, almond extract, cocoa powder and water with an electric mixer until just blended.
2. Beat on medium speed until thick and smooth.
3. Spread on the cooled cake with a spatula.
4. Sprinkle the almond shavings on top.
5. Serve immediately.

Prep Time:  15 minutes

Cooking Time:  70 minutes

Serves:  10

Difficulty:  Medium