This is, essentially, just a Betty Crocker recipe with additions, but it tastes amazing, so here it is presented with all my notes on it:
2 1/2 cups All-purpose Flour (I use King Arthur, because bleached flour skeeves me out)
1 2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup room temperture salted butter (don't bother with margarine)
2/3 cup the darkest baking cocoa you can get (I like Hershey's Special Dark)
2 tbsp espresso powder (or replace the water in the recipe with espresso)
1 tsp peppermint extract (I use a high quality organic emulsion, because I am a snob)
1/8 tsp pure peppermint oil (not 'flavored oil')
1 1/4 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla (the best you have)
1/4 tsp baking powder (aluminum free if you have it)
2 eggs
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour 2 9-inch round pans. Beat all the ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer on low for a minute, scrape, then beat on high for 3 minutes. Pour into pans, bake 35 minutes. Cool. Place a layer of peppermint buttercream frosting in the middle (add 3 drops of peppermint oil and 1/2 tsp of peppermint extract into a homemade vanilla buttercream (butter, 10X sugar, milk, vanilla) and frost with a cocoa or chocolate buttercream frosting that you've added 2tsp of espresso powder, 3 drops of peppermint oil, and 1/2 tsp of peppermint extract to.)
Because this cake and the frosting are full of butter, serve them at room temperature. You can store it in the fridge overnight (and, in fact, I think it tastes better this way) but make sure it's allowed to come to room temperature before serving.
2 1/2 cups All-purpose Flour (I use King Arthur, because bleached flour skeeves me out)
1 2/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup room temperture salted butter (don't bother with margarine)
2/3 cup the darkest baking cocoa you can get (I like Hershey's Special Dark)
2 tbsp espresso powder (or replace the water in the recipe with espresso)
1 tsp peppermint extract (I use a high quality organic emulsion, because I am a snob)
1/8 tsp pure peppermint oil (not 'flavored oil')
1 1/4 cups water
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla (the best you have)
1/4 tsp baking powder (aluminum free if you have it)
2 eggs
Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour 2 9-inch round pans. Beat all the ingredients in the bowl of an electric mixer on low for a minute, scrape, then beat on high for 3 minutes. Pour into pans, bake 35 minutes. Cool. Place a layer of peppermint buttercream frosting in the middle (add 3 drops of peppermint oil and 1/2 tsp of peppermint extract into a homemade vanilla buttercream (butter, 10X sugar, milk, vanilla) and frost with a cocoa or chocolate buttercream frosting that you've added 2tsp of espresso powder, 3 drops of peppermint oil, and 1/2 tsp of peppermint extract to.)
Because this cake and the frosting are full of butter, serve them at room temperature. You can store it in the fridge overnight (and, in fact, I think it tastes better this way) but make sure it's allowed to come to room temperature before serving.
