Ingredients
1 cup mint-chocolate chips, nestles
1 1/4 cup ; water, divided
2 1/4 cup flour, unbleached
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup butter, softened
3 each eggs, large
CHOCOLATE MINT FROSTING
1/2 cup mint-chocolate chips, nestles
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
3 cup confectioners' sugar
6 tbsp milk
GARNISHES
1 chocolate leaves
1 chocolate curls
1 chocolate gratings
Directions
CAKE: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small saucepan, combine
mint-chocolate chips and 1/4 cup of water. Cook over medium heat,
stirring constantly, until chips are melted and mixture is smooth.
Cool 10 minutes. In medium bowl, combine flour, salt, baking soda,
and baking powder; set aside. In a large bowl, combine brown sugar
and butter; beat until creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well
after each addition. Blend in chocolate mixture. Gradually beat in
flour mixture alterantely with remaining 1 cup of water. Pour into 2
greased and floured 9-inch round baking pans. Bake at 375 degrees F.
for 25 to 30 minutes, or until cakes test done. Coll completely on
wire racks. Fill nd frost with Chocolate Mint Frosting. Garnish as
desired. CHOCOLATE-MINT FROSTING: Combine over hot (not boiling)
water, the mint-chocolate chips and butter.
Stir until chips are melted and mixture is smooth. Stir in vanilla
extract and salt. Transfer to a large bowl. Gradually beat in the
confectioners' sugar alternately with milk; beat until smooth. (if
necessary add more milk until desired consistency is reached.)
GARNISHES: Use chocolate curls and grated chocolate on top of the
cake. Form a ring of grated chocolate pieces around the outside edge
and use the curls in the center. To make chocolate leaves, select
several small leaves, wash and dry them and paint one side of them
with melted chocolate. Chill until firm and peel the leaf off the
chilled chocolate. Use as garnish.
Servings: 8 servings
Chocolate Mint Layer Cake Recipe brought to you by Recipe Ideas
Categories: Cake; Chocolate; Chocolate Cake; Dessert
The History of Recipes
It is quite possible to track the history of transcribed cooking instructions far back into the distant past, in truth as far as the early Egyptians, and maybe further still. Having said that, these, ancient cookbooks were just very simple hieroglyphic recipes for meal preparation.
In an interesting twist, the most ancient recipe discovered, according to Professor Solomon Katz, is a collection of clay tablets in ancient Sumerian describing the making of bread which is then used to make a drink, quite possibly a form of beer as it is recorded as making those who drank it feel wonderful and blissful. During the time of the Romans a roman called Apicius assembled a collection of scripts which described recipes cooked by wealthy roman citizens. In his scrolls, Apicius describes how the roman meals were split into hors d`oeuvre, main meal and afters, a very modern way of dining. Additionally, he describes how the ancient Romans were skilled in the use of a good variety of herbs and spices, including a few that are still present in modern kitchens for example basil, rue and asafoetida. Moving our culinary historical trip onwards, we have two interesting recipe books dating from the 14th Century ; one book entitled `Forme of Cury`, and another, similary entitled `Curye on Inglish`. Amusingly, these have no connection with the curry that we all know today, but instead descriptions of the types of food on the tables of the nobility of the time. Later on, in the 15th century, knights returning from the crusades brought back many new spices and herbs from the holy land, such as basil and coriander. These new herbs and spices prompted an explosion in manuscripts on cooking, most of which are kept safe in academic collections. When we get to the 20th century, cooking books are starting to become popular mostly due to better eduction, people having more free time and being a little richer. The arrival of TV brings us celebrity TV chefs and the accompanying recipe books. Which pretty much brings us up to date and the internet revolution, permitting everyone to access massive numbers of recipes such as those found on our web site. |
We hope you enjoy this Chocolate Mint Layer Cake recipe.
