Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake with Mint Italian Meringue Frosting

Long time, no see!   I am back with chocolate cake!  Yeah.  Italian meringue seems to be a bit of a pain but it is actually quite easy.  Just get everything ready and it will go super fast.

Old Fashioned Italian Chocolate Cake

3 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 2/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 buttermilk
1/2 cup water
1 cup oil
1 Tablespoon vanilla
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350°.  Combine dry ingredients, set aside.  In a large bowl mix sugar and oil, beat in eggs, then add vanilla.  Add 1/2 of the dry ingredients to oil and sugar mixture. Combine.  Add buttermilk and water. Combine.  Finally add the remainder of the flour mixture. Pour into well greased and floured pans or into a greased 9 x 13 pan.  Bake at 350° F for about 35 to 45 minutes.  Insert toothpick in center of cake to check to see if it is done.

Mint Italian Meringue Frosting

8 egg whites
1 3/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 cup water
1 pound butter
2 teaspoons peppermint extract.
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon green coloring

In a saucepan pour sugar in.  Drizzle water over sugar evenly.  Do not stir.  Cover and bring to a boil.  Separate all of the eggs, insuring no yolk gets in the white. Place egg whites in bowl of mixer.  When the sugar and water begin to boil place candy thermometer in.  At 230°F, start beating egg whites. When the sugar water reaches 250°F slowly pour into whipped egg whites as the mixer runs.  Continue whipping for 8 to 10 minutes.  Side of mixer bowl should feel cool to the touch when ready to add butter. Add butter a little at a time.  Once all butter is in, add extract and coloring.  Beat until combine.  If it looks curdled just let it keep mixing, it will come back together.

Mint Frosted Brownies

Mint frosting on brownies?  What?  Oh so delicious.  I sure am glad these brownies left the house.  I would not be able to help myself.
Brownies
Note:  I don't know what I was thinking and added a little too much cocoa powder, like a teaspoon.  It tasted too strong of coffee.  Oops, don't make that mistake.  1/2 teaspoon is what you want.  Unless of course, you are frosting it with coffee icing. Then, go for it.

3/4 cup (170 grams) unsalted butter, plus more for the pan
3 ounces (90 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)
1/2 cup (40 grams) cocoa powder
1/2 cup (70 grams) all-purpose flour

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease an 8-inch square pan. Line the pan with parchment paper so that a couple inches hang over the edge. I sometimes use a 9 inch- an 8 inch pan will yield higher brownies.  

Place the butter in a medium saucepan and melt over medium-high heat. Allow the butter to cook until the milk solids bubble up and then settle into the pan and caramelize. Swirl the butter in the pan in order to see the color of the little bits on the bottom. As soon as the milk solids are golden and the butter smells nutty, about 3 to 5 minutes, remove the pan from the heat.

Add the chopped chocolate to the browned butter and let stand for 1 minute to melt and then whisk together. Pour it into the sugar and and vanilla while the butter mixture is still warm. Whisk in the eggs, salt, and espresso powder until completely incorporated. 

Directly over the bowl with the chocolate mixture, sift in the cocoa powder and flour. Fold the ingredients together until just combined using a spatula.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.  

Mint Frosting
This is one of those recipes where you have to go by feel.  Too much liquid and you will have a soupy mess.

1 stick (4 ounces) butter
1 brick (8 ounces) cream cheese
1/4 cup creme de menthe, starting with a tablespoon at a time
3 cup plus confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon peppermint extract

Cream butter and cream cheese, add in some confectioners sugar. Beat.  Add in creme de menthe.  More confectioners sugar.  Add in extract.  Add confectioners sugar until you get the desired consistency.