🌎 The World Cookbook

Chocolate Cake:
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 cups light brown sugar, packed
3 large eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 8 oz. container sour cream
1 cup hot water
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Peppermint Frosting Filling:
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups Powdered sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4-1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
Chocolate Ganache:
1 12 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons butter
Garnish (optional):
1/3 cup peppermint candy melts
1 teaspoon shortening
2-3 candy canes, crushed

Chocolate Cake: Add chocolate chips to a bowl and melt in the microwave at MEDIUM (50% power), stirring at 30-second intervals (about 1 1/2 minutes total time). Stir until smooth. Beat butter and brown sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer for 5 minutes or until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add melted chocolate, beating just until blended. Sift together flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and cocoa powder. Gradually add to chocolate mixture alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended after each addition. Gradually add 1 cup hot water in a slow, steady stream, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in vanilla. It is okay if there are lumps. Grease 2 10-inch round cakepans with nonstick cooking spray containing flour (like this one). Divide batter evenly between the pans and bake at 350° for 25-30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack 10 minutes; remove from pans, and let cool completely on wire rack before frosting. Peppermint Frosting: Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy, about 1 minute. Add powdered sugar and mix on medium speed for 1-2 minutes. Pour in heavy cream, vanilla and peppermint extract. Mix on high for 3-4 minutes until fluffy. If filling is way too thick, add a couple more teaspoons of heavy cream. When cake has cooled, frost the bottom cake layer with the frosting, leaving 1/2 border around the edge and place in the refrigerator to set, about 30 minutes. Chocolate Ganache: Microwave chocolate chips and heavy cream in a 2-quart microwave-safe bowl at MEDIUM (50% power) 2 1/2 to 3 minutes or until chocolate begins to melt. Whisk until chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Whisk in butter; let stand 20 minutes. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer 5 to 8 minutes or until mixture forms soft peaks. The ganache should end up with a pudding-like consistency that does not sag off your spatula. Top the peppermint frosting with the top cake layer (top of the cake layer facing down), and frost entire cake with ganache. Optional Garnish: Melt peppermint candy melts at MEDIUM (50% power) until mostly melted then stir until smooth. Stir in 1 teaspoon shortening and add to a plastic bag, snip the corner and drizzle over cake. Garnish with crushed candy canes.