Medium
16 to 20
Published 2014
This cake is soft and tender with a velvety crumb, frosted with a silken white chocolate buttercream, filled and topped with a fine crunch of peppermint. My friend
VOLUME | WEIGHT | ||
milk | |||
peppermint extract, preferably Flavorganics | . | . | |
pure vanilla extract | . | . | |
bleached cake flour (or bleached all-purpose flour) | |||
superfine sugar | |||
baking powder | |||
fine sea salt | . | ||
unsalted butter (65° to 75°F/19° to 23°C) |
VOLUME | WEIGHT | ||
peppermint sticks | . |
Two 9 by 2 inch round cake pans, encircled with cake strips, bottoms coated with shortening, topped with parchment rounds, then coated with baking spray with flour
Twenty minutes or longer before baking, set an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and
In a medium bowl, whisk the egg whites,
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the flat beater, mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt on low speed for 30 seconds. Add the butter and the remaining milk. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Raise the speed to medium and beat for 1½ minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Starting on medium-low speed, gradually add the egg mixture to the batter in three parts, beating on medium speed for 20 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Using a large silicone spatula, scrape the batter into the prepared pans and smooth the surfaces evenly with a small offset spatula. Each pan will be half full (
Let the cakes cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a small metal spatula between the sides of the pans and the cakes, pressing firmly against the pans, and invert the cakes onto wire racks that have been lightly coated with nonstick cooking spray. Cool completely upside down. This will help flatten the slight dome.
See recipe.
Have ready a coarse-mesh strainer suspended over a medium bowl.
Place 1 or 2 peppermint sticks in a freezer-weight plastic bag. With a hammer or mallet, lightly break up the stick(s) into shards no larger than
Cut each layer in half horizontally.
Spread a little buttercream on a cardboard round or serving plate and place one layer, rounded top side down. If using the serving plate, slide a few wide strips of parchment under the cake to keep the rim of the plate clean. Spread the cake with about
Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining buttercream. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes to set the buttercream. Sprinkle the powder-fine peppermint over the top of the cake and then sprinkle evenly with the remaining peppermint pieces. If using the parchment strips, slowly slide them out from under the cake.
Serve at room temperature.
Airtight: room temperature, 1 day; refrigerated, 3 days; frozen, 2 months.
Copyright © 2014 by Cordon Rose, LLC. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.