After-dinner mint, with side of berries

The Baltimore Sun

There's leafy-green mint in pesto and potato salads. Mint in fruit salsas, dressings and sauces. Mint in chocolate confections and atop sliced fruit. Yes, the perky taste is clean and cool -- a perfect flavor profile to add to warm-weather treats.

This chocolate cake with mint whipped-cream frosting is simple to make and delicious. Prepare a cake-mix chocolate layer cake (doctored up by adding sour cream to make it rich) and top with a minty whipped cream.

Garnish with fresh berries tossed with slivers of fresh mint and a little orange liqueur or raspberry liqueur.

Chocolate Cake With Mint Whipped-Cream Frosting

Serves 16

1 package (18.25 ounces) devil's food cake mix with pudding

1 cup sour cream

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

FROSTING:

2 1/2 cups chilled heavy whipping cream

1/3 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

GARNISH:

2 cups mixed fresh berries tossed with 1 tablespoon minced fresh mint and 1 tablespoon orange liqueur, such as Grand Marnier, or raspberry liqueur, such as Chambord

Place rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Generously grease two 9-inch cake pans with butter or solid vegetable shortening, then dust with flour. Shake out excess flour. Set aside.

Place cake mix, sour cream, water, oil, eggs and vanilla in large mixing bowl. Blend with electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Stop machine and scrape down sides of bowl. Increase mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes. Divide batter between two pans. Bake 28 to 32 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly pressed with a finger. Cool 10 minutes in pans set on wire racks. Run dinner knife around edge of cake and invert onto cooling rack. Cool.

Prepare frosting: In large bowl combine whipping cream, powdered sugar and extract. Using electric mixer, beat until stiff peaks form.

Place one cake layer right side up on serving platter. Spread top with frosting. Add second layer, right side up, and frost top and sides of cake.

Place cake in cake saver or cover with dome; refrigerate. Serve with berry mixture on side.

Per serving: 467 calories, 12 grams protein, 21 grams carbohydrate, 37 grams fat, 12 grams saturated fat, 95 milligrams cholesterol, 367 milligrams sodium, 1 gram fiber

Cake recipe (not the frosting or berry garnish) is from "Chocolate From The Cake Mix Doctor" by Anne Byrn. Rest of recipe and nutritional analysis provided by The Orange County (Calif.) Register.

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