After an unexpected hiatus (including an expected extended trip to Paris) and a flurry of sewing, I am back to baking this week with our pick by Carol. The recipe for this cake (which I believe you'll find on her blog) is for a plain loaf cake, which you then flavor however you want. I've registered here before that marble cake is one of my favorites, so I was all over it. I've also registered here that I love chocolate and mint together, so when I saw one of the suggestions was a chocolate-peppermint mix I was all over that, too.
The cake was very quick, straightforward and easy to mix together.
Not much to say about that. Just a standard butter cake in composition. I had some Callebaut white blocks that have been sitting around forever, and some slightly bittersweet chips, so I used those for my chocolates.
I mixed half the batter with the bittersweet chocolate and half with the white. I reached into the cabinet and discovered that my peppermint extract is actually peppermint oil. Oh well. I added it anyhow.
Then in a fit of perversity, I decided peppermint cake should be pink.
Then in another fit of perversity, I decided the flavors should not be very mixed.
So I layered the batters and banged the cake, unswirled, into the oven.
I let it bake for the minimum suggested--an hour and 20 minutes. It was crusty and very done by then.
I tried a piece before bed and brought some in my lunch to work today.
Verdict: I dunno what the deal is, but my cake is dry as all get out. I typically love "dry" "plain" cakes, but this one is throwing me. I'm not sure if it baked too long, or if using 2% milk really made a huge difference (I doubt that, though; I usually have that about the house so it's what I typically use) The peppermint is nice and strong (though admittedly mint-flavored cake is a little weird) but though I am not a chocolate freak I think the chocolate needs upping, either from using a stronger chocolate and/or increasing the amount of chocolate batter. I am gonna try it with some chocolate sauce and see if I am happier with it.
