Twelve Days of Chocolate - Chocolate Grasshopper Cake

We're counting down to the Brooks Friends of the Library Death by Chocolate Bake Sale with the Twelve Days of Chocolate. Every day from now until May 12 we will be giving you a new chocolate recipe every day to tempt and inspire you. Each of these recipes came from magazines that are currently available for check out from the Brooks Public Library.

 Today's minty treat comes from Good Housekeeping Magazine. You can check this magazine out from the Brooks Public Library or at www.goodhousekeeping.com.

Chocolate Grasshopper Cake

Ingredients

1 cup(s) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup(s) unsweetened cocoa
1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
1/2 cup(s) butter or margarine, softened
1 1/4 cup(s) sugar, see step 2
1 tablespoon(s) sugar, see step 6
3 large eggs
20 crème de menthe thin mints
1 1/2 cup(s) heavy or whipping cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 15 1/2" by 10 1/2" jelly-roll pan; line with waxed paper. On another sheet of waxed paper, combine flour, cocoa, and salt.
2. In large bowl, with mixer on low speed, beat butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar just until blended. Increase speed to high; beat 3 minutes or until mixture is light and creamy, frequently scraping bowl with rubber spatula. Reduce speed to low; add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture; beat just until combined, occasionally scraping bowl.
3. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cake completely in pan on wire rack, about 40 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, with vegetable peeler, shave a long side of each mint lengthwise to equal 1/2 cup chocolate curls. (You can only shave about half of each mint before it breaks.) Set aside curls for sprinkling on top of assembled cake. Chop broken pieces and reserve for use in filling (you will have about 1/3 cup chopped mints).
5. With small knife, loosen cake sides from waxed paper; invert cake onto cutting board. Carefully remove waxed paper. With sharp knife, trim 1/4 inch from each side of cake. Cut cake crosswise into 3 equal rectangles (about 9 1/2" by 4 1/2" each).
6. In medium bowl, with mixer on medium speed, beat cream and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar until stiff peaks form. With rubber spatula, gently fold reserved chopped mints into whipped cream.
7. Place 1 cake rectangle on serving plate; top with 1 generous cup whipped cream mixture and spread evenly. Repeat 2 times with remaining cake and cream mixture. Sprinkle top with mint chocolate curls. Cover and refrigerate cake if not serving right away.

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And remember, the Death by Chocolate Bake Sale is happening Saturday May 12, 10:00am to 2:00pm at the Brooks Royal Canadian Legion. If you wish to donate some of your baking please give Gloria a call at 403-362-3295.