It started as a painless objective: Make a birthday cake for GC. Chocolate was preferred, but that changed to “what if it were filled with something yummy?”
Three “filling” recipe attempts lead to a few lessons and a greater appreciation for people who create new cake recipes. I also learned peppermint extract is a fickle biotch who will butt slap whipping cream. I was scared and extremely convinced this would fail in the few hours before birthday bash go time. The final filling I made resembled what “should” has been in a Grasshopper Pie. The pie filling wasn’t horrible, but it seeped and oozed grasshopper awesome everywhere. Some modifications and recipe research lead me to this success today. Fixed and Fabulous enjoy this version for summer peppermint fun!
I use David Lebowitz’s cake recipe:
Devils Food Chocolate
- 9 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1½ cups cake flour (not self-rising)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- 4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ½ cup strong coffee (or water)
- ½ cup whole or low-fat milk
1. Adjust the oven rack to the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Butter two 9″ x 2″ cake pans and line the bottoms with circles of parchment paper.
3. To make the cake layers, sift together the cocoa powder, cake flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl.
4. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, or by hand, beat together the butter and sugar about 5 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. (If using a standing electric mixer, stop the mixer as necessary to scrape down the sides to be sure everything is getting mixed in.)
5. Mix together the coffee and milk. Stir half of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, the add the coffee and milk. Finally stir in the other half of the dry ingredients.
6. Divide the batter into the two prepared cake pans and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
Grasshopper Icing Ala LuLu
- 3 1/2 cups chilled whipping cream (let’s be honest I used the whole 32 oz carton of heavy whipping cream)
- 6 tablespoons sugar
- 1 package Jello Instant Pudding French Vanilla
- 1/2 package semi sweet chocolate morsels
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1 package Andes Candies
- 1 container fudge icing ala Duncan Hines
- 1 can pretty green Betty Crocker decorating icing with magical switchable tips
- Green food coloring to make it hop!
When thick and keeping your bowl on ice, fold in those morsels slowly with a spatula. Lastly fold in the peppermint extract slowly with just a few turns. Let sit in ice as you prepare the cake.
Assembly:
Using a melon baller gently remove a small inner part of cake 2 about 2 inches in from cake rim and about 1/4 inch deep. This will be your cake top and what will be decorated. If you want to save yourself the headache I would truly recommend a Tasty Fill Set from Wilton. I haven’t been able to buy one yet but its on the list for summer. You are creating a “well” for the top filling
Taking that peppermint madness, fill cake 1 almost to edge with a nice thick layer of icing and place cake 2 on top gently as sides will be very vulnerable. Once on fill its well, and take your flat butter knife and go around and flatten any areas that seeped. You want your middle icing to push out to edge but not over run. Pop that sucker in the fridge for about 20 minutes !
Remove, working quickly take your fudge frosting that has sat out at room temp and ice the sides and upper edge of the cakes. It’s ok if it goes a little into the grasshopper but try not to cross the streams too much!@
Take the green frosting, create little stars on the bottom edge and begin going around the top in even spacing creating a blossom. While my cake was in the fridge, I was un-peeling Andes candies and placing in a bowl. As you make a blossom place an Andes on top!
