Dark Chocolate Fudge Mint Cake

I came up with this cake recipe for my little brother's birthday. I can't believe he's 17 already. He loves mint chocolate chip ice cream, so this was definitely the perfect birthday cake for him. However, I really love this flavor combination for the holiday season. This recipe is perfect for a holiday party or a get together because it uses a cake mix. It is simple and easy to pull together if you're in a time crunch but it tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen making it from scratch. This cake is so decadent and rich, everyone will ask you for the recipe. Give it a try, you'll definitely be the hit of the party!

Ingredients

1 Dark Chocolate Fudge cake mix

4 eggs

2/3c. butter, melted

1 c. milk

2 Tbs. strong coffee

Icing

4c. Powdered sugar

2 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

2 tsp peppermint extract

dark chocolate, finely chopped

green food coloring

Glaze

1/2c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

2-3 Tbsp. butter

1 tsp. milk

Directions

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Grease and flour 2 8" or 9" round cake pans, set aside. In a large mixing bowl combine cake mix, melted butter, eggs, milk and coffee. Mix well to combine all ingredients. Evenly divide cake batter between cake pans, bake for 25 minutes or until a toothpick can be inserted and removed clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

for the icing:

Cream together butter and powdered sugar in mixing bowl, until light and fluffy. Add mint extract and finely chopped chocolate pieces, mix well. Add food coloring until desired color of green is reached. (To achieve mint color, use 12 drops of blue and 12 drops of yellow food coloring). If frosting is too stiff, add a small amount of milk until desired consistency is reached.

for the glaze:

In a microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate chips, butter, and milk. Microwave 30-45 seconds at a time until chocolate and butter are completely melted and glaze is shiny and smooth. Pour glaze on top of cake, spread to edges with spatula and let glaze run down sides of cake. Decorate as desired. Enjoy!