Peppermint Mocha Layer Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Start by creaming 3/4 cup softened unsalted butter together with 2 cups of granulated sugar.
Then add in 3 whole eggs, 1 tsp vanilla and 1/2 tsp of peppermint extract and combine.
Next add in 1 1/4 cups of buttermilk and mix until combined.
Sift together 1 3/4 cups of all purpose flour, 3/4 cup of dark cocoa powder, 1/2 tsp of salt, 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp of baking soda. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients a little at a time until it is all thoroughly combined.
Lastly mix in 1/2 cup of hot coffee. (I used 2 tbsp of instant coffee dissolved in 1/2 cup of hot water).
Divide the batter evenly between three 6″ cake pans. It helps to use a food scale to ensure the same amount of batter is in each pan.
Bake the cakes for 38-41 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the centers. After they are done baking, let the cakes cool in the pans for 15 minutes and then out of the pans on a cooling rack until completely cooled.

In a large bowl add 2 cups (4 sticks) of softened, unsalted butter and beat on medium speed with an electric mixer until the butter is smooth, pale in color and fluffy.
Dissolve 1 tbsp of instant coffee with 1 tsp of water. Then to the butter add in 1/2 tsp of peppermint extract, the coffee paste and 4 1/2 cups of powdered sugar a little at a time until it is all combined.
Next mix in 1/4 tsp of salt and 1 cup of dark cocoa powder. The frosting will be very thick at this point.
Add 8-9 tbsp of heavy cream a few spoonfuls at a time until the frosting is smooth and can easily be spread. If it is too stiff add more cream. If the frosting is smooth after only a few spoonfuls of cream, do not add the full amount. Add cream as necessary.

Heat 1/4 cup of heavy cream on the stove top in a small sauce pan just until it’s about to boil.
Place 2 oz of chopped dark chocolate in a medium sized bowl or liquid glass measuring cup. Make sure the chocolate is in small pieces, roughly all the same size.
Once the cream is hot, pour it over the chocolate and let it sit for about five minutes. After five minutes stir it to fully combine it. Let it sit on the counter to cool slightly until ready to use.

Once the cakes are completely cooled you can assemble the cake. You can simply fill each layer and ice the outside with the dark chocolate peppermint mocha buttercream and then pour the dark chocolate ganache over the top. However, if you are looking to make a really beautiful cake, follow the extra steps above in the blog post.
Serve this cake right away, or keep in the fridge until ready to serve. Store left overs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days for the freshest, best flavor.