Precious Art By Precious People

Ingredients:

• 1 cup milk
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 ½ cups self-rising flour
• 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ cup butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
• 1 cup superfine sugar
• 2 extra large eggs
• 3 ½ oz semisweet chocolate, melted
• 1 oz milk chocolate shavings, to decorate

Frosting:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 1 tsp peppermint extract
• few drops of green food coloring

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease and line an 8 inch round deep cake pan.
2. Pour the milk into a pitcher and add the lemon juice. Let stand for 15 minutes. Sift the flour, cocoa, and baking soda into a large bowl. Add the butter, superfine sugar, and eggs and pour in the milk mixture. Beat with an electric handheld mixer until thoroughly combined. Whisk in the melted chocolate.
3. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface. Bake in the preheated oven for about 1 ¼ hours, or until the cake is risen and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
4. For the frosting, place the butter in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until pale and creamy. Beat in 2/3 of the cream, then gradually beat in the confectioners’ sugar. Add the rest of the cream and continue beating 1-2 minutes, until the buttercream is very light and fluffy. Stir in the peppermint extract and food coloring to create a pale green color
5. Slice the cake horizontally into three equal rounds. Sandwich the rounds together with half the buttercream.. Spread the remaining buttercream over the cake. Decorate with the chocolate shavings. Slice and serve.

Serves 8

Tested in the THASC kitchen. Photo by THASC.
THASC is a unique small American business producing cards and other promotional products.
www.thasc.com