Chocolate Mint Cake

Ingredients

• Caster Sugar100g
• Fresh Mint Leaves, finely choppedlarge handful
• Groundnut Oil, for greasing—

• Dark Chocolate (70%), broken up250g
• Unsalted Butter + extra for tin125g
• Caster Sugar (split: 75g + 100g)175g total
• Whole Eggs2
• Egg Yolks3
• Egg Whites4

• Double (Heavy) Cream400ml
• Icing Sugar4 tbsp
• Peppermint Extract6–8 drops

Method

1. Make the mint caramel. Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease a baking tray with groundnut oil. Pour 100g caster sugar into a dry frying pan over medium heat. Shake the pan but don't stir — let the sugar melt and turn deep golden. Scatter in the mint leaves and immediately tip onto the greased tray. Leave to cool completely and harden. Break half the caramel into small crushed pieces for the batter. Keep the remaining shards whole for decoration.
2. Melt the chocolate. Melt the dark chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over barely simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water. Add the butter and stir until fully melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
3. Whisk eggs and sugar. Beat the 2 whole eggs and 3 yolks with 75g of the caster sugar until thick, pale, and fluffy. Fold in the chocolate mixture, then fold in the crushed mint caramel pieces.
4. Whisk the egg whites. In a very clean bowl, whisk the 4 egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add the remaining 100g of caster sugar, whisking continuously until stiff and glossy.
5. Fold and bake. Fold a large spoonful of the whites into the chocolate mixture to loosen it, then carefully fold in the rest in two stages. Pour into a greased and lined 23cm springform tin. Bake for 35–40 minutes until risen and the centre is no longer wobbly. Cool completely in the tin. The middle may sink slightly — this is expected.
6. Top and serve. Whip the cream with icing sugar and peppermint extract until just holding its shape — soft, billowy peaks. Spoon over the cooled cake, leaving a narrow border around the edge. Scatter the reserved caramel shards over the top.