Peppermint Truffle Cake

For the last few years my friend and neighbor gifts have been these Peppermint Truffle Cakes. I usually decide on one day where it’s cake day, and then all I do is make these cakes. I usually do between 15 and 20. That sounds insane, but I have it down to a science. I do have a few bundt pans, which helps. It’s a chocolate cake with a peppermint fudge filling, and a cream cheese icing drizzled on, and topped with crushed peppermints. So tasty!

I don’t know exactly how much they cost, but you can find the cake mixes on sale for really cheap, and while cream cheese is pricey, you only use 1 ½ ounce per cake. I usually get some big round festive trays at a party store (but last year we could only find clear, so I dressed them up with some printed tissue paper), to put the cakes on. You will need something bigger than the average paper plate. Then I wrap them with clear cellophane and tie with a ribbon (preferably red and white to go with the peppermint theme). Polka dots or stripes are super cute.

Here’s the recipe:

Filling
1 (6-oz.) package (or 1 cup) semisweet chocolate chips.
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk – you want the sweet, sticky stuff)
½ teaspoon peppermint extract

Cake
1 (18.25-oz.) pkg. devil’s food cake mix
1 (8-oz.) container nonfat sour cream (you can use the fat kind, too)
1/3 cup oil
3 eggs

Icing
¾ cup powdered sugar
1 ½ oz. cream cheese, softened
1 to 2 tablespoons milk
6 hard peppermint candies, finely crushed

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour 12-cup fluted tube pan (or bundt pan). (Pam with Flour makes this sooo easy.) In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine all filling ingredients. Microwave on HIGH for 30 seconds; stir until melted and smooth. If necessary, microwave an additional 10 to 20 seconds. Set aside.

2. In large bowl, combine all cake ingredients; beat with electric mixer at low speed until combined. Beat 2 minutes at medium speed. Spoon into greased and floured pan. Drop spoonfuls of filling over batter, keeping filling away from sides of pan.

3. Bake at 350°F for 35 to 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted ner center comes out clean and edges begin to pull away from sides of pan. Cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert cake onto wire rack. Cool 1 hour or until completely cooled. (Center of cake may sink slightly during cooling.)

4. In medium bowl, combine powdered sugar, cream cheese and 1 tablespoon of the milk; beat with wire whisk until smooth, adding additional milk until of desired drizzling consistency. Drizzle icing over cooled cake. Sprinkle with crushed candy. Store in refrigerator.

HIGH ALTITUDE (ABOVE 3500 FT): For cake, add 2 tablespoons flour to dry cake mix. Decrease oil to 2 tablespoons and increase eggs to 4. Bake at 375°F for 40 to 45 minutes.

submitted by Kelly (www.thisterthaster.typepad.com)