Holiday Menus of Plenty
61
Chocolate Pound Cake
with Mint Icing
Makes 12 mini Bundt cakes
1
cup butter, softened
3
cups sugar
5
large eggs
1
teaspoon vanilla extract
23/4
cups all-purpose flour
½
cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½
teaspoon baking powder
¼
teaspoon baking soda
¼
teaspoon salt
1¼
cups buttermilk
Mint Icing (recipe follows)
Garnish: thin crème de menthe
chocolate mints and whipped
cream*
1.
Preheat oven to 300°. Grease and
flour 12 mini Bundt pans, or spray with
nonstick baking spray with flour.
2.
In a large bowl, combine butter
and sugar. Beat at medium-high
speed with a mixer until fluffy. Add
eggs, one at a time, beating well after
each addition. Add vanilla to butter
mixture, beating well.
3.
In a large bowl, sift together flour,
cocoa powder, baking powder, baking
soda, and salt. Gradually add flourmixture
to butter mixture alternately with
buttermilk, beginning and ending
with flour mixture, beating to mix well.
4.
Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until a
wooden pick inserted in center of
cakes comes out clean.
5.
Cool in pans for 10 to 15 minutes.
Remove from pans, and cool
completely on wire racks. Spoon
Mint Icing over cakes. Garnish with
chocolate mints and whipped cream,
if desired.
Note:
To make 1 (10-inch) cake, use a
12-
to 15-cup Bundt pan. Bake at 300°
for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until a
wooden pick inserted in center of
cake comes out clean.
Mint Icing
Makes about 1 cup
1½
cups confectioners’ sugar
2
tablespoons heavy whipping
cream
2
tablespoons crème de menthe*
1.
In a medium bowl, combine
confectioners’ sugar and whipping
cream, whisking well. Add crème
de menthe, whisking until smooth.
Spoon over cakes. Garnish with
chocolate mint shavings and pieces,
if desired.
*
We used HiramWalker crème de
menthe and Andes mints.
Creamy Mixed Berries
Makes 8 servings
2
cups frozen mixed berries, chopped
2
cups sour cream
2
cups frozen whipped topping,
thawed
¼
cup confectioners’ sugar
Garnish: fresh mint
1.
In a large bowl, combine berries,
sour cream, whipped topping, and
confectioners’ sugar, stirring until
smooth. Spoon into 8 (4-ounce)
ramekins. Garnish with fresh mint, if
desired.
