Witch's Cauldron Mint Oreo Cake

Double, double toil and trouble, Oreo and Aero bubble!

Done in 3 hours

Serves 8-10

Dish by Chris Cahill

Ingredients

For the Sponge:

170gUnsalted Butter

400gSugar

4Large Eggs

340gPlain Flour

2 TspBaking Powder

1/2 TspBaking Soda

1/2 TspSalt

290gButtermilk

54gVegetable Oil

1 TbspVanilla Extract

2 1/2 TspPeppermint Extract

1 PackOreos

Green Food Colouring

For the Mint Buttercream:

500gUnsalted Butter

1000gIcing Sugar

1 TbspPeppermint Extract

1/2 TspSalt

For the Dark Chocolate Ganache:

270gDark Chocolate

270gDouble Cream

3 1/2 TbspHoney

70gButter (Cubed)

1/2 TspBlack Oil Based Food Colouring

For the White Chocolate Ganache Drip:

190gWhite Chocolate

80mlDouble Cream

1/2 TspGreen Oil Based Food Colouring

To Decorate:

Sugar Paste/Fondant

Wooden Skewers

White Chocolate Lindt

Mint Aero Bubbles

Dive into a spooktacular dessert with this enchanting Witch's Cauldron Mint Oreo Cake! This decadent creation features layers of mint Oreo sponge, perfectly balanced for a bewitching treat. Adorned with a glossy dark chocolate ganache, the cake is transformed into a mystical cauldron bubbling with flavor!

Method

For the sponge:

Preheat the oven 15-20 minutes to 160ºc, grease and flour 4x 6 inch round pans, adding a circle of parchment paper in the bottom of each pan.

Place Oreos in a ziploc bag or between two sheets of waxed paper and crush with a rolling pin.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt for 30 seconds. Set aside

In another bowl, add the buttermilk, oil, vanilla and peppermint extract. Set aside..

In the bowl of your mixer, add the butter and mix at medium speed until smooth. Gradually add the sugar and continue to mix on medium speed for 3 to 5 minutes until lightened in color and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time mixing until the yellow of the yolk disappears.

Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients (3 additions of dry ingredients and 2 of liquid).

Add green coloring gel if you'd like.

Do not mix above medium speed or over mix the cake batter.

Fold in the crushed Mint Oreos. Divide batter between your pans.

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

To make the Ganache:

Make the Dark Chocolate ganache by putting the double cream into a large pan over a medium heat. Bring just to the boil, then remove from the heat.

Add the butter, honey and chocolate to a bowl, pour over the heated cream and leave for 2 mins to melt, then stir until smooth. Set aside to cool and thicken, then store in the fridge until needed.

For the White Chocolate ganache, heat the cream and pour over the white chocolate pieces. Stir with a whisk until melted.

Add drops of green oil based food colouring until you reach the desired colour.

Note: If your ganache splits or becomes grainy, add in more fresh cream a teaspoon at a time until the mixture comes back together.

To make the Buttercream:

Whip up your room temperature butter in a mixer or by hand with an electric whisk until light and silky.

Pour in your icing sugar, mint extract and salt and mix on medium until incorporated. When combined whip on high till smooth and fluffy.

Stacking and Decoration:

When your sponge is cooled, stack your cake filling each layer with mint buttercream. Then crumb coat the stack and chill.

Once firm, cover your entire cake with the black dark chocolate ganache and smooth for a crisp clean finish.

Using some purple sugar paste, roll out long cone shapes that resemble tentacles. Add tiny balls of orange sugar paste and poke in with a ball tool. Press in a wooden skewer to the base and bend into shape to give it life. Leave to firm.

Pour your green chocolate drip around the top edge of your cake and then cover the top.

Place in your tentacles, followed by your white chocolate lindt eyeballs and mint aero bubbles.

Finally using the last of your black ganache pipe some handles and leg stumps onto your cake and enjoy!