Easy Chocolate Peppermint Loaf Cake Recipe

If you like minty things, and especially minty chocolate things, make this!

Easy Chocolate Peppermint Loaf Cake

It tastes like a fudgy Thin Mint and is totally easy.

I made some for my neighbors today.  Instead of making two large loaves I made 5 mini loaves.  That why I got to keep one for myself.  :)

One of them deflated in the middle for some reason, so I gave that one to my very understanding neighbor.  

Merry Christmastime.  'Tis the season for peppermint everything!

Source

ingredients

• For Cake:
• 1 box (16.5 ounces) devil's food cake mix
• 1 box (3.5 ounces) chocolate instant pudding mix
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
• 1 1/2 cups (9 ounces) mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
• For Topping:
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1 1/4 teaspoons water
• 12 to 16 peppermint candies, chopped

directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees F for dark or nonstick pans and 2-3 minute longer baking times). Grease and lightly flour mini loaf pans.

For Cake:

In a large bowl, blend together mixes, sour cream, oil, eggs, water, milk and extract at low speed for 30 seconds. Continue mixing at medium speed for 1-2 minutes. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour batter into pans and bake for 30-35 minutes for mini loaves (40-50 minutes for full-sized loaf) or until top springs back to touch and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely before removing from pan.

For Topping:

In a small bowl, stir together sugar and 1 teaspoon water. Add a few drops of water at a time to reach desired consistency. Drizzle over cooled cakes and top with candy pieces.

Tip: Mini chocolate chips will distribute throughout the cake and create a more uniform chocolaty texture. If using regular chocolate chips, toss them with a teaspoon of flour before incorporating to help keep them from sinking to the bottom of the pan.

Get Cooking: http://www.cooking.com/recipes-and-more/recipes/easy-chocolate-peppermint-loaf-cake-recipe?CCAID=cknwrdne04943at&s=s0098787256s&mid=2066011&rid=98787256#ixzz3LzZEmCsH

A little Pepp in my step

I rarely venture outside of the world of Ben and Jerry's when I buy ice cream because I am determined to wrap this ice cream eating project up.  But can I just say, if I'm going to cheat, I'm going to cheat with this:

 

 

 

And I am not going to feel guilty about it because A) it is so delicious and creamy that you don't even have to strong-arm it to get it out of the carton (I actually have to microwave Ben and Jerry's) and B) it's only available once a year so you can only indulge so much.

 

 

If you have never tried Peppermint ice cream you simply must.  It's like Christmas in a carton.  Ho ho ho!

You have to have real cajones to put antlers and a red nose on your car. 

 

And you have to really love Christmas. 

 

 

And not give a flying f*ck about people's opinion of you.

 

And again, big ol' cajones.  I mean, huge.

Bark

And, I'm back. I've been busy studying for my real estate class exam, and searching for the allusive Fancy. Good news, I passed the former and ate the latter! Both were glorious.

Now I come to bring good tidings and more money saving tips. Have you ever tried the Peppermint Bark from Williams-Sonoma? At $26.95 it's even more expensive than it is delicious. Not exactly what you want in an edible treat, am I right!?

I walked into a Williams Sonoma store last week ready to buy a box or two, BEFORE I saw the outrageous price. When I turned that box over to see that it would cost me over half a hundy to get 2 boxes, I flipped that baby right back over and high-tailed it out the door.

I was prepared to go home and slave over a double-boiler of white chocolate for the next few hours and make my own at a fraction of the cost. That is, until I randomly walked into the Hallmark store (so random) to look for cocktail napkins.

Not only did I find some cutie patooties that say "Merry Christmas, Y'all", I also found the exact same bark for sale for half the price.

Same box and everything!

Christmas is the time to shower the ones you love with gifts and merriment. Not blow your financial wad on two sheets of minty chocolate.

Save your money and go to the Hallmark store for bark. Williams-Sonoma is so over bark-wise. You heard it here first!

Yule Tide Mariah

Real Talk.  This video is brilliant for a number of reasons. 

 

 

 

How can you go wrong with fundamental classroom instruments, Jimmy Fallon, cute kids, and the motha freakin' Roots band?!  Answer: You can't.

 

But the #1 reason why this video is the end all be all of Yuletide merriment is because it showcases the sheer vocal prodigy that is Mariah Carey.  Only the original MC can stand along like this and still sound like an angel we have heard on high.

 

For real y'all.  You will never see Britney Spears or Miley Cyrus going straight acapella on an ORIGINAL chart topping Christmas song.  It just doesn't happen.  Unless you're Mariah Carey.  In which case thank you ma'am for blessing my ears and the Christmas season with the best Christmas song of all time.  #2 being the ever soulful Silent Night by the Temptations.  Can a sista' get a baritone in here!?

 

 

RESPECT

'Tis the Season to be Crazy

Oh Mimi you so crazy. Check out this article about how Mariah starts planning her Christmas in June. And people say I plan too far ahead of time!

You really have to respect this woman's passion for Christmas and all things over-the-top. My favorite part of the article is when she is quoted as saying, "I love cooking and I'm a smash-hit wonder in the kitchen."

That is just not something normal people say about themselves. Which is why I 100% believe that Mariah Carey said it.

Finally, can I get a "WHAT WHAT" for that picture above. Mariah Carey, circa the mid-90's, with a reindeer. That is pretty much a trifecta of awesome right there.

Merry Almost Christmas everyone!!