Chocolate peppermint cake

Chocolate peppermint cake

200g  butter, softened 
125g  caster sugar
125g  golden brown sugar
3        julbo eggs, separated
1       tsp peppermint essence
1       jumbo egg white, extra
250g  cake flour
2       tsp baking powder
1       tsp bicarbonate of soda
40g   cocoa powder
         Pinch of salt 
3/4    cup buttermilk


FOR THE ICING
100g dark chocolate, chopped
1/3 cup cream
1 x peppermint Crisp, crushed


1.Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a ring cake tin. Place the butter and sugars in a bowl, beat with an electric mixer for 2-3 minutes, add the egg yolks and peppermint essence and beat for another 2 minutes. Place the egg whites in a separate bowl and beat until stiff.

2. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, bicarb, cocoa and salt. Fold half the dry ingredients with 1/4 cup buttermilk into the butter mixture, then repeat with the remaining flour and buttermilk.

3. Fold the stiff egg white into the mixture. Spoon batter into the cake tin and bake for 50 minutes, or until cooked through (when tested with a skewer).

4. Remove, allow to cool in cake tin, turn onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely before icing.

5. For the icing : Place the chopped chocolate and cream in a heat-proof bowl set over a pot of boiling water, allow to melt, remove bowl and allow mixture to thicken and cool a little. Drizzle over the cake and top with crushed Peppermint Crisp.