-
1
MAKE THE CAKE: Preheat the oven to 325.
-
2
Butter three 9-inch round cake pans.
-
3
Line the bottoms with parchment paper, butter the paper and dust the pans with cocoa, tapping out any excess.
-
4
In a small saucepan, melt the coarsely chopped chocolate with the butter over low heat; let cool.
-
5
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the salt.
-
6
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the egg yolks with 1 cup of the sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
-
7
Add the cooled chocolate and the vanilla and beat until blended.
-
8
Gradually beat in half of the milk.
-
9
In a bowl, dissolve the baking soda in the remaining milk; add this to the chocolate batter along with the remaining 2 cups of sugar and beat at medium speed until combined.
-
10
Beat in the dry ingredients at moderately low speed.
-
11
Pour the chocolate batter into the prepared pans.
-
12
Bake the cakes on the lower and middle racks of the oven for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centers comes out with a few moist crumbs attached.
-
13
Let the cakes cool in the pans for 5 minutes.
-
14
Run the tip of a knife around the inside rim of the pans and invert the cakes onto wire racks.
-
15
Peel off the parchment paper, then invert the cakes again and let them cool completely.
-
16
MAKE THE FROSTING: Put the chocolate in a large heatproof bowl.
-
17
In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil.
-
18
Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and let stand for 5 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
-
19
Whisk in the butter and peppermint extract.
-
20
Transfer half of the ganache to a large bowl and refrigerate it for 15 minutes, or until barely set and slightly cool.
-
21
Using an electric mixer, whip the chilled ganache at medium speed until thick, creamy and pale, about 3 minutes.
-
22
Place 1 cake layer upside down on a cake plate.
-
23
Spread the top of the cake with half of the whipped chilled ganache.
-
24
Top with another cake layer and spread with the remaining whipped ganache.
-
25
Set the third cake layer on top.
-
26
Spread most of the reserved unwhipped ganache on the top and side of the cake and refrigerate until just set, about 10 minutes.
-
27
Spread the remaining unwhipped ganache all over the cake.
-
28
Press the nonpareils around the bottom edge of the cake and press more nonpareils onto the top in a snowflake pattern.
-
29
Refrigerate the cake for 20 minutes before serving.
