Mint-chocolate Crunch Cake

Total Time: 35 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• milk chocolate cake mix
• 3 eggs
• 1 1/8 cups water
• 1/3 cup oil
• 1 1/2 teaspoons mint extract
• 1/4 cup cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup butter, room temperature
• 1/4 cup shortening, room temperature
• 3/4 lb powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon mint extract
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 1 1/2 cups pistachios, coarsely chopped

Recipe

• 1 preheat oven to 330f degrees. (or if you prefer, according to box directions).
• 2 grease and flour 2 9-inch cake pans.
• 3 mix dry cake mix with eggs, water, oil and 1 1/2 teaspoons mint extract until smooth.
• 4 divide mixture evenly between 2 cake pans and bake 25-28 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
• 5 allow cakes to cool slightly (about 10 minutes) before removing from pans onto wire racks to cool completely (about 1 hour).
• 6 for frosting:.
• 7 in a stand mixer or with a hand mixer and a bowl, beat together cream cheese, butter and shortening until smooth.
• 8 add extracts and beat until combined.
• 9 sift together in a separate bowl, the powdered sugar and cocoa powder.
• 10 slowly, add sugar mixture to cream cheese mixture until all of it is incorporated.
• 11 add milk if mixture is too dry, and beat until smooth.
• 12 once cakes are completely cooled, frost the bottom layer and sprinkle half (3/4 cup) of chopped pistachios on top.
• 13 place second cake layer and frost the top and sides of the whole cake.
• 14 sprinkle remaining 3/4 cup pistachios on top and serve.