Recipe: Dark chocolate peppermint pattie cake

This chocolate cake is rich, thick (like a torte), very chocolatey, and best when offset by whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

You'll need
A 9-inch springform pan
2 small saucepans
A food processor
A bottle (with lid) for the syrup
A fine-mesh strainer
A medium strainer
A heavy saucepan
A double boiler, real or improvised
A whisk attachment and extra bowl for mixer
A bottle or jar (with lid) for the fudge sauce

For the mint syrup
2 cups packed fresh mint leaves
1 1⁄4 cups sugar
3⁄4 cup water

For the ganache
8 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
1 cup heavy whipping cream

For the cake
14 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
1⁄4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
6 large eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 ounces small peppermint pattie candies

For the chocolate fudge sauce
1 stick (1⁄2 cup) unsalted butter
1⁄2 cup brown sugar (light or dark)
1⁄3 cup sifted unsweetened cocoa
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Pinch of salt
1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract

(You can make the fudge sauce up to a week in advance and store in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it for future use.)

For serving
Ice cream or sweetened whipped cream (homemade or in a can) Tip: You can make the fudge sauce up to a week in advance and store in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it for future use.

To make the mint syrup (the night before you make your cake)
1 Rinse your mint leaves and set aside.

2 In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then lower the heat and simmer for several minutes, until the sugar is completely dissolved. Remove
from the heat and allow to cool

3 Fill a small bowl with ice and water and put it near the stove.

4 Fill another saucepan about halfway with water and bring to a boil. Put the mint leaves in the later and blanch until they are just wilted, about 10 seconds. Immediately strain the mint and plunge the leaves in that bowl of ice water. This sets the color. Strain the leaves one more time, then blot with paper towels.

5 In the food processor, combine the mint leaves and half the syrup. Puree the mint, stopping several times to scrape down the sides of the processor (puree is basically processing until nearly liquefied). Add the remaining syrup and puree for 2 more minutes.

6 Transfer the syrup to a clean storage container and allow to sit overnight, covered, at room temperature.