- 2 1/4 cups sugar
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups whole milk, hot
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted, hot
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
- 3 8-ounce packages cream cheese
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 15 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 1-inch baking sheet with waxed paper. Mix first 5 ingredients in large bowl. Whisk in milk and melted butter, then eggs and 3/4 teaspoon extract. Spread batter in pan.
- Bake until tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Cool cake in pan on rack.
- Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, 1/2 cup butter and 3/4 teaspoon extract in large bowl to blend.
- Run knife around sides of pan to loosen cake. Turn cake out onto work surface. Peel off paper. Cut cake crosswise in half. Using spatula, place 1 cake half on platter; spread with 2 cups frosting. Top with remaining cake half. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake.