M&M Pinata Cake

This is my Dark Chocolate Mint M&M pinata cake.  Even the M&Ms are Dark chocolate mint!!

This cake was so much fun to cut into!  It looks like a normal cake on the outside, but there is a fun surprise inside. :)

Ingredients:
Cake:
Dark chocolate cake mix or your favorite recipe
Dark chocolate mint M&Ms 
1 tsp Mint Extract

Mint Buttercream:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

6 tablespoons butter, softened

3 cups powdered sugar

1 tablespoon heavy cream or milk

1 teaspoon mint extract

green and yellow food coloring

Chocolate Ganache:

8 oz Dark chocolate, chopped

1 cup Heavy cream

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

Bake cake in two 8 in round pans according to instructions.  Allow cake to cool completely before frosting.

For the mint buttercream beat cream cheese and butter until light and fluffy. Next add powdered sugar, heavy cream and mint extract and beat well. Add 4 drops green food coloring and 1 drop yellow food coloring (gives it even more of a mint green color) and stir well. 

For the chocolate ganache heat the heavy cream and butter on a stove on medium heat until hot and pour over the chopped dark chocolate.  Stir until chocolate is completely melted.  Allow ganache to cool,  but not harden before using.

To assemble the cake place the two layers on top of each other and use a knife to cut a circle out of the middle of both layers, then remove the middle circle.

Frost the bottom layer and place the top layer back on top.  Next fill the center of the cake 3/4 full with M&Ms then trim one of the removed circles to cover the top of the cake then frost the entire cake.  

Once the ganache has cooled some pour over the top of the cake.  Allow cake to cool in fridge and ganache to harden before serving.

I hope you have as much fun making this as much as I did!  Chose your own flavors and make it your own.