Chocolate, Peppermint Cake

It's getting close to Christams and eventhough I probably won't have a white Christmas, I thought I'd make a white Christmas themed cake. I used peppermint always gets me in the Christmas feeling.

Ingredients:
For the cake
225g softened butter
225g caster sugar
200g flour
25g cocoa powder
4 eggs
100g dark chocolate
1 tsp peppermint essence

For the icing
100g softened butter 
225g icing sugar
1 tsp peppermint essence
Drop of milk
Fondant
Black writing  icing

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 180° C (356° F Gas mark4.) Grease and line two 20cm round cake tins.
• Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl.
• Sift in the flour and cocoa add the eggs and mix.
• Chop up the dark chocolate and add to the mixture, stir in peppermint.
• Pour the batter into the tins and bake for 30 minutes or untill a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
• As the cakes are cooling make the buttercream.
• Place the butter in a bowl with half the icing sugar mix until smooth.
• Add the rest of icing sugar, the peppermint essence and the milk if you need it.
• Place one cake on a plate spread some icing over the top then sandwich the other cake on top.
• Spread the rest of the filling over the top and around the sides of the cakes.
• For the snowmen take a bit of fondant or roll out icing and roll it in your hands to make a sphere. Take a smaller piece of fondant and roll into a sphere.
• Stick the two spheres together with a bit of water then pipe on the face with the writing icing.
• Cut the cake and enjoy.