Julie Clark
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Grasshopper Mint Chocolate Cake
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An easy to decorate, from-scratch mint chocolate cake with grasshopper cookies, chocolate buttercream and peppermint buttercream frosting.
Chocolate Mint Cake Recipe
I got to see my great-grandma a few weeks ago. At 90 years old, she still loves her sweets as much as I do! I have sent her yummy treats over the past few months (hello there black forest cake!), and she has loved all of it. She was excited when I brought her this new chocolate mint layer cake recipe to try. I’ll have to say-it was incredible! The mint icing has a definite pepperminty flavor, which balances nicely with the moist, rich chocolate cake and buttercream icing. I loved every bite of this moist chocolate mint cake!
Along with this cake being so amazingly tasty, it’s also so simple. I love to use the skills I learned in my cake decorating class to pipe flowers , but sometimes I just want something easier that looks just as nice. This cake is perfect because although it looks complicated, it requires no skill.
I used my go-to chocolate cake recipe that I found on Sally’s Baking Addiction. I have used this recipe for Ho Ho Layer Cake and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cake. And I’m already thinking of what to use it for next. If you haven’t tried it yet, you should, because, well….it’s just about perfect!! If you are short on time, you can always substitute a boxed cake mix, which have never failed me.
You’re going to use mint buttercream tinted a nice green color, for the icing between the layers.
Then you’ll simply ice it with my favorite icing: chocolate buttercream. This icing is really easy to spread, and it tastes good on almost any kind of cake. Chocolate, vanilla, peanut butter, whatever you choose!
Cover the top outer edge of the mint chocolate cake with simple grasshopper cookies. What is a grasshopper cookie? They are the thin mint wafer cookies covered in chocolate. So delicious and easy peasy!
Place the cookies on top evenly around the outer edge, then put a small dollop of mint icing on top. I used a decorating bag and Wilton tip 2D. These large Wilton tips are my favorite because they are so easy to use.
Pipe stars on top of each cookie and a big swirl of frosting in the middle of the cake. Dot each star with a chocolate chip, then sprinkle some in the center swirl. Pipe simple starts around the bottom of the cake, too, to give it a pretty finish.
And just like that, you have a beautifully delicious mint chocolate cake!
Mint Chocolate Cake
An easy to decorate, from-scratch mint chocolate cake with grasshopper cookies, chocolate buttercream and peppermint buttercream frosting.
Servings 15
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 25 minutes
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake:
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup freshly brewed strong hot coffee
- 1 recipe Chocolate Buttercream
Mint Buttercream:
- 3/4 cup butter partially softened
- 1 teaspoon mint extract be sure to use mint, not peppermint
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 1/4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- Green food coloring I used 10 drops
For Decorating:
- 1 package thin mint grasshopper cookies
- 1/4 cup regular size chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 round 9-inch cake pans.
- For the cake, put flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and mix well.
- In a stand mixer, mix the buttermilk, oil, eggs, vanilla together. Slowly add in the mix of dry ingredients while the mixer is on low. Add the coffee and make sure everything is combined. Batter will be very thin.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack. While the cakes are cooling, make your frostings.
- Make the Chocolate Buttercream .
- Mint Buttercream:
- In a stand mixer bowl, use the paddle attachment to cream butter on medium speed until the butter is fluffy and almost white. This will take about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and mix in the mint and vanilla extracts. Add in powdered sugar and heavy cream. Mix on low speed until combined. Add in the green food coloring and beat on medium-high for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy.
- Now it’s time to put your cake together!
- Put down one layer of chocolate cake. Spread the mint buttercream on top of the cake. Place the second chocolate cake on top of the frosting. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the chocolate buttercream.
- Place grasshopper cookies around the outer edge of the cake, pressing down slightly so they stay in place.
- Place Wilton tip 2D in a decorating bag. Fill it with mint buttercream and pipe stars around the bottom edge of the cake. Then pipe a star on the top of each grasshopper cookie.
- Lastly, make a swirl of buttercream in the center of the cake.
- Place a chocolate chip on each star, if desired, then sprinkle additional chocolate chips on the swirl that is in the center of the cake.
Nutrition
Calories: 530kcal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 52mg | Sodium: 467mg | Potassium: 200mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 61g | Vitamin A: 365IU | Calcium: 50mg | Iron: 1.9mg
Mint Chocolate Chip Icing from Cooking Classy
I don’t do coffee, is there something I can substitute? Thanks!