Mint Chocolate Layer Cake

Chocolate cake layered with mint and chocolate buttercream. Top the mint chocolate layer cake with grasshopper cookies for quick and easy decorations. You may also love our Reese’s Cake!

Mint Chocolate Layer Cake

Where are my mint chocolate fanatics? {Hands raised high!!} Chocolate and mint is probably what I consider the second best flavor combination. Second only to chocolate and peanut butter, of course. If you feel the same, give this mint chocolate layer cake a whirl.

Chocolate Layer Cake Recipe

The base of this easy cake recipe is a dark chocolate cake recipe that has amazing texture and is 100% from scratch. If you’re a little frightened of homemade cakes, you can always use a boxed chocolate cake mix in place of the homemade recipe. But if you are just starting out, this chocolate cake is a great place to start. It’s never failed us!

Chocolate Buttercream

This chocolate buttercream recipe is easy, creamy and easy to ice on a cake. We’ve used several different kinds with success. Dark chocolate, raw cacao powder and traditional unsweetened cocoa powder.

Mint Buttercream

Mint buttercream is very similar to white vanilla buttercream. The only difference is that you switch out the vanilla extract for mint extract. Please note that mint extract and peppermint extract taste differently. We recommend mint for this buttercream.

Decorate the Cake

This cake looks fancy, but is really easy to decorate. We made frosting stars along the bottom and a swirl on top, then placed store-bought grasshopper cookies around the outer edge. So easy, and it looks cute too!

OTHER CHOCOLATE CAKE RECIPES

• German Chocolate Cake
• Dark Chocolate Cake
• Mint Chocolate Cake
• Reese’s Cake

TOOLS TO MAKE THIS CAKE

• Stand Mixer: A hand mixer will work, but I always find it easier to make frostings with a stand mixer.
• Beater Blade with Scraper: The best invention ever!
• 9” Round Cake Pan: These are my favorite pans!
• Straight Icing Spatula: The long straight spatula makes it easy to smooth frosting.
• Wire Cooling Racks: This will help your cakes cool more quickly.
• Wilton 1M Tip: For piping pretty swirls on cupcakes. (You can also use Wilton 2D. We’ve used both on this cake.)

Mint Chocolate Layer Cake

5 from 1 vote

Chocolate cake layered with mint and chocolate buttercream. Top the mint chocolate layer cake with grasshopper cookies for quick and easy decorations.

Servings 15

Prep Time 1 hour hour

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 25 minutes minutes

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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

Chocolate Buttercream:

• 1 cup butter (softened)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4 tablespoons heavy cream

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

 

Make the Cake:

• 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.

Chocolate Buttercream:

• In a stand mixer with the beater blade, beat the butter for 1-2 minutes until it is smooth, creamy and nearly white in appearance.
• Add in the salt and vanilla. Mix until incorporated.
• With the mixer on low speed, slowly add in the powdered sugar and cocoa powder.
• Add the heavy cream, a tablespoon at a time, mixing slowly until it is the consistency that you'd like.
• Beat for 1 minute on medium speed until smooth and creamy.

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.

Assemble the Cake:

• 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.

Notes

The calories shown are based on the cake being cut into 15 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of cake and using all of the frosting on the cake. If you'd like to lower the calories, use less frosting and make a "naked" style cake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate.

Nutrition

Calories: 705kcal | Carbohydrates: 96g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 668mg | Potassium: 224mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 75g | Vitamin A: 800IU | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 3.1mg

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Calories 705

Keyword birthday cake, chocolate cake, grasshopper, peppermint cake

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