Mint Chocolate Cake

5 from 6 votes

A festive combination of decadent chocolate, sweet mint, and a beautiful mint green color make this Mint Chocolate Cake perfect for a holiday celebration.

Prep Time1 30

Cook Time20

Total Time1 50

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 857kcal

Author: Jocelyn Delk Adams

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Cake

3/4 cup Granulated sugar
1/2 cup Light brown sugar packed
3 large Eggs room temperature
2/3 cup Whole milk room temperature
3/4 cup Vegetable oil
1 tablespoon Vanilla extract
2 cups All-purpose flour
1 cup Natural cocoa powder
2 teaspoons Baking powder
1 teaspoon Baking soda
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 1/4 cup Very hot coffee or water

For the Mint Buttercream Frosting

2 cups Unsalted butter 4 sticks, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon Salt
6 cups Confectioner's sugar
4 tablespoons Heavy cream
1 tablespoon Pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon Mint extract
Green food coloring
Chocolate shavings

For the White Chocolate Ganache

1 cup White chocolate chips, chunks, or white chocolate bar chopped into bits
1/3 cup Heavy cream
Green food coloring

Instructions

For the Chocolate Cake

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray the bottoms and sides of three 8-inch cake pans with non-stick baking spray. If desired, line with parchment paper as well.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the sugar, eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Beat on medium-low to combine.
In another bowl, combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to combine.
Turning the mixer back on to medium-low, alternate adding the hot coffee (or water) and dry mixture in small increments. Be sure to scrape the sides down a few times throughout the mixing.
Once smooth and well-mixed, divide the batter into the 3 prepared pans. Bake for 20-23 minutes or until cooked through.
After about 5-10 minutes of being out of the oven, turn the layers out onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.

For the Mint Buttercream Frosting

In your stand mixer, mix the butter and salt at medium low speed.
Next, turn the mixer down to low and slowly add confectioner’s sugar in small portions until all is added. Turn up the speed to medium high to combine.
Add heavy cream, vanilla extract, and mint extract and mix until thick and fluffy.
Finally, turn the speed to the lowest setting and add in the green food coloring. Start with a teaspoon of coloring, then add more to deepen the color to your liking. Add chocolate shavings to the frosting if you would like.
Keep the buttercream refrigerated until ready to use. If the frosting hardens at all, just re-mix a bit to smoothen it out.

For the White Chocolate Ganache

Place white chocolate chips into a heat resistant bowl (glass or metal). If you’re starting with a white chocolate bar, chop it into small pieces until they’re about the size of chocolate chips.
In a saucepan over medium-high heat, warm heavy whipping cream until it just starts to boil. Look for small bubbles forming around the edge and a soft boil starting in the middle. When you see that it’s just starting to boil, pour it over the white chocolate and let sit for about 30 seconds.
Whisk it together until it’s uniform in consistency and there are no bits of chocolate left on your whisk.
Color the ganache by adding in green food coloring until you’ve achieved your desired “grinch-ey” green. Alternatively, the colors blue and yellow can be used to achieve the same result.
Cool the ganache at room temperature for about 10-15 minutes, or until the ganache itself is room temperature.

To Assemble

Level the cakes, if necessary, and add frosting between layers. Then frost the entire cake with remaining frosting.
Once cool, carefully pour the ganache over the top of the cake. Allow the ganache to drip over the side. Let the ganache set for 30 minutes, then slice and serve!

Notes

How to store a layer cake

Keep your freshly baked cake in a dry, cool area and cover it with foil or plastic wrap to keep it from drying out. At room temperature, this cake will last for 2-3 days.

If refrigerated, your mint chocolate cake will last for up to a week in an airtight container. You can even freeze your cake; wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and place it in a heavy-duty freezer bag. The freezer will maintain the quality of the cake for 4-6 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight or on the counter at room temperature for about an hour.

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