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mint chocolate cake

Mint Chocolate Cake (Moist & Easy!)

5 from 2 votes
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This mint chocolate cake recipe features moist chocolate cake layers paired with a cool mint chocolate chip frosting. It's easy, has a tender crumb and is the perfect balance of rich chocolate and fresh mint flavor.
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 35 minutes
Cooling Time: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 55 minutes
Servings: 12 slices
Author: Cakes by MK

IMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.

Ingredients
 

Chocolate Cake

  • 1¾ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup (75 g) cocoa powder - Dutch processed preferred (see note 1)
  • 2 tsps baking powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp salt - only use ½ tsp if using salted butter in this recipe
  • 1 cup (200 g) soft light brown sugar
  • 1 cup (200 g) white granulated sugar
  • ¾ cup (180 g) whole milk - room temperature
  • ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter - melted
  • ½ cup (105 g) unflavored vegetable oil - I use canola oil
  • 2 large eggs - room temperature
  • 2½ tsps vanilla extract/essence
  • ¾ cup (180 g) strong hot coffee - I use 1 tbsp instant coffee powder in 180g (¾ cup) hot water, but you can use espresso as well.

Buttercream Frosting

  • 1½ cups (340 g) unsalted butter - room temperature
  • 3 cups (375 g) powdered sugar - also known as icing/confectioners' sugar
  • 2 tsps vanilla extract/essence
  • ½ cup (120 g) heavy cream - room temperature. Any cream used to make whipped cream will work.
  • 2 tsps peppermint extract/essence
  • ½ cup (85 g) semi-sweet chocolate - finely chopped. I use 50% dark chocolate
  • 2 drops green food colouring - optional

Instructions

Chocolate Cake

  • Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F) conventional (see note 2 if using a convection oven with a fan) and grease two 8-inch cake pans (I use my homemade cake release). Line the bottoms with parchment paper as well.
  • Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using a whisk, mix until well combined. Set aside for now.
  • In a large bowl add in brown sugar, white sugar, milk, melted butter, unflavored vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla. Using a whisk, mix until well combined.
  • Add in presifted dry ingredients from earlier to the wet ingredients and mix with a whisk until just combined. Do not overmix.
  • Add in hot coffee and mix with a whisk until well combined. The mixture should be smooth, but avoid overmixing.
  • Pour the batter into the prepared cake pans from earlier. Drop the cake pans lightly on the counter to remove any large air bubbles and bake for 35-38 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs on it.
  • Allow the cakes to cool in the cake pans for 20 minutes, before carefully turning them out onto a wire rack to completely cool. Once cooled, prepare the frosting.

Mint Buttercream Frosting

  • In a large bowl, add in butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, cream and peppermint extract/essence. Using a hand or stand mixer (see note 3), first mix on the lowest speed until the ingredients are combined, and then turn up the speed to medium-high and whip for a full 10 minutes. Scrape the bowl down halfway through.
  • Next add in gel color and mix until well combined.
  • Finish by adding in finely chopped chocolate and mix on low until well combined.

Assembly (see video for visual demonstration)

  • Begin by trimming the tops of the cake layers with a serrated knife so that they're nice and flat.
  • Place your first cake layer onto your cake stand, and spread out a generous amount of the frosting on top.
  • Place the next cake layer on top and cover the top and sides with more frosting. If you have a cake scraper, you can use it to smooth out the sides.
  • For the top, pipe a decorative border around the top edges (I like to use a 1M piping tip (see video for demonstration)). A small piping tip may not work well, as the chocolate bits in the frosting can get caught in the piping tip, causing a blockage. Slice and enjoy!

Video

Notes

Note 1. Dutch-processed cocoa powder has a smoother and less acidic taste compared to natural cocoa powder. It also has a darker/richer color so will give you that deep chocolate color (like my chocolate sheet cake). One way to check if a brand of cocoa powder is Dutch processed is to check the package and see if it has any acidity regulators in the ingredients list. The cocoa will also be darker and less of a bright brown color (compared to natural cocoa). 
Note 2. If using a convection oven (fan bake), bake at 160°C (320°F) as the fan function bakes food faster.
Note 3. If using a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment. 

Nutrition

Calories: 792kcal | Carbohydrates: 92g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 120mg | Sodium: 395mg | Potassium: 243mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 72g | Vitamin A: 1104IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 112mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.

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