This is the only Mint Chocolate Chip Cake recipe you will ever need! Dark chocolate cake is the perfect vessel for this minty buttercream. YUM!
I know I've mentioned this every June since I started Everyday Made Fresh...but I'm gonna say it again...June is birthday month for us, with 3 out of the 4 of us, celebrating birthdays in this month.
It starts with Kayla, and ends with me. I usually bake three cakes in June, and every year I try to do something different. Zack's cake last week was this perfect S'mores Cake...a graham cracker cake, milk chocolate buttercream, and topped with a marshmallowy meringue topping. It was fantabulous!
I have wanted to make my birthday cake flavor for a very long time. However, every time my birthday rolled around, I would always opt for something different. This year though, I followed through, and wow.
Seriously y'all, if you LOVE mint chocolate anything, this cake is for you.
The cake itself is dark chocolate, from my oh-so-popular Double Dark Chocolate Cake recipe. (it was my birthday cake last year) It's rich chocolate flavor lends itself perfectly to the sweet mint buttercream.
I chose the dark because sometimes cake can be too sweet, ya know? Especially when it's topped with the sweetness of a buttercream frosting. I didn't want this cake to be over the top sweet, and I knew that dark chocolate cake was the way to go.
The mint buttercream...well there was a disaster behind that one! I really wanted to make a Swiss Meringue Buttercream. Why? Who the heck knows! To sound fancy? Perhaps.
However, I followed the directions to a T, for a minty recipe that I found, and it failed. First it got too warm. (note to self, try again when it's winter, MAYBE) Then, I tried to rescue it following several recommendations, by placing it in the fridge, then it was too cold. I tried whipping it to warm it back up, which semi-worked, but by then I really think it was ruined, and I tossed it out. The flavor was great, but the texture was all wrong. 🙁
Have you managed to make a killer swiss meringue buttercream? What's your secret? Do you have an awesome recipe? I'd love to read it!
I chose mini chocolate chips, because mini is always better, right?! Actually, I chose mini, because I wanted to place a layer of them between the two layers of cake, on the mint buttercream.
The regular size ones would have just been a bit too much. These were perfect, lending that perfect mint "chocolate chip" bite.
Y'all, I am no cake decorator, and totally don't claim to be. My secret is literally using a plastic tool that came with my lazy susan style cake pedestal. I can't get a smooth edge 99% of the time, so this helps me hide my imperfections.
I then use a spoon to swirl the top, because again, I'm not a cake decorator. Then those chocolate chips on top, they really help hide anything that may be amiss up there.
Someone actually ask me one time about my cake decorating stuff, (thanks for being impressed!) and I'm working slowly on a post for that. 🙂
How did I get this color green? I mixed a neon green and regular green food dye. Liquid, not the gel. I started with the neon, and it was too funky, so I dropped in a couple of drops of the regular green, and whipped it up, and wallah, this pretty color came together.
Mint Chocolate Chip Cake Ingredients:
- Flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda - all regular parts of any cake recipe.
- Dark cocoa powder - this is just for a super dark chocolate flavor. You can use regular cocoa powder, if you'd like. I personally like the darkness.
- Butter and Sugar - again, these are the usual suspects of a cake recipe.
- Eggs - can't bake many cakes without these.
- Buttermilk - this really helps keep the cake moist. It's a must have in a lot of cake recipes, and one that I won't substitute.
- Canola oil - this also helps lend to a super moist cake.
- Vanilla extract - it helps build flavor to this mint chocolate chip cake.
- Black coffee - believe me this is a secret in lot's of chocolate cakes - it helps boost that chocolate flavor, without tasting like coffee!
Out of buttermilk? Here's a quick fix:
In a measuring cup, pour in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and then fill the buttermilk up to the 1 cup mark. Stir. I allow mine to sit for no more than a minute or two.
Here are some more cakes to impress your friends and family with:
- Strawberry Chocolate & Peanut Butter Cake
- S'mores Cake
- Fresh Strawberry Cake with Strawberry Buttercream
Mint Chocolate Chip Cake
This is the only Mint Chocolate Chip Cake recipe you will ever need! Dark chocolate cake is the perfect vessel for this minty buttercream. YUM!
Ingredients
Frosting
- ½ heavy whipping cream
- 4 to 5 cups powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
- 1 stick butter, softened to room temperature
Cake
- 1 ¾ cup flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 stick butter, softened to room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- ¾ cup Dark Cocoa Powder
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- ½ cup canola oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup hot black coffee
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 9 inch round cake pans with parchment paper. (I always trace the bottoms onto parchment paper, and cut them out to fit) Spray the pans and parchment paper with non-stick cooking spray. Set aside.
- In a large bowl attached to a stand mixer, add all of your dry ingredients. Turn it on low to mix together.
- Add the coffee, buttermilk, oil, vanilla, and eggs. Turn the mixer on medium and beat for two minutes.
- Pour the batter evenly into the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 28 to 32 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing the cakes and placing on cooling racks to cool completely.
Frosting
- In a large bowl attached to the stand mixer beat the butter for about two minutes, until nice and creamy.
- While the mixer is on low, pour in the peppermint extract. Once incorporated, start adding the powdered sugar slowly. I usually add the heavy whipping cream when I'm at the second cup of powdered sugar. Once all ingredients have been added, beat for 3 to 4 minutes until nice and combined.
- Frost completely cooled cakes.
Notes
Optional: Add 1 cup of mini chocolate chips between the layers, on top of the frosting. Top with additional ½ cup of mini chocolate chips. *I used semi-sweet.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
16Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 880Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 428mgCarbohydrates: 176gFiber: 1gSugar: 160gProtein: 4g
Jeanette says
I love anything that has mint and chocolate put together. Mint chocolate chip ice cream is one of my favorite ice cream so as a cake I am pretty sure this is as close to Nirvana is I can get. So good.
Joanna says
Oh my goodness, now I'm thinking a slice of this cake with a scoop of mint chocolate chip ice cream would be over the top...perfection!
Terri Steffes says
I am sure this tastes amazing! I am in awe of that gorgeous dark chocolate and the perfect green to go with it!
Joanna says
Thank you! It's a fantastic combo of flavors, and colors. 😉
Terri Beavers says
I just bought a KitchenAid mixer and I"m on a hunt for cake mixes my family will enjoy. This one would definitely be a hit because we love chocolate and mint. I'll have to print it out and head out to buy the ingredients.
Joanna says
Yes! 🙂 Enjoy it! I have half decided to make this again because it was so good!
Melissa Chapman says
That cake looks amazing. I am not a baker in general but this cake looks so good and we all love mint chip ice cream.
Joanna says
Thank you! I think anyone could make this cake! It's totally simple. 🙂
Kelly Reci says
The color of this cake is absolutely brilliant! You totally give it that "minty vibe" with that shade of green. So cute!
Joanna says
Thanks so much Kelly! 🙂
Ashley says
My son and I would LOVE this cake. Mint Chocolate is sooooooo good!
Joanna says
Awe, I hope that you make it soon! Y'all can munch on it together! 🙂
wendy says
This looks like it would be a real crowd pleaser! Mint and chocolate together is the best!
Joanna says
Totally!
valmg @ Mom Knows It All says
I love the smell of freshly baked cakes and things. The coloring on that cake is terrific, it's perfect for St Patrick's Day and spring.
Joanna says
That's what I was thinking...or even Halloween! 🙂
Karen Morse says
This is such a lovely flavor! It's one of my favorites for ice cream and I really like the combination of mint and chocolate chips! I'd love to keep the recipe for this cake, so glad you pushed through with making it!
Joanna says
Sometimes the best things come from trial and error! 🙂
Emily says
Woah, I have never had a mint chocolate chip cake before but it sounds so good! I have had the ice cream before and love the combination. I really want to make this cake now, I have such a bad sweet tooth.
Joanna says
My sweet tooth controls my mouth! Hahaha. 😀 Seriously though, I hope you make this cake soon!
a says
This recipe looks so amazing. Mint chocolate chip is one of my top 5 dessert combos.
Joanna says
Then you must make this asap! 🙂
Sara Welch says
I love this so much! The design and colors just make it scream eat me!
Joanna says
Thanks so much!
Chubskulit Rose says
I could only imagine how it smells when you sliced it, yummy! My son would love this very much!
Joanna says
It smelled like the perfect burst of mint and chocolate. 🙂
Heather says
If I made this, my family would eat the whole thing in minutes. We are such huge mint/chocolate fans!
Jenny says
Oi that looks good. If I was a cake eater (which I'm not... it feels weird), I'd be all over that.
Joanna says
Whaaa? You don't like cake?! Actually I've known one other person who didn't eat cake, they ate pie! 😀
Gleide says
What a beautiful cake! It looks delicious, chocolate and mint are a great combination
Joanna says
Thank you! Yes, we love mint and chocolate. 🙂
Anosa Malanga says
Been checking out on a Mint chocolate recipe and I am so glad I finally found one. Now I am so much excited to try making one on my own. Thanks for the recipe and wish me luck too.
Joanna says
Good luck! Let us know how it turns out for you!
Ricci says
I love Mint Chocolate Chip anything!! This cake looks amazing!!!
Carol Cassara says
I'm not sure how my skills are when it comes to baking a cake but I would love to try especially after seeing this recipe! Love the way you decorated the cake as well! It's definitely a stunner!
Tiffany says
How much whipping cream do you use? It's missing the measurement.