Mint Chocolate Chip Cake
This decadent Mint Chocolate Chip Cake is so moist and is perfectly balanced with mint buttercream and filling!
Servings: 15
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cake
- 2 cups granulated sugar (400g)
- 2 ¾ cup all-purpose flour (322g)
- 1 cup unsweetened cocoa (lightly spoon into cup then sift) (82g)
- 2 teaspoons baking soda (10g)
- ½ teaspoon baking powder (2g)
- ½ teaspoon salt (2g)
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened (do not soften in microwave) (226g)
- ¼ cup vegetable oil (we use canola) (54g)
- 4 large eggs at room temperature (If in a hurry, place eggs in a bowl of warm water.)
- 1 cup milk (220g)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (4g)
- 1 cup hot coffee, it can be instant or brewed (220g)
For the Mint Buttercream
- If you are doing a lot of piping, increase recipe by half
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened (226g)
- 6-7 cups 690-805g powdered sugar (Adjust up or down depending on desired consistency)
- 1 teaspoon peppermint extract. Taste for desired flavor (will intensify slightly over time.) (4g)
- ¼ cup whole milk (60g)
- Green Coloring Gel optional. We used Americolor Mint Green
- ½ teaspoon salt (optional to cut sweetness. preferably fine grain or white popcorn salt) (3g)
- *Mini Chocolate Chips- Add desired amount to the mint buttercream filling in between layers-- I did not use chips to the outer mint frosting.
For the Ganache
- 10 oz. Chocolate (Semi-sweet or Dark) We used Ghirardelli (283g)
- 10 oz. Heavy Cream (283g)
Instructions
For the Chocolate Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Grease and flour THREE 8 inch cake pans
- In a mixing bowl, add the dry ingredients: sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Whisk for 1 minute to blend.
- Add softened butter a few pieces at a time while the mixer is on low speed. Mix until the dry ingredients look like coarse sand and the dry ingredients are moistened. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
- In a separate bowl whisk the eggs, milk , oil and vanilla until blended.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add approximately ½ of the egg mixture to the dry ingredients. Increase the speed to medium and mix for 1 ½ minutes at medium speed. Don't mix above medium speed.
- Scrape the bottom and sides of bowl. Add the remaining egg mixture in 2 pourings, beating for 20 seconds after each pour. Scrape the sides and bottom of bowl.
- Slowly add the cup of hot coffee and mix another 30 seconds until blended. The batter will be very runny. Don't worry!
- Pour into 3 prepared 8" pans and bake at 350 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until the center of the cake springs back to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool the cakes 10 minutes on a rack and then turn out of the pans.
- *Yields approx 9 cups of batter.
For the Mint Buttercream Frosting
- Cream the softened butter until smooth. Blend in the peppermint.
- Add half of the powdered sugar and most of the milk. Beat at medium speed until the powdered sugar is incorporated.
- Add remaining powdered sugar, milk, coloring gel, and mix at medium speed another 3 to 4 minutes scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally.
- The texture will become very smooth.
For the Ganache
- Place your chocolate into a microwave safe bowl.
- Pour heavy cream over the chocolate and place in the microwave for 1 minute. (Times may vary, see our note below).
- Remove and stir. Microwave for 30 seconds more and when the chocolate has melted almost completely, allow it to sit for 1 minute more before stirring. Stir until you've reached a silky smooth consistency.
- *Microwave times may vary. If you are making a smaller amount of ganache, you will reduce the microwave time. If your chocolate hasn't melted after the 1 ½ minutes recommended in the instructions, simply microwave in small 10-15 second increments until it has nearly completely melted. Let sit one minute, then stir until smooth.
Assembly of Cake
- As you assemble the cake, you can first spread with a thin layer of ganache (optional) and then top with Mint Chocolate Chip Buttercream. (You can either reserve the Mint Buttercream in a different bowl in stir in your mini chips, or sprinkle them onto the buttercream filling and incorporate the chips as you spread it.)
- Next, add the second layer of chocolate cake and repeat.
- Top with the final layer of cake, fill in any gaps with buttercream, crumb coat the cake (add a thin coat of buttercream), and follow with the final coat.
- If you are frosting the cake just like I did, you will tint a portion of the buttercream a medium shade of green, a lighter shade of green, and leave the rest white. Apply the frosting in sections and then frost with a bench scraper for a smooth finish. (For an extra smooth finish, place the frosted cake in the freezer for 15 minutes before going back over it with a hot bench scraper.)
- Load your ganache into a disposable piping bag with the tip snipped away. The ganache should flow easily from the bag but not so fast that it drips all the way down. Warm the bag for a few seconds if too thick, or allow to cool a few more minutes if thin.
- Apply the drip around the top edge of the cake with thee piping bag. Spoon additional ganache on top of the cake and spread with a small offset spatula.
- Once set, pipe french tip stars around the top edge of the cake and add chocolate chips or accents.
Notes
Making cupcakes? Check out our Classic Chocolate Cupcake Recipe (conventional method of mixing for fluffier cupcakes) Holds up well to fondant.
The Mint Buttercream can be frozen in air tight container for at least three months . Thaw on countertop.
CAKE TIP: To increase moistness of layers, cool another 10 minutes and while still very warm double wrap the individual layers in plastic wrap and freeze for up to a week. To freeze longer, use plastic wrap then put into a freezer bag or aluminum foil and freeze for up to 2 months. If you need the cake right away, even freezing for a couple of hours will increase the moistness.