This moist cake is for all the mint chip lovers out there. I used a good old fashioned American buttercream and the smallest 1/10th of a drop of food coloring for a classic minty look. I chopped more dark chocolate and added it into the buttercream but if you want a crunchier less sweet effect you could sub in crushed cacao nibs.
If you find cake decorating to be a bit intimidating then check out my How to Decorate a Cake post, it has lots of helpful tips and a full how to video.
How to Make Mint Chocolate Chip Cake
1. Transfer the chocolate and mint buttercream to piping bags filling a third to half way. Snip the tips off and add both piping bags to a third bag fitted with a large round tip of with the tip snipped off. Pipe onto first layer while turning cake.
2. Sprinkle buttercream with chopped chocolate. Add second layer on then repeat above step and add third layer on.
3. Add the mint chip buttercream onto the outside of the cake. The easiest way to do this without pulling at the cake layers is by piping the buttercream on but you can also apple with a spatula.
4. Use an offset spatula to smooth the side and a bench scraper to smooth the top. To get a nice corner you’ll smooth the side once more then use a clean offset spatula and swipe towards the center of the cake while you turn it. Clean your tool off in between each swipe.
5. Add chopped chocolate to the bottom third of the cake.
6. Pipe dollops with a large closed star tip onto the top.
Top Tips to make this Mint Chip Cake
- If you’re not using 6-inch pans, double the recipe for 8-inch pans or triple the recipe for 9-inch pans.
- Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake. The best, and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don’t have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
- I use GEL food colorings which are quite concentrated. If you’re using the more watery food coloring from the grocery store you’ll need to add more. Just add food coloring until you like to color of the cake and frosting.
- when you’re baking chocolate chips or chinks into a cake you have to be careful about the size of the chocolate. If the pieces are too large the cake will be a melty, under-baked mess!
- You can substitute whole milk yogurt for the sour cream if desired, I do it all the time and can’t really tell the difference.
- To get FLAT layers that are moist inside and out try using cake strips! You can buy a set on the shop page or make your own from foil and paper towels at home. I made a whole blog post on it so check it out if you’re interested!
- To pipe the two-tone frosting you fill one bag (1/2 way full) with white frosting, one bag with blue frosting and then put both bags in a third piping bag. No need for a tip, just snip about an inch off each bag.
Love DELICIOUS Cakes? You’ve got to check these out!
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If you’ve tried this mint chip cake recipe then don’t forget to leave a rating and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Mint Chocolate Chip Cake
Video
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 3 egg whites
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 ½ teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1/2 cup Dark Chocolate chopped
- 1 drop green food coloring Amount depends on brand of dye. Gel is recommended
For the Buttercream:
- 1 1/2 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 5 cups confectioners' sugar
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp peppermint extract
- 1/4 drop green food coloring Amount depends on brand of dye. Gel is recommended.
- 1/4 cup cream
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chopped, OR use mint Oreos
For the Assembly
- 1/2 cup dark Chocolate chopped, OR use mint Oreos
Instructions
For the Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
- Butter and flour three six inch pans. I use cake strips on my pans for more even baking as well.
- Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy
- Sift the dry ingredients together in a large bowl.
- Beat the dry ingredients into the butter mixture until well-incorporated, scrape the bowl at least once.
- Beat the wet ingredients together in a medium bowl.
- Add the wet to the butter mixture and mix until just combined. Fold in dark chocolate chunks at the very end and mix.
- Divide the mixture evenly into the cake pans
- Bake for about 35 minutes or until the centers are springy to the touch and the edge is pulling away from the pan
For the Buttercream:
- Beat the butter until light and fluffy. Add the confectioners' sugar, salt, extract, and cream then mix.
- Reserve about 3/4 cup of the buttercream for the white dollops. Divide the remaining buttercream into two batches a large one for the green and a small one for the chocolate spiral.
- Add green food coloring and chopped chocolate to one batch of buttercream and mix.
- Add cocoa powder to another batch of buttercream.
- Transfer both buttercreams into 2 piping bags. Add the green and cocoa buttercream to one bag. Snip off the tip.
For the Assembly:
- Pipe the cocoa buttercream mixture between layers.
- Sprinkle crushed mint Oreos or chopped chocolate onto the buttercream and add next layer of cake. Repeat above step.
- Coat outside with green buttercream, smooth with an offset spatula.
- Add a skirt of chopped chocolate around the bottom of the cake.
- Pipe white buttercream dollops on top with an 869 tip
Notes
- If you’re not using 6-inch pans, double the recipe for 8-inch pans or triple the recipe for 9-inch pans.
- Measure your flour correctly! Adding too much flour to the recipe is the most common mistake. The best, and easiest way to measure flour is by using a scale. If you don't have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into your measuring cup, and use a knife to level it off.
- I use GEL food colorings which are quite concentrated. If you're using the more watery food coloring from the grocery store you'll need to add more. Just add food coloring until you like to color of the cake and frosting.
- You can substitute whole milk yogurt for the sour cream if desired, I do it all the time and can’t really tell the difference.
Nutrition
Delicious!! And so easy to make. Thanks John for another great recipe!!
Can u please do a walk through video of you using this recipe? It would be much appreciated ?
Brenda,
Great idea! I’ll definitely add it to my list!
John
This cakes looks perfect! Well done!
SOOO beautiful!!