And there she is is in all her glory. A big beautiful Mint Chocolate Layer Cake overflowing with all things mint and chocolate. Let me break it down for you.
There are two glorious layers of super soft and fluffy chocolate cake (the kind you can eat without frosting it’s THAT good), a smooth coating of creamy mint buttercream with real chocolate flecks, a generous drizzle of dark chocolate ganache AND a gathering of choc mint cookies. Oh boy.
Remember my Mint Chocolate Cupcakes? This cake is like them but BIGGER. So Much Bigger. But still filled to the brim with that gorgeous mint chocolate flavour that we all know and love.
Do you like the look of naked cakes that are only lightly frosted on the outside? I adore them so couldn’t help myself with this cake. To easily achieve that crumb coat look, I recommend getting a cake scraper – it will change your world. A cake turntable will also make your life easier.
It’s my birthday this week and I’m trying not to freak out that I’m turning 29. TWENTY NINE. Where in the world did my twenties go? I’m trying not to dwell on the number but instead enjoy all the joy that birthdays bring.
I was able to celebrate with my family on the weekend and I had the best time. My parents love to celebrate, especially birthdays. We played games, ate cake and I was blessed with beautiful presents.
I’m also looking forward to a few more birthday celebrations this week. And you know what that means – more cake! My husband is taking me out to Jamie’s Italian for dinner, which is totally fitting because I love Jamie Oliver and Italian food!
I hope you have a wonderful week. If you’re on the hunt for a lovely layer cake for a birthday or celebration can I be bossy for a minute and tell you to make this one? It is just TOO good not to share.
I means there’s cake, there’s cookies, there’s chocolate ganache. It is over-the-top and yet simple in flavours. And even though layer cakes always take time, my guess is this cake is probably easier than you think.
On the other hand, if you love the idea of a mint chocolate cake but are short on time, you could try my one layer Mint Chocolate Cake that’s as easy as can be!
Let's Bake
Mint Chocolate Layer Cake
Two layers of soft chocolate cake frosted with mint buttercream and drippy dark chocolate ganache.
Ingredients
Chocolate cake
- 280 grams (2 cups) plain flour
- 80 grams (1 cup) cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 300 grams (1 and 1/2 cups) caster sugar
- 90 grams (1/2 cup) brown sugar
- 240 ml (1 cup) buttermilk
- 180 ml (3/4 cup) vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 240 ml (1 cup) hot water
Mint buttercream frosting
- 345 grams (1 and 1/2 cups / 3 sticks) unsalted butter
- 875 grams (7 cups) powdered or icing sugar
- 3–4 tablespoons milk
- 2 teaspoons peppermint essence
- A few drops of green food colouring
- 50 grams (1/4 cup) dark chocolate, grated
Chocolate ganache
- 150 grams (1 cup) dark or semi-sweet chocolate, pieces
- 180 ml (3/4 cup) thickened or heavy cream
- Mint chocolate cookies, to decorate
- Chocolate sprinkles, to decorate
Instructions
- Chocolate cake
Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. Grease and line two 8 inch round cake tins with baking or parchment paper. - In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda. Then add the sugars. Whisk together. In a separate mixing bowl, add the buttermilk, vegetable oil, vanilla and eggs. Whisk together. Boil the kettle and pour out 1 cup of hot water.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Start to fold together, slowly pour in the hot water, and continue to mix until all the ingredients are incorporated. Divide the mixture into two cake tins and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave for 10 minutes before gently removing the cakes from their tins and leave them to cool completely on a wire rack.
- Mint buttercream frosting
To make the mint buttercream frosting, add the butter to a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until pale and creamy. Gently sift in the icing sugar, one cup at a time. Add a tablespoon or two of milk to help loosen up the mixture. Then add the mint extract and continue to beat. Add a tablespoon or two of milk if needed. The icing should be nice and creamy but quite thick. Add the grated chocolate flecks and stir through. - To frost the cake, you may want to level the chocolate cakes first. I use a cake leveler to do this. Then place your first cake on a cake turntable on a disposable board (to make it easier to move once frosted). Gently cover the top of cake in frosting, then add your second cake on top. Frost the entire cake, top and sides. Use a cake scraper to remove excess frosting from the sides (if you want the naked cake look like I did). Once you are happy with the cake, pop it into the fridge for about 30 minutes for the frosting to firm up. Keep remainder of your frosting for decorating.
- Chocolate ganache
Meanwhile, make your ganache. Finely chop the dark chocolate and place in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, add the cream and place on a medium heat until the cream is simmering but just before it starts to boil. Immediately pour the warm cream over the chocolate, cover the bowl with a plate and leave it to sit for 3-5 minutes. Then, whisk the chocolate cream mixture until smooth and creamy. Pop it into the fridge to cool and thicken up slightly – around 30 minutes. - To decorate your cake, gently pour the chocolate ganache over the top, and use a small spatula to push drips over the sides of the cake. Leave to set slightly. Before serving, add dollops of mint butter cream to the top of the cake using a disposable piping bag and a large star tip. Add mint chocolate cookies and sprinkles. Enjoy.
Notes
This recipe makes ALOT of mint buttercream frosting. This is to ensure there is plenty of icing to frost the middle and sides of the cake and also decorate the top. There’s nothing worse than running out of frosting halfway through and trying to make more that looks and tastes exactly the same.
Nutrition Information
Shalu says
I made this cake as a surprise for a friend’s birthday as I wasn’t going to be able to attend. I confess I cheated and bought a Devils chocolate cake mix as I was short on time :/
But the outcome was amazing and everyone said it was the perfect combination of rich dark cake to minty frosting 🙂
Shame I can’t upload a photo! Thanks so much for the recipe
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Shalu, I’m so glad you enjoyed it! You can always show me a photo on Instagram, Pinterest or Facebook. I love to see them!
Aileen says
Hello I’m planning on making this cake for my husband who is a big mint lover. Can I bake and frost the cake the night before or should I do it the same day? Also what’s the best way to store it? In the fridge? I’m not much of a baker… thank you
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Aileen, so excited you are going to make this cake! You can definitely make it the night before if you like. I prefer to keep my cakes out of the fridge so they don’t dry out (but chocolate cakes do tend to fair quite well in the fridge). So I would make the cakes ahead of time, let them completely cool, then cover them in plastic wrap and store them at room temperature. Then I would make the frosting and decorate the cake on the day you are planning to serve it. I hope that makes sense!
Grace says
This chocolate cake is amazing! I’ve tried so many other recipes but this one is definitely the best, and is now the only recipe I’ll use whenever I’m baking a chocolate cake. Thank you so much!
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
Wow! Love hearing that Grace! Thank you for your kind feedback.
Jennifer says
The cake was perfect, chocolatey and moist, and it all came together just perfectly. Beautiful cake.
★★★★★
Jessica Holmes says
Love hearing that!
Sonya says
Hi there – this is my son’s request for his birthday. Should I double the recipe for a 3 tier cake? I only have 18cm pan, so not sure about timing in the oven if double the recipe?
Help would be much appreciated.
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Sonya, this recipe will make two 8 inch cakes or three 6 inch cakes. It sounds like your pan is around 7 inches, so you could use the recipe as is, and make two thicker cakes or three thinner ones. Hope that helps!
D says
Hi there, this looks fab! Do you think I could make it in advance? Or any of the elements in advance?
Thanks!
Jessica Holmes says
Hi, you could make the cakes in advance and freeze them if you like. Buttercream can also be made a few days in advance and kept in the fridge.