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This chocolate mint cake stays moist for days, keeps well in the refrigerator and serves a ton of people. The base is an ultra-moist all-butter chocolate cake that gets topped with a buttery creme de menthe frosting.
Right out of the fridge, the creme de menthe frosting is dense and cheesecake like, but let it come to room temperature and it transforms into the most light and fluffy frosting. Either way, this chocolate mint cake is dreamy!
My mom has been making this recipe for years. Years ago, she cut the recipe out from an old Midwestern publication and pasted into her three-ring recipe binder. I’ll walk you through the process, including all of my mom’s tips and tricks.
In our family, this recipe is known as “creme de menthe brownies.” The “brownie” base is definitely cakey, which is why they have landed themselves squarely in the cake category for the purpose of publishing on ZK.
Ingredient Notes
The list of ingredients for this creme de menthe cake is fairly straightforward. Flour, sugar, baking soda, eggs, butter. You get it. Below are a few specialty ingredients you will need and why.
- Buttermilk: this is an important ingredient in the cake. The acidity of the buttermilk activates the baking soda, giving the cake adequate lift and making it soft and springy.
- Vanilla Instant Pudding Mix: A unique ingredient to add to frosting! This stabilizes the frosting and keeps it set for days and even weeks. Plus, the starch in the pudding mix absorbs any excess moisture, which means the frosting won’t weep over time.
- Creme de Menthe: the ingredient that makes this cake a chocolate and mint cake! Creme de menthe is mint liqueur and is the base for a traditional grasshopper drink. It’s minty and sweet. Plus, it’s green in color, so you don’t need food coloring!
How Easy It Is to Make
Make the Chocolate Cake Batter
This all-butter chocolate cake is so easy to make. For starters, whisk together the flour, sugar and baking soda and set that aside.
On the stovetop, combine the butter, water and cocoa powder until the butter is melted and everything is combined. This step blooms the chocolate and enhances its overall flavor.
Add that hot cocoa mixture to the dry ingredients and mix to combine.
Finally, add in the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla and mix to combine.
Bake the Cake
Spread the batter into the prepared jellyroll pan (check the test kitchen tips for more info on jelly roll pans.) and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached—this should only take about 20 minutes.
Make the Creme de Menthe Frosting
While the cake is cooling, whip up the frosting. Start by beating together the butter and the cream cheese until it’s smooth. Add in the pudding mix and beat to combine. Now, gradually add in the sifted powdered sugar and beat to combine. Stir in the creme de menthe and a pinch of salt.
Frost the cooled cake, chill to set the frosting and enjoy!
Test Kitchen Tips
- It’s important to sift the powdered sugar before adding it to the frosting mixture. It may seem like an unnecessary additional step, but sifting breaks up any lumps and makes for a very smooth and lump-free frosting.
- We gotta talk about jelly roll pans! If you aren’t from the Midwest, you may not have, or even know about, jelly roll pans. They look like a half sheet pan, but are slightly smaller in both length and width (they are 15×10-inch, whereas a half sheet pan is 18×13-inch).
They’re used for exactly what you think they are—making rolled up cakes (think pumpkin roll cake or bûche de Noël). With 1-inch tall sides, they are also perfect for sheet pan cakes!
Storage
One of the reasons this creme de menthe cake is so great is because it stores SO well. And for so long!
Wrap the pan tightly in plastic wrap and keep it in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. The cake remains moist and the frosting retains its whippy, set texture.
Breakfast
Chocolate Coffee Cake
Desserts
Hazelnut Cake with Chocolate
Cookies
Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies
Chocolate Mint Sheet Cake
Description
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Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup water
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- Kosher salt
- ⅔ cup buttermilk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Crème de Menthe Frosting
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- 3 ounces cream cheese, softened
- 2 tablespoons vanilla instant pudding mix
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1½ tablespoons green crème de menthe liqueur
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Heat oven to 350ºF (177ºC) with rack set in middle position. Grease and flour a 15×10-inch jellyroll pan.
- Whisk together 2 cups flour, 2 cups sugar and 2 teaspoons baking soda in a large bowl; set aside.
- Add 1 cup butter, 1 cup water, ¼ cup cocoa powder and a pinch of salt to a saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking occasionally to combine. Pour mixture over dry ingredients and stir until combined.
- Add ⅔ cup buttermilk, 2 eggs, and 1 teaspoon vanilla; mix to combine. Pour batter into prepared pan and spread into an even layer using an offset spatula.
- Bake until a toothpick pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
Crème de Menthe Frosting
- Using an electric mixer, beat together ½ cup butter and 3 ounces cream cheese until smooth. Add 2 tablespoons pudding mix and beat to combine. Gradually add 2 cups powdered sugar, beating until light and fluffy.
- Stir in 1½ tablespoons crème de menthe and a pinch of salt.
- Spread frosting over cooled cake; chill until frosting is set.
- Cut into 1-inch squares and enjoy.
