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    Home » Recipes » Recipes

    Easy Mint Chocolate Cake (Grasshopper Cake)

    Published: Aug 25, 2023 by Cara Lanz · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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    spatula holding a piece of mint chocolate cake
    piece of mint chocolate cake on a white plate
    piece of mint chocolate cake on a white plate
    piece of mint chocolate cake on a white plate

    Mint Chocolate Cake, aka Creme de Menthe Cake or Grasshopper Cake, is a super moist, delicious cake with swirls of mint and white cake, flecks of chocolate, creamy hot fudge, and fluffy mint Cool Whip frosting topped with Andes mints. Festive dessert for the holiday season, St. Patrick's Day, or special occasions. 

    If you love easy cake mix recipes, try Chocolate Caramel Poke Cake and Chocolate Cake Mix Brownies next!

    piece of mint chocolate cake on a white plate

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    Jump to:
    • Why You're Going to Love This
    • Ingredients
    • How to Make Mint Chocolate Chip Cake
    • Success Tips
    • Storage & Freezing
    • FAQs
    • More Easy Recipes
    • 💌Let's Stay in Touch
    • 📖 Recipe

    This mint chocolate cake recipe is a spin on a retro creme de menthe cake recipe my mom shared with me.

    Maybe you've seen it? It's white cake flavored with creme de menthe and topped with hot fudge sauce and creme de menthe Cool Whip. It's easy, simple, and delicious. 

    This revamped chocolate mint cake recipe has milk and sour cream for moisture, chopped chocolate for a peppermint bonbon ice cream vibe, and an easy marble effect that looks like you did something ~fancy~. 

    It's perfect for your holiday dessert table or whenever mint chocolate cravings come to call. 

    Why You're Going to Love This

    • Impressive dessert that's really easy to make
    • Super moist cake filled with tons of chocolate
    • Delicious flavors mint chip lovers will adore
    • Perfect dessert for Christmas, St. Patrick’s Day or anytime

    Ingredients

    mint chocolate cake ingredients

    White cake mix. This easy recipe starts with a handy box of white cake mix for a pretty white and green marbled effect. Don't follow the recipe on the box. If you have a homemade white cake recipe you love, by all means, use it. 

    Milk. Using milk instead of water is an easy way to make cake mix taste better. 

    Vegetable oil. Oil adds moisture and helps create a tender texture, especially in a boxed mix. 

    Sour cream. Adding sour cream to white mix helps keep it from becoming dry. 

    Egg whites. Egg whites keeps the cake batter white. 

    Shaved chocolate or finely chopped chocolate. Finely chopped or shaved chocolate will stay suspended in the batter. Chocolate chips -- even mini chocolate chips -- will sink. Shave one 4 oz. bar of good quality chocolate, like Ghirardelli, with a vegetable peeler or finely chop it with a knife or food processor. Use ¾ cup for the batter and any remaining for topping. 

    Creme de menthe syrup. I used creme de menthe syrup, which I found in the ice cream toppings section of the store. You might also find it with coffee syrups. You can also use creme de menthe liqueur. 

    Hot fudge. If the hot fudge is too thick to spread over the cake, warm it up just a little bit in the microwave for a few seconds. You don't want it to be hot, it needs to be thick enough that it will stay on top of the cake and not run down the sides. 

    Cool Whip. Truwhip is a great alternative to Cool Whip. Whipped cream should also work just fine. 

    How to Make Mint Chocolate Chip Cake

    Preheat the oven to 350 and spray the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan with nonstick spray. 

    Place cake mix, milk, sour cream, oil, egg whites, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Mix on low speed with an electric mixer for 30 seconds, then on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

    Gently mix in ¾ cup of the shaved chocolate. 

    white cake batter in a white bowl

    Place ½ of the batter in a medium bowl. Fold in creme de menthe syrup and green food coloring, if desired. 

    mint cake batter in a clear bowl

    Drop alternating scoops of white and green batter into the pan. Use a knife to cut through the batter in s-shapes to swirl the batter together. 

    white and green cake batter in a cake pan
    hand holding a knife swirling cake batter

    Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack, about 2 hours. 

    baked mint chocolate cake in cake pan

    Spread the hot fudge sauce in an even layer on top of the cake. If the fudge layer is very soft, place the cake in the freezer for about 10 minutes. 

    hot fudge spread on top of the mint chocolate cake

    Combine Cool Whip and 2 tablespoons creme de menthe syrup together in a large bowl. Spread the mint frosting over the hot fudge layer. 

    hand holding a spatula spreading green Cool Whip on top of cake

    Chill the cake for 2-4 hours. 

    Before serving, sprinkle the top of the cake with chopped Andes chocolate mints and any remaining shaved or chopped chocolate. If you still have a stash of Thin Mints in the freezer, they would also be a delicious topping! 

    overhead view of mint chocolate cake topped with Andes mints and shaved chocolate
    spatula holding a piece of mint chocolate cake

    Make it Even Easier!

    • To make this cake even faster and easier, skip the swirl.
    • Just add the ¼ cup creme de menthe syrup and green food coloring to the entire cake batter, stir in the chopped chocolate, and bake and frost as directed.  

    Success Tips

    • If the fudge layer is too soft to easily spread the Cool Whip layer, put the cake in the freezer for a few minutes. 
    • Use room temperature hot fudge sauce, not warm. If it's been in the refrigerator, warm it just enough so you can easily spread it without it oozing down the sides of the cake. 
    • Shave the chocolate with a vegetable peeler or finely chop it with a knife or food processor.  

    Storage & Freezing

    • Store leftover mint chocolate cake in an airtight container or covered in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. 
    • To freeze, place the cake or cake pieces (without the chopped Andes and chocolate topping) in the freezer until firm. Cover in a double layer of plastic wrap and place in a freezer-safe container or wrap in a double layer of foil. Thaw in the refrigerator.

    FAQs

    How is the mint flavor added to creme de menthe cake?

    Creme de menthe syrup adds mint color, a little sweetness, and pretty green color to the cake and frosting. 

    Can I adjust the intensity of the mint flavor in grasshopper cake?

    Yes. For less mint flavor, adjust the amount of creme de menthe down. To boost the mint flavor even more, add a little peppermint extract.  

    Is creme de menthe cake alcoholic?

    Yes and no. You can easily make creme de menthe cake with or without alcohol. For an alcoholic version, use creme de menthe liqueur in the cake batter and Cool Whip frosting. For a non-alcoholic creme de menthe cake, use creme de menthe syrup. 

    mint chocolate cake with green Cool Whip and Andes mints on top

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    📖 Recipe

    piece of mint chocolate cake on a white plate

    Mint Chocolate Cake Recipe

    Cara Lanz
    Mint Chocolate Cake, aka Creme de Menthe Cake or Grasshopper Cake, is a super moist, delicious cake with swirls of mint and white cake, flecks of chocolate, creamy hot fudge, and fluffy mint Cool Whip frosting topped with Andes mints. Festive dessert for the holiday season, St. Patrick's Day, or special occasions.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save Recipe Saved Recipe!
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 30 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 16
    Calories 428 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 box white cake mix, 15.25 oz.
    • ¾ cup milk
    • ¾ cup sour cream
    • ½ cup oil
    • 3 egg whites
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 4 ounces good quality chocolate bar, shaved or finely chopped, divided
    • 6 tablespoons creme de menthe syrup, divided
    • 4-6 drops green food coloring, optional
    • 16 ounces hot fudge sauce
    • 8 ounces Cool Whip
    • ⅓ cup chopped Andes mints
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    Instructions
     

    • Preheat the oven to 350. Spray the bottom of a 9 x 13 cake pan with nonstick spray.
      Place cake mix, milk, sour cream, oil, egg whites, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl. Mix on low speed for 30 seconds, then medium speed for 2 minutes.
      Fold in ¾ cup of the shaved chocolate.
    • Place ½ of the batter (2 cups) in a medium bowl and add 4 tablespoons creme de menthe syrup and 4-6 drops of green food coloring. Gently fold until completely combined.
    • Using measuring cups, alternate dropping scoops of the white and green batter into the cake pan. With a knife or thin spatula, cut through the batter in s-shapes to create swirls.
    • Bake the cake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
      Cool the cake on a wire baking rack until completely cool, about 2 hours.
    • Evenly spread the hot fudge sauce on top of the cooled cake.
      If the fudge layer is very soft, chill cake in the freezer on a level surface for about 10 minutes before frosting with Cool Whip.
    • Fold the Cool Whip and 2 tablespoons of creme de menthe syrup together until combined.
      Dollop the mint Cool Whip over the hot fudge layer and evenly spread it on top of the cake.
      Chill the cake for 2-4 hours.
      Before serving, sprinkle the top with Andes mints and any of the remaining chopped chocolate.

    Notes

    Use room temperature hot fudge sauce, not warm. If it's been in the refrigerator, warm it just enough so you can easily spread it without it oozing down the sides of the cake. 
    If the fudge layer is too soft to easily spread the Cool Whip layer, put the cake in the freezer for a few minutes. 
    Shave the chocolate with a vegetable peeler or finely chop it with a knife or food processor. 

    Make it Even Easier!

    To make this cake even faster and easier, don't divide and swirl the batter. Just add the ¼ cup creme de menthe syrup and green food coloring to the entire cake batter, stir in the chopped chocolate, and bake as directed. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 428kcalCarbohydrates: 59gProtein: 5gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 8gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 8mgSodium: 354mgPotassium: 204mgFiber: 2gSugar: 36gVitamin A: 92IUVitamin C: 0.2mgCalcium: 125mgIron: 2mg
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    Hi, I'm Cara!

    I love sharing easy, delicious everyday recipes from the heartland.

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