Creme de Menthe Cake, aka Grasshopper Cake, is a moist, delicious mint chocolate chip cake with flecks of chocolate, creamy hot fudge, and fluffy mint frosting, topped with Andes mints. The marble effect is so easy and looks impressive, but completely optional. Perfect dessert for St. Patrick's Day or Christmas.
For more of my easy, decadent cake mix recipes, try Chocolate Caramel Poke Cake, Heaven on Earth Cake, and Chocolate Angel Food Cake.
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🎥Video: Creme de Menthe Cake
This easy Creme de Menthe Cake recipe was inspired by that retro Grasshopper Cake recipe from the '70s. Do you know it? It's a green mint-flavored cake topped with chocolate fudge and Cool Whip.
My mom shared her recipe with me, but I changed it up a bit. I added sour cream and chocolate shavings (or mini chips) to the batter, then divided it, made half minty, and swirled them together for a marble effect.
It looks like you did something fancy, but I promise, it's really easy! And if you want to skip the divide-and-swirl part, you definintely can.
If you're like me and love to turn cake mixes into other things entirely, take a peek at my Lemon Cake Mix Muffins, Apple Pie Coffee Cake, Carrot Cake Mix Bars, and Orange Angel Food Cake.
🍰Ingredients
See recipe card at the bottom of the post for the full list of ingredients and exact amounts.
- White cake mix. Don't follow the instructions on the cake mix box. You can also use your favorite homemade white cake recipe.
- Milk. Milk instead of water is an easy hack to make cake mix taste better.
- Sour cream. Adding sour cream to white mix helps keep it from becoming dry.
- Egg whites. Egg whites keep the cake a cleaner white and a brighter green color than whole eggs.
- Shaved or chopped chocolate bar. I shave a bar of good-quality chocolate, like Ghirardelli, with a vegetable peeler to create little flecks that distribute evenly throughout the cake without sinking.
- Creme de menthe syrup or liqueur. I use creme de menthe syrup from the ice cream toppings section of the grocery store. It might also be with the coffee syrups. You can also use creme de menthe liqueur.
- Hot fudge. Get the thick kind in a jar, not chocolate syrup.
- Whipped topping. I use Cool Whip or Truwhip, a "healthier" alternative. Whipped cream should also work just fine.
🍫Variations
- Mini chocolate chips. Use mini chocolate chips instead of shaved chocolate. See the full instructions in recipe card.
- Mint extract. For a more intense mint flavor, add mint extract. Start with a little, just a drop or two, and adjust as needed.
🥣How to Make Creme de Menthe Cake
Step 1. Shave the chocolate. Over a plate, run a vegetable peeler along the thin side of the chocolate bar for short, jagged shards of chocolate.
Step 2. Make the cake batter. Mix cake mix, milk, sour cream, oil, egg whites, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl on low speed for 30 seconds, then on medium speed for 2 minutes. Gently mix in ¾ cup of the shaved chocolate or mini chocolate chips.
Step 3. Divide and flavor the batter. Place ½ of the batter (2 cups) in a medium bowl. Fold in creme de menthe syrup and green food coloring, if desired.
Step 4. Swirl the batters together. Drop alternating scoops of white and green batter into a greased or parchment-lined 9x13 inch pan. Use a knife to cut through the batter in S-shapes to swirl it together.
Step 5. Bake the cake. Bake in a preheated oven at 350 for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack, about 2 hours.
Step 6. Top with fudge sauce. Spread the fudge topping 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.
Step 7. Frost the cake. Combine the tub of Cool Whip and 2 tablespoons creme de menthe syrup in a large bowl. Spread the mint frosting over the hot fudge layer. Chill the cake for 2-4 hours.
Step 8. Add toppings and serve. Before serving, sprinkle the top of the cake with chopped Andes chocolate mints and any remaining chocolate shavings.
🏆Top Tip: Make it even easier: Skip the shaved chocolate and swirl. Use mini chocolate chips instead of shaved chocolate. Add the ¼ cup creme de menthe syrup and green food coloring to the entire cake batter, stir in the chocolate, and bake and frost as directed.
✅Success Tips
- Use room temperature hot fudge sauce. If it's cold or too thick, warm it just enough to easily spread it without it oozing down the sides of the cake.
- If the fudge layer is too soft to spread the Cool Whip layer easily, 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.
- If you use mini chocolate chips instead of shaved chocolate, line the pan with parchment paper to keep chips on the bottom of the cake from burning against the pan.
🧊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 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
Creme de menthe syrup adds mint color, a little sweetness, and a pretty green color to the cake and frosting.
Yes. For less mint flavor, reduce the amount of creme de menthe. To boost the mint flavor even more, add a little peppermint extract. Start small, a little goes a long way.
No. This mint chocolate chip cake is made with creme de menthe syrup, which does not contain alcohol. For an alcoholic version, use creme de menthe liqueur in the cake batter and Cool Whip frosting.
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📖 Recipe
Creme de Menthe Cake
Ingredients
- 4 ounce chocolate bar, good-quality like Ghirardelli or ¾ cup mini chocolate chips
- 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
- 6 tablespoons creme de menthe syrup, divided
- 4-6 drops green food coloring, optional
- 16 ounces hot fudge sauce, room temperature
- 8 ounces Cool Whip
- ⅓ cup chopped Andes mints, for topping
Instructions
- Prep. Preheat the oven to 350. Spray the bottom of a 9 x 13 cake pan with nonstick spray.
- Shave the chocolate. Hold the chocolate bar over a plate at a 45-degree angle. Pull a vegetable along the thin side of the chocolate bar in short strokes to create jagged shards of chocolate.
- Make the cake batter. 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 or mini chocolate chips.
- Divide and flavor the batter. 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.
- Swirl the batters. Using measuring cups, alternate dropping scoops of 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. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire baking rack until completely cool, about 2 hours.
- Spread with hot fudge. Evenly spread hot fudge sauce over 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.
- Frost the cake. Fold 2 tablespoons of creme de menthe syrup into the Cool Whip until combined. Dollop the mint Cool Whip over the hot fudge layer, then spread it evenly. Chill the cake for 2-4 hours.
- Serve. Before serving, sprinkle the top with Andes mints and any of the remaining chopped chocolate.
Video
Notes
- Shortcut options.
- Skip the swirl. Mix the crème de menthe syrup and food coloring into the entire batch of batter.
- Use mini chocolate chips. Toss them with 1 tablespoon of cake mix to prevent sinking. Line the baking pan with parchment so the ones on the bottom won't burn.
- Use room temperature fudge sauce. Warm slightly, if needed so it spreads smoothly.
- Chill fudge layer if needed. If the fudge layer is too soft to spread the Cool Whip easily, briefly freeze the cake.
- Chocolate shavings. You can also finely chop the chocolate with a knife or food processor.
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