Chocolate Mint Cake

This chocolate mint cake features soft chocolate peppermint cake layers, smooth chocolate ganache filling, and lots of peppermint frosting. It’s a delicious dessert for Christmas or any day of the year!

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This chocolate mint cake is pure indulgence: soft chocolate cake filled with rich chocolate ganache (!!!) and topped with creamy buttercream frosting.

Cut your slices small because a little goes a long way!

If you’re a fan of the chocolate mint combo then you definitely don’t want to miss out on this recipe. Get yourself to the kitchen and get baking—you can thank me later!

Why you’ll love this chocolate mint cake:

• It’s made from scratch and looks fancy but this cake is actually relatively simple to make; you don’t even need a mixer for the cake layers or filling—just for the frosting!
• Because of the addition of a little vegetable oil in the cake layers, you’re ensured a deliciously soft and moist chocolate cake every time
• The cake, filling, and frosting are all flavored with peppermint extract so you’re ensured a cool blast of mint in every bite

How to make your cake layers

• Whisk together your dry ingredients
• In a second bowl, stir together sugar, butter, and a few other ingredients
• Alternate mixing in the dry ingredients and coffee (or flat cola!)
• Divide between three cake pans and bake for about 26 minutes

While your cake layers are in the oven, you’ll make the mint chocolate ganache filling.

How to make the filling

• Combine hot heavy cream and finely chopped chocolate in a mixing bowl and let sit for a few minutes
• Stir until smooth, then mix in peppermint extract

Then you’ll refrigerate for a couple of hours, until the ganache is thick but still spreadable. Your cake layers should be cool by the time the ganache is set.

How to make the frosting

• Beat room temperature butter with an electric mixer until smooth
• Beat in milk, peppermint extract, and salt
• Gradually beat in powdered sugar until frosting is smooth, then mix in food coloring

How to assemble your cake

• Pipe a circle of frosting around the edge of one cake layer
• Spread half of the chilled ganache inside the circle

Then you’ll top with another cake layer, repeat that process, and top with the final cake layer.

Frost your cake and decorate as desired! I used mini chocolate chips to decorate mine but chocolate jimmies would be really cute too. Red and green sprinkles would be a fun option if you’re baking for Christmas!

Recipe notes and tips

• I always use coffee when I make this cake but if you don’t like coffee you can substitute flat cola. Just keep in mind that the coffee makes the cake taste richer while cola makes the cake taste sweeter.
• Check all your cake layers for doneness before taking them out of the oven. Some ovens (like mine) bake unevenly and one layer might be done while another needs another minute or two.
• Be sure to cool your cake layers completely to room temperature before you fill and frost them or your filling/frosting will melt.
• If you want, you can make the cake layers ahead. Cool them to room temperature, then wrap them tightly with plastic wrap. You can store them at room temperature overnight or freeze them for a few days. Fill and frost them directly from the freezer.
• If you chill your ganache too long and it’s not spreadable, warm it in the microwave in 5-second intervals, stirring after each, until it’s soft enough to spread.

How to store your cake

You can store your uneaten cake, covered at room temperature, for 2 or 3 days. You can also store it in the fridge (covered) for 3 or 4 days.

Cake slices can also be frozen, tightly wrapped, for 2 months.

I like to set slices on a foil-lined baking sheet and freeze for about half an hour to set the frosting, then wrap the slices tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil.

You can defrost slices in the fridge overnight or let them sit at room temperature for a few hours. I don’t recommend heating them because the frosting can melt.

Helpful tools for making your cake

• I used this Kelly green gel food coloring for my frosting
• My favorite peppermint extract is this one from McCormick but you can really use any peppermint extract you like
• I used this Ateco 824 tip to pipe the frosting on top of the cake
• For the frosting inside the cake, I used this large round piping tip
• These are the piping bags I use—the 16-inch bags are really nice because you can fit a good amount of frosting in them
• A cake turntable is always helpful when you’re frosting cakes!

A few more recipes you might enjoy
Chocolate Mint Cupcakes
Easy Oreo Fudge
Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies
Chocolate Raspberry Cake

Did you make this chocolate mint cake? AWESOME! Let me know what you think with a comment and a rating below.  And post a pic on Instagram too!  Tag @theitsybitsykitchen so I can see!

5 from 5 votes

Print

Chocolate Mint Cake

Prep Time

1 hr

Cook Time

30 mins

Cooling Time

3 hrs

Total Time

1 hr 30 mins

 

Soft chocolate cake layers, rich ganache filling, and peppermint frosting--this chocolate mint cake has it all!

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: 10

Author: Kelsie

Ingredients

Chocolate mint cake layers

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup unsalted butter melted and cooled
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups warm coffee you can substitute flat cola

Chocolate ganache filling

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces dark or semisweet chocolate finely chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

Peppermint frosting

• 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter at room temperature
• 3 to 6 tablespoons milk or heavy cream
• 2 teaspoons peppermint extract
• 1 teaspoon clear vanilla extract can substitute regular
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 1/2 to 5 cups powdered sugar
• green gel food coloring
• mini chocolate chips or chocolate jimmies for decorating optional

Instructions

Chocolate mint cake layers

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Spray 3 (8-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray. Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper, spray the paper with cooking spray and lightly dust with flour. Set pans aside.
2. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a medium mixing bowl and set aside. (These are your dry ingredients.)
3. Combine the sugar, butter, and oil in a large mixing bowl and stir until combined. Mix in the eggs, peppermint, and vanilla.
4. Use a rubber spatula to mix half of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Stir in half of the coffee.
5. Mix in the remaining dry ingredients, then the remaining coffee, stirring just until smooth.
6. Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 26 to 32 minutes, until the cakes spring back when touched gently with your finger.
7. Let cake layers cool in pans for 20 minutes, then carefully remove from the pans to cool completely on a wire rack before filling and frosting your cake.

Make the ganache while the cake bakes

1. Place the heavy cream in a small saucepan set over medium heat. Warm the cream until it begins to steam; it shouldn’t boil.
2. Put the chopped chocolate in a small heatproof bowl and pour the hot cream over it. Let the mixture sit for 3 minutes.
3. Stir with a rubber spatula until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Add the peppermint extract and stir to combine.
4. Refrigerate the ganache until thick but still spreadable, 2 to 3 hours. (The cake layers should be cool by the time the ganache is ready to use.)

Peppermint frosting

1. Once your cake layers are cool and your ganache is ready to use, make the frosting.
2. Place the butter in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Add 3 tablespoons of the milk or cream, the peppermint, vanilla, and salt. Beat to combine.
3. Gradually beat in 4 1/2 cups of powdered sugar. Turn mixer to medium and mix until frosting is smooth, then mix in food coloring to achieve desired color.
4. Add additional powdered sugar if frosting is too thin and additional milk or cream if it is too thick.

Assembly

1. Use a long serrated knife to trim your cake layers if they’ve domed.
2. Transfer about 1 cup of frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. Pipe a circle of frosting around 1 of the cake layers. Spread half of the ganache inside the circle.
3. Top with a second cake layer and repeat the piping and filling process. Top with the third cake layer.
4. Frost your cake with the remaining frosting, then decorate as desired. Slice and serve.

Recipe Notes

• Uneaten cake can be stored, covered at room temperature, for 2 or 3 days. You can also store it in the fridge (covered) for 3 or 4 days.
• Cake slices can also be frozen, tightly wrapped, for 2 months.
• I prefer this cake made with coffee rather than cola; the coffee deepens the chocolate flavor while the cola makes the cake taste sweeter. But flat cola is a fine substitute if you really don’t like coffee.
• Be sure to check all your cake layers for doneness before taking them out of the oven. Some ovens bake unevenly and one layer might be done while another needs another minute or two.
• If you chill your ganache too long and it’s not spreadable, warm it in the microwave in 5-second intervals, stirring after each, until it’s soft enough to spread.
• See the body of this post for step-by-step photos.