Grasshopper Cake
A cake-take on the grasshopper (creme de menthe, creme de cacao, and cream) combines mint cake, chocolate, and stabilized whipped cream!
Servings: 16 servings
Calories: 757kcal
Equipment
- Cake leveler (or serrated knife - both optional since these layers usually bake fairly flat)
- Cake topper (optional)
Ingredients
Grasshopper Cake layers
- 2 boxes white cake mix (I like Duncan Hines)
- 1 cup unsalted butter (or 2 sticks, melted)
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup Crème de Menthe liqueur
- 8 egg whites (or 1 cup egg whites from a carton)
Chocolate ganache (for filling + decorating)
- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips (12 ounces)
- 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream (12 ounces)
Stabilized Whipped Cream:
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup water (combine with gelatin)
- 2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
- ¾ - 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-4 Tablespoons Creme de Menthe liqueur to taste
- 3-4 drops liquid green food coloring
Decorations
- 10-15 Andes Mints
Instructions
Grasshopper Cake layers
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare three 8-inch round pans with baker's floured spray (or grease and line with parchment rounds).
- Combine melted butter, buttermilk, Crème de Menthe, and egg whites in a bowl, and blend in packaged cake mixes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, and beat for about 2 minutes, until well blended.
- Divide batter evenly between the prepared cake pans (I find a kitchen scale helpful for this part). This guarantees your layers will bake to be the same height. Spread batter evenly to pan edges and bake for time specified on box; mine took about 25 minutes. Allow cake layers to cool for 10-15 minutes on a wire cooling rack before removing from pans. Cool completely before frosting. Set in the fridge or freezer to accelerate the cooling process if desired. (This is a great time to make your ganache and whipped cream!)
Chocolate ganache
- Combine chocolate chips and whipping cream in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20-second intervals on half power; stirring in between until fully melted and smooth.
- Chill until thick enough to spread, but it'll be the easiest to work with if you don't let it solidify completely.
Stabilized Whipped Cream
- Chill your mixing bowl and beaters/mixer attachment for 15 minutes before whipping cream.
- Place water in a microwave-safe bowl and sprinkle powdered gelatin over the top; allow to sit for 5 minutes to soften. Microwave in 30-second intervals until melted and allow to cool; gelatin must be liquid but not hot when added to the whipping cream.
- Add whipping cream, powdered sugar, and Crème de Menthe to mixing bowl; beat on medium-high speed just until beater marks begin to show distinctly (about 1 minute in my stand mixer). Add gelatin mixture to cream, pouring in a steady stream while beating constantly. (Try to avoid pouring directly on the beater so it doesn’t splatter). Beat until stiff peaks form. Place in the refrigerator until ready to use.
Assembly
- Once your cakes are cool, level them (if needed). Place a smear of chocolate on your square (to keep the cake from sliding while you decorate it) and center your first cake layer in the center of the circle. Pipe a border of whipped cream or frosting around the outer edge of the layer, and fill with chocolate ganache. Add a sprinkle of chopped Andes mints, and place the next layer on top. Repeat the process with your remaining cake layers.
- Now you're ready to crumb-coat . If you're unfamiliar with crumb-coating, it's just what it sounds like – spreading a thin layer of whipped cream over the entire outside of the cake to keep crumbs out of your final layer. I usually do this with my large offset spatula.
- Once your crumb coat has set (this takes about 5-10 minutes in the fridge), add your final layer of frosting and smooth. I like to use an offset spatula and bench scraper for this part.
Now the fun part – decorating!
- Transfer your whipped cream or frosting to a large piping bag, and your remaining chocolate fudge or chocolate ganache to another piping bag (I used a large bag + star tip for my whipped cream and a smaller bag + Wilton 1M tip for my chocolate). Pipe in rosettes, swirls, squiggles, or whatever shapes you’d like until the cake is covered! I covered mine with halved Andes mints for a bit more texture.
- (Note: using my favorite Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting – replacing the vanilla with Creme de Menthe – is also an option!)
Video
Notes
(Please note nutrition information is an estimate and may not be exactly accurate.)
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 757kcal | Carbohydrates: 98g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 38g
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