The Cake Merchant

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie Crunch Cake

Mint Chocolate Cookie Crunch Cake

I will admit that December has pretty much been kicking my ass so far. In the balance of work/blog/life/sleep, blogging has been coming in last place. Not to mention the fact that I’m married to a non-Indian person now so I have to think about Christmas and presents and all that stuff more than I normally would. I did, however, have a few minutes to throw together this little cake. And by throw together, I mean I had 2 failed attempts because I tried to rush and ended up leaving out some important ingredients (like eggs) the first couple of times. Remember that whole post about having a relaxed holiday? Yeah, that totally didn’t work. But enough grumbling, let’s talk cake!

The cake recipe is from The Brown Betty Cookbook, which has been sitting unused on my bookshelf for entirely too long. The Chocolate Buttermilk Cake requires 2 egg yolks, which had me wondering what to do with the leftover egg whites. In hindsight, I probably should have used them in the frosting, but that would have been too simple. Plus, I have been stalking Katherine Sabbath’s instagram profile lately, and I love the idea of using meringues as cute little cake toppers.

Aaron loves mint chocolate cake, but he requires that it be paired with mini chocolate chips, so I threw some of those in between the layers. I also had a few Peppermint Jo Jos on hand so I crushed them up and threw some of those in along with some crushed meringue cookies because, why not? It’s a total smorgasbord of minty chocolate chippy cookie crunchy goodness. I didn’t measure how much of each topping I used, but after I tasted the finished product, I wish I had added more. You can add anything you want- crushed candy canes, peppermint bark, etc. And don’t be afraid to use a heavy hand. Texture = good.

Mint Chocolate Cookie Crunch CakeMint Chocolate Cookie Crunch CakeMint Chocolate Cookie Crunch Cake

If you don’t have 7-inch cake pans, you can get 3 shorter 8-inch layers out of this recipe or 2 9-inch layers. Keep in mind that if you use different sized baking pans, you will need to adjust the baking time.

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Mint Chocolate Chip Cookie Crunch Cake

Yield: One 3 layer 7-inch cake

Ingredients

    For the Buttermilk Chocolate Cake:
  • 2¼ cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar
  • ½ cup (60 grams) plus 3 tablespoons unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • ¾ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup (180 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
  • 1 cup (240 ml) vegetable oil or 1 cup melted unsalted butter
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ¾ (180 ml) cup boiling water
    • For the Mint Meringues:
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1/2 cup (100 grams) superfine sugar (I took granulated sugar and put it through the food processor)
  • ¼ tsp. cream of tartar
  • 1/4 tsp mint extract
  • a few drops of green gel food coloring
    • For the Mint Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting:
  • 8 large egg whites or 8 ounces (227 grams) liquid egg whites
  • 8 ounces (227 grams) granulated sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 pound (454 grams) unsalted butter, softened but still cool and cut into chunks
  • 2-3 teaspoons mint extract
  • a few drops of green gel food coloring (I used Americolor brand)
    • Toppings:
  • Mini Chocolate Chips
  • Peppermint Jo Jos or Mint Oreos
  • Leftover mint meringues
    • For the Chocolate Glaze:
  • 1/2 cup (90 grams) semisweet chocolate chips
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons hot milk

Instructions

    For the Chocolate Buttermilk Cake:
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit and grease and line 3 7-inch cake pans with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) mix together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt on low speed.
  3. In a separate bowl, mix together the buttermilk, oil, eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla extract until blended.
  4. Add the buttermilk mixture to the flour mixture in 2 additions and beat on low speed until blended. Turn the mixer up to medium high and beat until smooth.
  5. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour in ¾ cup boiling water and beat until blended.
  6. Divide the batter equally between the cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25-28 minutes.
  7. Cool the cakes in the pans on wire racks for 15 minutes.
  8. Turn the cakes out onto wire racks to cool completely.
    9. For the Meringues:
  9. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  10. Whip the egg whites with an electric mixer on medium low speed until they are frothy (about 60 seconds).
  11. Add the cream of tartar and turn the mixer up to medium high.
  12. Beat the mixture until it becomes stiff and shiny. (about 90 seconds).
  13. Add about ½ of the sugar, and beat until stiff peaks form. Add the remaining sugar, mint extract, and a few drops of the food coloring and beat until incorporated.
  14. Place a round pastry tip in a decorating bag and fill the bag with the meringue mixture and pipe onto the parchment paper (I made a few in different sizes).
  15. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until the cookies are firm, smooth and dry.
  16. Turn the oven off and let the meringues sit the oven for a few more hours or overnight.
  17. After the meringues are completely cooled and dry, use the edible pens to decorate them.
    18. For the Mint Swiss Meringue Buttercream:
  18. Combine the egg whites, sugar, and salt in a bowl (I used the bowl of my stand mixer).
  19. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. The bowl should not touch the water, nor should the water be at a rolling boil. It's the steam that's going to heat the egg whites, since we don't want scrambled eggs.
  20. Heat the egg white mixture until it reaches 150 degrees fahrenheit (140 is ok for liquid egg whites), whisking frequently so as not to get scrambled eggs.
  21. Remove the bowl from the heat, and whip the egg whites on medium high using the whisk attachment of your stand mixer.
  22. Whip the egg whites until they become fluffy and double in volume. The bowl should be cool to the touch (this will usually take several minutes).
  23. Turn the mixer down to medium low, and add the butter in one chunk at a time, until it has all been incorporated.
  24. If the mixture looks curdled at this point, this is normal. Just keep whipping for a few more minutes until it comes together. If the mixture looks soupy, you can add a few cubes of chilled butter, or stick the whole bowl in the refrigerator for about 15 minutes and then continue beating.
  25. Once the buttercream has become smooth, and the mint extract and food coloring and beat until incorporated.
    26. To Assemble the Cake:
  26. Place one layer of the cake on a7 or 8-inch cake board.
  27. With an offset spatula, spread about 1 cup of the buttercream filling on top of the first layer.
  28. Top with mini chocolate chips, crushed oreos, and crushed meringue cookies.
  29. Repeat this process with the second layer, spreading the remainder of the filling on top.
  30. Place the 3rd layer on top.
  31. Place the cake on a turntable, and apply a thin layer of the mint frosting on the sides and the top of the cake to lock in the crumbs.
  32. Let the frosting set up in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.
  33. Apply the remainder of the frosting to the sides and top of the cake.
  34. Refrigerate the cake while preparing the glaze.
    35. For the Chocolate Glaze:
  35. In a microwave safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips, butter, and corn syrup.
  36. Microwave on medium power for 30 second intervals and stir after each interval until the mixture is smooth.
  37. Drizzle in the hot milk a little bit at a time until you reach a pourable consistency.
  38. Pour the warm glaze over the top of the cake (the frosting should be cold) and use an offset spatula to even it out.
  39. Top the cake with additional mini chocolate chips, crushed oreos, and meringue cookies.
  40. Serve at room temperature.
https://cakemerchant.com/2014/12/11/mint-chocolate-cookie-crunch-cake/

Notes:
Cake recipe adapted from the The Brown Betty Cookbook
Chocolate Glaze adapted from allrecipes.com
Design inspired by Katherine Sabbath

-Since there are a lot of components to this cake, I made it over a period of a few days. I made the cake and the meringues one the first day and kept the cake in an airtight container at room temperature. I frosted the cake the next day, and did the glaze on the 3rd day.

-The glaze on this cake is shiny at room temperature. I was in a hurry to take the pictures and the cake was still cold so the glaze had hardened.

-Don’t forget to wipe down your tools with vinegar before making the meringue cookies and the swiss buttercream. Any traces of grease can cause a weepy meringue.

Comments

  3. This cake is just awesome, as usual. I just can’t imagine being able to turn out cakes like this. And you are so right – December is a crazy month and whenever I do “rush”, I usually mess something up. I can’t believe you decided to make those meringues with the extra egg whites. They totally make the cake. It’s just lovely.

    Reply

  4. Awesome recipe! I was searching through foodgawker and found this one. It was a little bit overwhelming at first but I just went for it! I had never made homemade chocolate cake or meringues or buttercream icing but I figured I should start somewhere. Pretty proud of the finished product(too bad I can’t post a pic) and the taste is amazing!!!! I recommend everyone should try this recipe, even if its just the chocolate cake part. FANTASTIC!!!

    Reply

    • That’s great, Charlie! I agree, sometimes with cakes, you just have to go for it. And I’m glad it turned out all for you. I would love it if you sent me a pic!

      Reply

  9. Natasha What a beautiful cake. I don’t have your steady hand. But I have enjoyed your website. I will make your buttermilk chocolate cake. to reduce the calories and effort, I’ll add some peppermint extract to the cake. Then make the meringues to serve as a garnish. Thank you for sharing your creativity. Now if I could only listen to you play the oboe. I love the sound. Happy New Year.

    Reply

  11. What is the color of americolor food coloring that you used? I want the same color as you, but there appear to be several different greens to choose from!

    Thanks!!

    Reply

  12. Hey – commented on another post – same problem here with one of you pictures. don’t want to post the link to the company again, so google thinks they are worth to be visited 😉
    Cheers

    Reply

  14. hi Natasha, this cake looks awesome and I am going to make it for Christmas. I’m just a little confused as to the directions on assembling. You talk about a chocolate frosting but there is no chocolate frosting in the recipe. Sorry just wondering if I missed something. When I look at the picture it looks like the buttercream on the sides of the cake, with the chocolate glaze over the buttercream. please let me know if I missed something. thanks Kathy

    Reply

  16. Do you think the recipe would still work if I substituted regular unsweetened cocoa for the Dutch processed? I’m making it for a friend who doesn’t love darker chocolate

    Reply

  17. Hey I’m making this for a friends party, around 25 people. Do you think I’d be rich enough that everyone(most) can have a small piece?

    Reply

  18. Beautiful cake. Cant wait to try. Not sure if i missed it but what size cake pan did you use? Also would regular buttercream work for this recipe?

    Reply

  19. Do you know if it would be possible to use meringue icing instead of buttercream? Would it be stiff enough to hold up the layers?

    Reply

  20. This was spectacular!! I decided I wanted to make a mint chocolate chip crunch cake for our New Year’s Eve dinner, not knowing if such a thing existed, so I was thrilled when I googled and found your recipe! I adapted it a bit – I don’t love buttercreams and I didn’t feel like dealing with the fussiness of the Swiss meringue, so I used a cream cheese frosting with mint extract and food coloring added, and then I just did a chocolate ganache to cover everything. But the cakes were fabulous, the mini choc chips and crushed mint Oreos in between the layers were amazing, the meringues on top were beautiful…. Everyone RAVED about it. I can send you a pic if you’d like – thanks for the great recipe!

    Reply

    • That’s great, Rachel! I would love to see a picture. Cream cheese frosting sounds like it would work really well in this.

      Reply

  28. HI , I was just curious, how many days in advance can I make the meringues for the top of the cake?

    Reply

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