Grasshopper Mint & chocolate Cake

• Preparation Time 15 Minutes
• Cooking Time 25 Minutes
• Serves 12-16

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Is there a more classic combination than chocolate and mint? Think of all the well-known chocolate containing these flavours. Boxes of After Eights, Fry’s Mint, Bendick’s creams and Elizabeth Shaw are very popular.

So for the first time, since going vegan, I decided to make a chocolate mint cake. This cake is a hands-down crowd pleaser and boy does it deliver. It has the perfect balance of dark chocolate and peppermint flavour. It is rich and not a cake you could eat multiple slices off, which to me is a good thing. Is is

• Rich
• Moist
• Decadent
• Gooey
• Delicious
• Gorgeous

I made this beautiful cake for a close friend’s birthday, I pimped it up a bit and added vegan After Eight thins and other suitable mint chocolate confectionery.

It was received with so much pleasure and it was a delicious mint chocolate cake and not just good for a vegan cake.

*Notes*

1. Do not be tempted to use mint extract, this can often give a harsh flavour in cakes. Peppermint extract gives you the perfect mint chocolate flavour, without tasting like toothpaste.
2. I made the one shown in the pictures with Allison’s gluten-free flour instead of wheat-based plain flour, it did need slightly more liquid. If you are using a gluten-free flour then make sure it is important to use a good quality one.

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Cake Ingredients

• 205 g of plain flour
• 170 g of caster sugar
• 1.5 tsp of baking powder
• 1/2 tsp of salt
• 1.5 tsp of bicarbonate of soda
• 95 ml of vegetable oil
• 375 ml of boiling water
• 75 g of good quality cocoa powder
• 310 ml of aquafaba
• 1/2 tsp of peppermint extract

Peppermint buttercream

• 480 g of sieved icing sugar
• 225g of Dairy-free butter
• 1/2 tsp of vegan peppermint extract
• A drop of vegan green colouring ( depending on the colour you want)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 175C and grease and line 2 x 8-inch sandwich tins
2. In a large bowl combine the flour, salt, baking powder, bicarb and sugar.
3. In a separate bowl mix combine the oil, boiling water and cocoa powder and add to the dry ingredients, along with the aquafaba and peppermint extract.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared tins equally and place into the oven. Bake for approximately 20-25 minutes or until the cake springs back to the touch.
5. Cool the cakes in the tins for 15 minutes and then turn them out onto a wire rack. Once they are cooling make the buttercream.
6. To do this place all the ingredients in a bowl and start to cream with a wooden spoon. Then with an electric mixer whisk on medium-high for a few minutes until light and creamy. Place this in the fridge until the cake is completely cooled.

The batter and sponge for this recipe is so good. It is rich and moist and is the perfect base for this cake.

Decorate the cake the way you like it. I found vegan mint creams and chocolates. I wanted this to taste like After Eight chocolates for a friends birthday.

For a less over the top decoration, you could just add a layer of buttercream in the centre and on top and finish with grated chocolate.

• Spicy Roasted Pepper Pasta Sauce
• Lemon & Pistachio Cream Cookies
• Custard Cream Biscuits
• Vegan Tikka Masala
• Vegan Cottage Pie

If you decide to give this recipe a try, don’t forget to tag me on twitter as @veganalchemist1 or my Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/thegfveganalchemist I love seeing your versions of the recipes. I would love to hear your comments too. Feedback is so important.