Love mint chocolate ice cream? This vegan mint chocolate cake has everything you love about the classic ice cream flavor but in a decadent, chocolate cake!
Who else is suffering from post-holiday weekend blues? It seems like after a long, lovely summer weekend of cookouts, mint chocolate cake, and spending time outside, it’s a lot harder to get back into the swing of things for the week! We had a pretty great long weekend here (outside of a few car issues) celebrating birthdays, attending an outdoor music festival, and soaking in all the patio time we could.
My husband and I have birthdays 1 day and two years apart, so we always partake in a joint celebration, sharing a layer cake and usually gathering together our friends at a bar nearby to toast the occasion with old fashioneds. This year our birthday cake was inspired by the dessert and cozy queen, Adrianna at A Cozy Kitchen. When I saw her post the recipe for a mint chocolate cake a few months back, I knew it was going to be our birthday cake this year.
We’ve always gone for chocolate cakes, but this year I knew I wanted something a bit different. My husband is a sucker for anything mint chocolate flavored and I’m always looking for another way to incorporate chocolate into my desserts, so why not combine the two?
One of the best things about this cake is that it’s mint-y without being overpowering and the cake base is simple, easy to bake, and stays moist for days on end. One of my biggest struggles with making the perfect vegan cakes is avoiding the dry cake layer issue, so I knew this chocolate cake recipe from Sarah at The Vanilla Bean Blog was going to be the perfect layer for our mint chocolate chip cake.
Add a healthy amount of mint frosting with chocolate chips throughout, and you have yourself the perfect mid-summer birthday cake! Also, you can totally make this into a more fancy situation by cutting each layer into two layers and frosting them in between, but I honestly don’t have the patience for that and tend to get frustrated when my layers are never cut evenly.
Tips for making this mint chocolate cake
Use unsweetened almond milk—Even though this is a sweet treat, you still want to use unsweetened almond milk. This way, you’re in complete control of how sweet this mint chocolate cake is. Many almond milks at the store contain sugar (even if they’re unflavored!), so read the label before buying it.
Don’t skip the ACV—I know apple cider vinegar seems like a strange cake ingredient, but it’s actually crucial for making this chocolate cake super moist. The almond milk and ACV mixture replaces the buttermilk you’d find in a regular cake recipe. So don’t skip the ACV!
Use pure vanilla extract—I know the imitation vanilla is cheaper, but using the real stuff makes a huge difference in this mint chocolate cake. (Side note: did you know you can make homemade vanilla extract? It’s really easy!).
Frost the cake once it’s cooled—You absolutely do NOT want to frost the cake layers while they’re still warm. You’re minty frosting will run everywhere, and your cake would be a total mess. Feel free to pop the layers into the fridge to speed up their cooling period if you’re in a rush.
Store this cake in the fridge—Because the frosting uses vegan butter, this mint chocolate chip cake is best stored in the fridge. This keeps the frosting, well, frosting-like, and prevents it from melting off the cake.
I hope you had a lovely and relaxing 4th of July! I’m getting back to more of a regular posting schedule next week, crossing my fingers that a batch of coffee brownies turns out for me this weekend and brainstorming a few savory recipes to share to round out the summer months. Cheers to almost Friday!
More vegan cake recipes on Heart of a Baker:
- Vegan Lemon Cake
- Easy Vegan Pound Cake
- Vegan Italian Cream Cake
- Vegan Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Frosting
- Apple Spice Cake with Coconut Cream Frosting
Vegan Mint Chocolate Cake
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Description
Love mint chocolate ice cream? This vegan mint chocolate cake has everything you love about the classic ice cream flavor but in a decadent, chocolate cake!
Ingredients
For the chocolate cake:
- 1 cup almond milk
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the mint frosting:
- 1 1/2 cups vegan butter
- 2 tablespoons almond milk
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract
- 1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
To make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans and line bottom with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond milk, water, olive oil, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt on low until combined. With the mixer still running on low, slowly add in the almond milk mixture and continue to mix until combined.
- Pour the batter evenly into the two cake pans. Bake for 27-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Set aside to cool before frosting.
To make the frosting:
- In a food processor or blender, pulse the chocolate chips until they are broken into small pieces. Alternatively, you can chop the chocolate chips finely, but I found the blender works better. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat together the vegan butter and almond milk on medium until fluffy and combined, about 2 minutes. Add the powdered sugar and mix on low until combined. Add the peppermint extract and food coloring and mix on low until incorporated. Taste and if needed, add a bit more peppermint extract or food coloring to achieve the desired color. Add the chocolate chips and mix until just incorporated.
To assemble the cake:
- On a cake stand or large plate, place the first cake layer directly on the plate. Spread about 1/2-3/4 cup of frosting onto the layer and spread evenly. Place the second layer on top and frost the entire cake (sides and top) with the remainder of the frosting. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.
Keywords: mint chocolate cake, mint chocolate chip cake
whiskandshout says
This cake sounds so so delicious! And I love the presentation and photos on this recipe!!
Heart of a Baker says
Thank you so much Medha!
Jan Thompson says
Looks like a great cake to make for any occasion. Nice work on the photos!
Heart of a Baker says
Maybe we will save you some!
Kelly Mahan says
Thank you soooo much for this! I’ve been looking for ages for a good vegan chocolate cake, and you go and make a kickass mint chocolate chip one. Love it! Can’t wait to try it!
Heart of a Baker says
I so happy to help! I hope you love it!
Sara @ Cake Over Steak says
Happy Birthday to you both!!! Sounds like you had an awesome weekend (minus the car problems). This week was DEFINITELY hard to roll back into after having 4 days off in a row. Ugh. Next week will be worse!
Irina says
OMG, it looks so delicious! Tank you for sharing!
irinathayer.com
Supriya Kutty says
Nice Recipe.. Finally found for what i was searching for from last couple of days. I liked your images very much and your recipe is always good to follow.
Traci | Vanilla And Bean says
I’m in looove with the flavor profile of this cake Abby! And your layers are to perfection! I’m on a sorta vaca right now.. been working in between lazy days by the pool… and I know I’m going to struggle getting back into to… Be gentile on your self… And may this be your best year yet! Happy birthday love! xo
Laurie says
I don’t have a standing mixer. What should I do instead? Thank you!
Heart of a Baker says
Hi Laurie, You can use a hand mixer!
Julia says
I have just tried making your recipe and I followed all steps exactly as described and the cake has been in the oven for 1 hour now and is still liquid all the way through! You might want tor reevaluate your recipe. Are you sure there should be water in the batter?
Heart of a Baker says
Hi Julia, I’m so sorry it didn’t work out! The recipe is correct. I double checked my notes and water is included in the batter.
Kendal says
Could this recipe work for cupcakes too?
Heart of a Baker says
Yes, it could!
Ruth Bradley says
This is the best vegan cake I have ever had. Easy to follow, but you definitely didn’t need all the water, 1/4 of a cup was perfect. It will depend upon the batch of flour and the other ingredients I am sure.
Barbara says
Can you tell me if this cake could be made without the refined
sugar, with some sugar substitutes?
Heart of a Baker says
Hi Barbara,
I don’t think this would work with sugar substitutes, sorry!
Emily says
I made this cake today for my boyfriend and I’s birthdays. First time making a good cake from scratch. This is heavenly! Thank you for the recipe!
Rachel Molano says
Hi- this sounds delicious! Can you make this recipe as a bundt cake?
Ann says
How long after baking till you remove cake from the pans? Thanks, maybe I missed reading that part.
Heart of a Baker says
Wait at least 30 mins to an hour so they are cool before removing!