Chocolate Grasshopper Cake

One of my all time favorite flavor combinations is chocolate and mint. Thin mints, mint chocolate chip ice cream, peppermint bark, the list goes on and on. So when I saw this recipe on Betty Crocker, I knew I could make it better. And boy, did I!

Here's where I have to brag a little - I took the cupcake version of these to a bake sale for a church event, and they were a huge hit! I brought two plates (each plate only had 5 cupcakes, they were small plates), and they sold for a combined $45! One of the plates sold for $25, which was the second highest of any of the items sold. For five of these babies.

You start by making your basic chocolate cake, but add in a little peppermint extract. The recipe said to use store-bought hot fudge, but ganache is better, so I used that. Once the cake has cooled, spread a layer of ganache on top, then take some cool whip, dye it green, add a little mint extract to that, and spread on top of the ganache. I added some chopped up grasshopper cookies for decoration on top.

After trying it this way, I noticed that the ganache I used wasn't quite thick enough, so the cool whip kept sliding off the top once you cut it into pieces. Rather than make thicker ganache (way too easy!), I decided to make them into cupcakes!

Regrettably, I failed to take pictures. I may just have to make these again sometime soon and capture the pure delight of the cupcake version for you. 

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

1 box chocolate cake mix

Ingredients as called for on box

2 tsp mint extract 

Chocolate ganache

1 (8 oz) container Cool Whip

1 pkg grasshopper cookies

Green food coloring

Combine ingredients for chocolate cake, as called for on box. Add 1 1/2 tsp mint extract to the batter, then bake as directed on box, in 9x13 pan. 

Let cake cool completely, then frost with a layer of chocolate ganache. Allow to thicken in fridge for 15-20 minutes. While setting up, combine cool whip with remaining 1/2 tsp mint extract. Add green food coloring to desired green-ness. Spread a layer of mint cool whip over the ganache. Crush the grasshopper cookies, and sprinkle over cake. 

A fun twist:

Make cake batter as above, but bake into cupcakes. Inject the ganache into the middle of the cupcake, then frost with cool whip and top with cookies. 

I hope you enjoy these as much as I did!