Grasshopper Pie Cake – mint chocolate cake layers baked on a mint cookie crust, filled with mint cream cheese and cookie filling and chocolate ganache, and covered with a mint buttercream.
What is Grasshopper Pie?
Grasshopper pie is a delicious dessert that combines the refreshing flavors of mint and chocolate in a light and creamy filling, all nestled within a crisp chocolate cookie crust. This simple dessert originated in the United States in the mid-20th century, this dessert has become a beloved classic. The filling is typically made with a mixture of marshmallow creme, whipped cream, and mint extract, giving it a smooth and airy texture with a hint of minty freshness.
Once assembled, the pie is chilled until set, then garnished with chocolate shavings or a drizzle of chocolate sauce for a decadent finish. I made my own, simplified version of a Grasshopper Pie, so be sure to check out THIS recipe too.
Grasshopper Pie Cake
This classic dessert inspired my Grasshopper Pie Cake. I tried to take all the flavor and texture elements of the pie and incorporate them into the cake.
Grasshopper Pie Cake Layers
Inside this cake, you’ll find mint chocolate cookie layers under each of the mint chocolate cake layers, just like the pie has a chocolate cookie crust. You also get a somewhat sour and tart filling that’s made up of cream cheese, whipped cream and mint Oreos. It’s a nice contrast to the bittersweet chocolate.
Is the mint flavor too strong?
You’ll notice there’s mint in each of the elements in this cake, but the flavor isn’t overwhelming at all. In fact, it’s actually pretty subtle throughout the cake and is complimented nicely by all the other flavors.
If you don’t want to use mint Oreos, you can sub them for Thin Mints or the Keebler Grasshopper Mint and Fudge Cookies. All of them will be equally amazing in this cake.
Cookies and Cream Filling
This filling is so delicious. I have no doubt it will be your favorite part of the cake! Once you whip the heavy whipping cream, you’ll fold it into a cream cheese and powdered sugar mixture, along with the Oreo pieces. I’m not sure how I didn’t devour it all before actually making my cake… because I was certainly trying!
NOTE: The filling can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge. Just don’t add the cookie chunks until you’re ready to assemble the cake.
Tips for Making Grasshopper Pie Cake
- The cookie crust can make this cake hard to cut. I suggest sharpening your knife well before you cut the cake.
- Because there are so many different elements in this cake, you can definitely make things ahead of time. I love making the cake layers early because they freeze so well.
- You can also make the filling ahead of time. Just don’t add the cookies to the mixture until you’re ready to stack and decorate the cake. The cookies will get soggy if they sit in the cream for too long.
Enjoy!
Similar Recipes You’ll Love
Grasshopper Pie Cake
Ingredients
FOR THE COOKIE CRUST (adapted from Milk Bar)
- 1 1/3 cups (160 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons (6 g) cornstarch
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 1/3 cups (157.3 g) dark cocoa powder
- 12 tablespoons (169.5 g) unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) mint extract or emulsion
FOR THE CAKE
- 2 cups (240 g)all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cups (350 g)granulated sugar minus 4 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (88.5 g) good quality cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon (3 g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ( 5.6 g) kosher salt
- 1 cup (240 g) buttermilk room temperature
- 1/2 cup (109 g) vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup (236.6 g) hot water
- 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) mint extract or emulsion
FOR THE FILLING
- 3/4 cup (173.25 g) heavy whipping cream
- 6 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 cups (250 g) powdered sugar measured and then sifted
- 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) mint extract or emulsion
- 10 Mint Oreo cookies or Thin Mints broken into chunks
FOR THE GANACHE
- 1 cup (150 g) semi sweet or dark chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup (115.5 g) heavy whipping cream
FOR THE BUTTERCREAM
- 2 cups (452 g) unsalted butter slightly chilled
- 6 cups (750 g) powdered sugar measured and then sifted
- 4 tablespoons (57.75 g) heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) mint extract or emulsion
- Green food gel optional (I prefer Americolor)
- 4 Mint Oreos or Thin Mints crushed finely
- *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping, you’ll want to make an extra ½ batch.
Instructions
FOR THE COOKIE CRUST
- Preheat your oven to 300 degrees F. Spray three 8-inch or four 6-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray, line the bottoms with parchment paper and spray again. Set aside.
- Combine the flour, cornstarch, sugar, cocoa powder, and mint extract in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and paddle on low speed until mixed.
- Add the butter and paddle on low speed until the mixture starts to come together in small clusters.
- Spread the chocolate crumbs evenly on the parchment in each the cake pans. Using the back of a spoon, push the crumbs together to form a crust. Bake for 12 minutes.
- Let the crust cool a bit while you make the chocolate cake.
FOR THE CAKE
- While the cookie crusts cool, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined.
- In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, water, and mint extract.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. Scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula, and mixing for 30 more seconds on medium-low speed.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pans (about 16 ounces in each 8-inch or 12 ounces in each 6-inch pan) and bake for 18-20, until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and chill until ready to use. You’re still going to want to level your cake layers to ensure a completely even surface for frosting and stacking.
FOR THE FILLING
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the heavy whipping cream on high for about 3 to 5 minutes, until the cream forms stiff peaks. Transfer the cream to another bowl and set aside.
- In the now empty bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese for a couple minutes until smooth. Gradually add the powdered sugar and then the mint extract. Beat for a couple minutes until smooth.
- Fold in the whipped cream until no streaks of whipping cream remain. Fold in the crushed Oreos or Thin Mints.
FOR THE GANACHE
- In a microwave safe bowl, heat the cream for about 1 minute. Pour the cream over the chocolate and let sit for about 5 minutes. Mix the chocolate and cream until smooth and shiny. If needed, microwave the mixture for an additional 30 seconds.
- Let cool slight before adding to the cake.
FOR THE BUTTERCREAM
- In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium-high speed for about two minutes.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the sifted powdered sugar until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to mix for another minute.
- Add the mint, salt and heavy cream (one tablespoon at a time). Once the cream is incorporated, increase the speed to medium-high and beat the frosting for five minutes. It should get lighter in texture and color. Add the food gel, if using. Beat until blended.
- Stir in the cookie crumbs.
- Use a wooden spoon and mix by hand to stir out the air bubbles.
ASSEMBLY
- Once the cake layers are completely cooled and leveled, place the first cake layer cookie crust side down, in the center of the cake board. Pipe a rim of frosting around the edge of the cake and then fill the center with about 1 cup of the filling. Drizzle chocolate ganache over the filling.
- Place the second cake layer on top of the frosting. Repeat piping, filling and drizzle of ganache. Place final cake layer, cookie crust side down.
- Crumb coat the entire cake with a thin layer of frosting and freeze for about 10 to 15 minutes to set.
- Once the crumb coat is set, continue to frost the cake with the remaining frosting.
Looks delicious! I only have 9 inch cake pans…any suggestion how I should adjust the cooking time for the cakes?
Yes, just use two pans and add a couple more minutes on the baking time.
This cake is the essence of Spring time! Wanted to confirm oven temp at 360 degrees is correct.
Yes, that’s correct 🙂
So pretty! Wanted to confirm oven temperature at 360 degrees is correct. Just sounded unusual.
Yes it’s correct 🙂
the mint extract is on the ingredient list but not in the instructions.
I just made this cake and shared it with friends. What a yummy cake! Our only complaint was a little too much of the kosher salt in the crust. Should it have said 1/2 tsp or 1tsp, not 2 tsp?
This was the first time I tried a recipe from you. As an avid baker, I have to say, the recipe is well written and easy to follow (some bloggers’ recipes are wordy and confusing) and I LOVED the consistency of the buttercream. I can tell you put a lot of effort and research coming up with this recipe. Thank you and I can’t wait to try your other recipes! 🙂
Thank you for your feedback. I agree. After tasting it again with a friend this week, I’m going to cut back on the salt.
I wish I would have checked the comments before I made this cake.
I absolutely love the different tastes and textures in this cake EXCEPT for the cookie crust, the 2 teaspoons of kosher salt was just a bit too much. I even really like salt. My husband actually found the comments and we agree this is a wonderful cake and I will make again, just with less salt in the crust layer next time.
Love your recipes! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for the note! I agree. It’s a recipe from Milk Bar and they love salt. I’m going to change it.
Hi,
I just want to know what king of mint extract or emulsion did you use? ( what brand). I love mint but i always have a problem with which kind of mint extract to buy.i am excited to make this cake.
Thanks
Jenn
I like the LorAnn Oils emulsions and extracts, as well as McCormick if I’m in a pinch and need to get some from the grocery store.
So I followed your recipe and used four 6″ cake pans. My question is, do you then use all four layers to make one tower of a cake? I put my third cake layer on and I couldn’t fathom putting more filling and then another layer of cake on top – it felt like it was going to be two feet tall! Instead, I did two, two-layer cakes, but that just didn’t have the “aww” factor. I thought about making it three layers and not use one of the layers at all, but then what would I do with the loner layer? What do you recommend when using your recipes in four 6″ pans?
This particular cake is a little higher than most 4-layer 6-inch cakes because it has the cookie crust on it too. My other recipes in 6-inch cakes won’t be quite as high. But, for tall cakes like that, I like to stack the cakes and freeze them for about 15 minutes before I even do the crumb coat to set the fillings and give the cake more stability. Then, I’ll crumb coat and freeze again.
Which type of Lorann mint oil/emulsion do you use? I have found Creme de menthe, peppermint, wintergreen, etc…
I have the peppermint 🙂
Hi!
If I wanted to make this cake ahead of time is that possible to do with the cookie crust? Can it be frozen similar to other cakes?
thanks!!
Yes! Totally fine to freeze ahead of time!
Hi Courtney!
I was reading over how to make the Grasshopper Pie Cake and I have a couple of questions!
-I was reading over some of the comments and some said the salt in the cookie crust seemed a bit too much. But when I read over the ingredients, I did not see any salt listed for the cookie crust part, only in the cake.
-Another person asked if the temperature listed of 360* was correct because it seemed a little unusual—you said it was correct, but I see it listed for 350* so I’m not sure which to bake it at.
Thank you!
Tracy
Does the cookie crust freeze well, too?
Yes totally
I just made this and it was a complete winner! Everyone raved about it. One question – what type of texture should the filling be? In my head, I imagined it to be kind of light and fluffy. Mine kind of turned into a sticky puddingish type thing (it was still delicious). Thinking maybe I over or under whipped the cream maybe?
It will be a little stickier because of the cream cheese!
My husband loves grasshopper/mint chocolate everything, but is not fond of cream cheese, would you just make extra of the buttercream and use that between the layers? or do you have another suggestion for filling without cream cheese?
You totally can! Make an extra half batch of frosting and add the cookies to that for the layers.
Hello! Planning to make this beauty soon. I was wondering what kind of cocoa you used for the cake and crust. Did you use Dutch-processed, natural cocoa, or a blend of both? I was planning on a blend of natural and dutched for the cake and going all Dutch for the crust- to give it that Oreo-like flavor. Let me know what you think!
https://www.gygi.com/callebaut-extra-brut-cocoa-powder-1-kg this is my favorite brand,
Making this for the second time! I don’t like mint usually but this was really good, not too minty! Just a quick question–in the directions for the buttercream it mentions salt, but not in the ingredient list. Is it just a pinch of salt?
yes!
Hey Courtney,
I am just curious if anything can be substituted for the cream cheese in the filling? Or just easier to omit it and use buttercream?
I’m currently making this and it smells and tastes delicious. I just noticed an error on the recipe – in the directions for the buttercream it mentions salt but on the buttercream ingredient list section there is no amount of salt listed. I guessed on the amount and hopefully I’m correct!
Just a dash! Thanks for catching that!
I love your cake recipes and appreciate how much information you share. I’m making #50cakes2021 so I’ve been rolling through many of your recipes in quick succession. I’ve noticed a few chocolate recipes that the flour is written 1 3/4 cups plus 2 Tbs and the sugar is written 2 cups minus 2 Tbs. Isn’t that the same thing? 30 Tbs of each?
This recipe is so similar, but this time it calls for 2 cups minus 4 tbs. Isn’t 2 cups minus 4 tablespoons just 1 3/4 cups of sugar? Am I missing some sort of baking terms?
For the chocolate cake recipe you want to do 2 cups flour and 1 3/4 cups sugar. We are in the middle of updating all of our chocolate cake recipes to reflect that.