july | august 2019 20
THE REDO
GRASSHOPPER DRIP CAKE
Makes 1 (8-inch) cake
Named for its minty hue, the traditional
grasshopper dessert is green and topped with
chocolate fudge and whipped cream. Mayonnaise
makes this rendition of the cake especially fudgy.
It’s not too sweet and deeply dark (thanks to black
cocoa powder). The fl uff y American buttercream is
fl avored in two ways: milk chocolate on the inside of
the cake and minty green on the outside.
2 cups (480 grams) hot water
(212°F/100°C)
⅔ cup (57 grams) black cocoa powder
⅓ cup (28 grams) Dutch process cocoa
powder
1 tablespoon (4 grams) instant
espresso powder
1½ cups (315 grams) full-fat mayonnaise
1 cup (200 grams) granulated sugar
1 cup (220 grams) fi rmly packed light
brown sugar
2 large eggs (100 grams)
1 teaspoon (4 grams) peppermint extract
½ teaspoon (2 grams) vanilla extract
3 cups (375 grams) all-purpose fl our
2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder
1 teaspoon (6 grams) table salt
¼ teaspoon (1.25 grams) baking soda
Milk Chocolate and Minty Green
Buttercreams (recipe follows)
Dark Chocolate Mint Ganache (recipe follows)
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Butter
3 (8-inch) round cake pans; line bottom of
pans with parchment paper. - In a small bowl, whisk together 2 cups
(480 grams) hot water, cocoa powders, and
espresso powder until smooth. Let cool slightly. - In the bowl of a stand mixer fi tted with the
paddle attachment, beat mayonnaise and
sugars at medium speed until smooth, about
2 minutes. Reduce mixer speed to low. Add
eggs, one at a time, beating well after each
addition. Beat in extracts. - In a medium bowl, whisk together fl our,
baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Gradually
add fl our mixture to mayonnaise mixture
alternately with cocoa mixture, beginning and
ending with fl our mixture, beating just until
combined and stopping to scrape sides of
bowl after each addition. Divide batter among
prepared pans (about 2⅓ cups [590 grams] in
each).- Bake until a wooden pick inserted in center
comes out with a moist crumb or two, 18 to
22 minutes, rotating pans halfway through
baking. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes.
Remove from pans, and let cool completely on
wire racks. Trim and level domed cake layers. - Place a cake layer on desired cake plate.
Spread half of Milk Chocolate Buttercream
onto bottom cake layer, and top with another
layer. Spread remaining Milk Chocolate
Buttercream onto second layer, and top with
fi nal layer, pressing gently to adhere. - Crumb coat cake with Minty Green
Buttercream, and refrigerate for 15 minutes.
Spread remaining Minty Green Buttercream
on top and sides of cake. Refrigerate for
30 minutes. - To create a drip eff ect, use a spoon to scoop
up a bit of Dark Chocolate Mint Ganache, and
beginning very close to edge of top of cake, let
it drip off spoon in a stream down side of cake.
(If drip speeds along and pools at bottom, it is
not ready and needs to cool a bit more before
you continue.) To cover entire cake in drips,
slowly move around top of cake with your
spoon, pouring tiny streams of chocolate as you
go. You can pour more or less Dark Chocolate
Mint Ganache from spoon, depending on if you
want longer drips or shorter ones. Once you
have completed all drips, using a small off set
spatula, cover top of cake with remaining Dark
Chocolate Mint Ganache. Refrigerate before
serving.
*I used King Arthur Flour Black Cocoa Powder
and Hellman’s Real Mayonnaise.MILK CHOCOLATE AND MINTY GREEN
BUTTERCREAMS
Makes about 6 cups (about 2 cups Milk Chocolate
Buttercream and about 4 cups Minty Green Buttercream)¼ cup (43 grams) milk chocolate chips
1½ cups (340 grams) unsalted butter, room
temperatureScant ½ teaspoon (2.5 grams) table salt
4 cups (480 grams) confectioners’ sugar
⅓ cup (80 grams) heavy whipping cream
½ teaspoon (2 grams) vanilla extract
1½ teaspoons (6 grams) peppermint extract
3 drops liquid green food coloring- Place chocolate chips in a small microwave-
safe bowl. Microwave on high in 30-second
intervals, stirring between each, until melted
and smooth. Let cool. - In the bowl of a stand mixer fi tted with the
paddle attachment, beat butter and salt at low
speed until smooth. Slowly add 1 cup
(120 grams) confectioners’ sugar, and then
one-fourth of cream, beating until smooth.
Continue adding confectioners’ sugar and
cream in this manner until smooth and fl uff y. - Once all sugar and cream are incorporated,
increase mixer speed to medium, and beat for
5 minutes. Add vanilla, and beat to combine.
Place 2 cups frosting in a small bowl. Add
cooled melted chocolate, and whisk to
combine. Set aside. - Add peppermint extract and food coloring to
remaining frosting, and beat at medium speed
until combined. Use immediately.
DARK CHOCOLATE MINT GANACHE
Makes about 3⁄4 cup½ cup (85 grams) 63% cacao extra-dark
chocolate chips
½ cup (120 grams) heavy whipping cream
⅛ teaspoon peppermint extract- In the top of a double boiler, combine
chocolate chips and cream. Heat over medium
heat, whisking until smooth. Remove from heat,
and whisk until mixture just begins to thicken,
20 to 30 seconds. Whisk in peppermint
extract. Use immediately.
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