Vegan chocolate chip mint julep cake

A few weeks ago, on Kentucky Derby day, I cooked up—I mean, baked up—a certain cake that, you will see, was intended to be somewhat relevant to the event happening at the time. You will see that the mint julep, a cocktail composed of bourbon, mint, and sugar syrup, is the traditional drink consumed on the occasion. While I have never had a mint julep myself—cough, cough—I was interested in trying to replicate the flavors of the beverage through cake.

Worked pretty well if I do say so myself.

I used a bourbon-infused cake from Brown Eyed Baker and brushed it with a serious amount of bourbon (for flavor, you know) to really bring out the cocktail flavor; and, using some finely chopped fresh mint, I whipped up a very delightful minty buttercream to bring everything together. Oh yeah...and I added chocolate chips. Because why not.

I honestly have no idea.

The fresh mint in here is definitely essential. You get a really zingy flavor that extracts or otherwise can’t replicate. The mint leaves on top are for garnish, mainly, but they can be eaten if you are like me and are known to pluck leaves off of mint plants and chew on them at random. Because mint leaves are actually pretty good on their own. Weirdly enough.

Here’s the recipe.

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Vegan chocolate chip mint julep cake

Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

Makes one 2-layer 6-inch round cake

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Bourbon chocolate chip cake

Ingredients

204 grams • cake flour • 1 ½ cups

2 grams • baking powder • ½ teaspoon

1 gram • baking soda • ¼ teaspoon

2 grams • kosher salt • ½ teaspoon

122 grams • nondairy milk • ½ cup

4 grams • apple cider vinegar • 1 teaspoon

30 grams • bourbon • 2 tablespoons

112 grams • coconut oil, softened • ½ cup

150 grams • granulated sugar • ¾ cup

55 grams • light brown sugar • ¼ cup

110 grams • silken tofu, blended until smooth • ½ cup

80 grams • chocolate chips • ½ cup

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 6-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a measuring cup, combine nondairy milk, vinegar, and bourbon. Set aside.

Place coconut oil and sugars in the bowl of an electric stand mixer and cream until light and fluffy. Add tofu and beat until smooth. Add flour in three additions, alternating with milk mixture. Mix until just combined each time. Fold in chocolate chips.

Divide batter evenly between baking pans. Bake for about 28 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let cakes cool in their pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

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Mint buttercream

Ingredients

224 grams • coconut oil, softened • 1 cup

240 grams • powdered sugar • 2 cups

4 grams • vanilla extract • 1 teaspoon

1 gram • peppermint extract • ¼ teaspoon

45 grams • coconut milk, full fat • 3 tablespoons

10 grams • fresh mint, finely chopped • 2 tablespoons

Directions

Place coconut oil in the bowl of an electric stand mixer; beat until smooth. With mixer on low speed, spoon in powdered sugar. Add remaining ingredients and beat on medium-high until light and fluffy.

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Assembly

Ingredients

Bourbon chocolate chip cake

Mint buttercream

Bourbon, to taste

Mint leaves, for decoration

Directions

Level off each cake layer with a serrated knife. Pour a shot or so of bourbon in a small bowl and lightly brush each cake with bourbon using a pastry brush. Layer cakes with mint buttercream. Place mint leaves on top of cake for decoration. Slice and eat.

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Frosted this naked style and left all the good stuff for the top.

For some other minty goodness, check out these recipes.

Peppermint mocha mousse cake. Like Christmas in...May!

Mint chocolate chip macarons. A miracle of modern culinary science.

Mint chocolate chip pancakes. The first recipe I ever posted!