Here’s grandma’s favorite grasshopper cake. Her version has marshmallows in the filling (skip the gelatin!) and an Oreo cookie crust. A classic!
My paternal grandmother had an incredible sweet tooth.
How this woman ate so many jelly donuts and still lived to be 97 I’ll never know!
One of her favorite cakes for us was grasshopper cake, a chilled mint green cake with an Oreo cookie crust. I didn’t find her recipe, but my dad patched one up from many he found online that makes a cake just like the one she used to make.
Many Locust Cake recipes are quite involved, calling for gelatin, egg yolks, egg whites, etc. In this recipe, we use marshmallows instead of eggs and gelatin.
A make-ahead cake
Prepare this cake at least three hours before you plan to serve it. It needs this time in the freezer to fully set and firm. You can also keep it frozen for a few days, but loosely cover the frozen cake with aluminum foil to protect it.
Leftovers can be kept frozen for at least a week, but may develop freezer burn or take on strange flavors from the freezer with longer storage.
Prepare a non-alcoholic grasshopper cake
To make this cake non-alcoholic, substitute 1 teaspoon of peppermint extract plus 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract for the crème de menthe and crème de cacao.
CONTINUE READING:
Origins of the Locust Cake
Most likely inspired by the grasshopper cocktail, which has been around since 1918, the grasshopper cake has been around since the mid-20th century when chiffon cakes were all the rage. Earlier versions used either a graham cracker crust or a chocolate crust. Our version uses a chocolate crust to give it extra chocolate goodness.
Oreo crust alternatives
If you prefer not to split all those Oreo cookies and toss out the creamy filling, use 1 1/4 cups shredded chocolate wafers instead. Or use a graham cracker crust.
Check out these other classic cakes
- Lemon ice box pie
- Mint chocolate cream cake
- fresh strawberry cake
- Lime meringue cake
- Coconut Banana Cream Cake
More mint dessert recipes to make
- Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
- Vegan Mint Chocolate Ice Cream
- Chocolate Mint Cupcakes
- Mint Chocolate Pudding Cake
- Mint chocolate cream cake
From the editors of Simply Recipes
grasshopper cake
ingredients
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30 oreos Cookies (60 halves), discarded fillings, finely chopped biscuits
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6 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
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3/4 Cup whole milk
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24 big Marshmallows
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1/4 Cup mint cream liqueur
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2 tablespoon White cocoa cream
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1 to 2 drops green food coloringOptional
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1 Cup heavy cream
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chocolate shavings up, optional
method
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Preheat the oven:
Preheat oven to 425°F.
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Make the Oreo Cookie Crust:
In a bowl, combine crushed Oreo cookie halves and 6 tablespoons butter. A small handful of the crumbs should hold together when you squeeze them with your fist. If it crumbles, add additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until it holds together
Pat into the bottom and top sides of a 10-inch cake pan. Press firmly with the bottom of a cup to press and compact the crust into the pie pan.
Bake in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes; remove from the oven and cool completely.
After chilling, place in the freezer to chill.
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Make the Marshmallow Mixture:
In a saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the milk until it is steaming but not boiling. Add the marshmallows and stir gently until the marshmallows have melted.
Remove pan from heat and allow to cool to room temperature, then chill in refrigerator until cool to the touch. If you want, you can speed up the cooling process by placing the pan in an ice water bath. (If the mixture is room temperature or warmer, it tends to break up when you add the remaining ingredients.)
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Mix into the liqueurs and whip the cream:
Add the crème de menthe and crème de cacao to the cooled marshmallow mixture and mix well. Add a drop or two of green food coloring, if desired.
Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer, whip the cream until it forms stiff peaks. Fold the heavy cream into the milk and marshmallow mixture in three separate additions. Continue to fold and mix gently until no white streaks remain.
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Pour the filling into the crust and freeze:
Pour the filling onto the base and freeze for at least 3 hours. (If you want to keep it in the freezer longer, cover loosely with foil after 3 hours.)
Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and sprinkle with chocolate shavings, if you like.
| nutritional information (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 357 | calories |
| 16g | Fat |
| 47g | carbohydrates |
| 3g | protein |
