Grinch Cake in Jars

Chocolate mint layered Grinch Cakes are rich and delicious! Layers of chocolate brownies and mint buttercream frosting in Grinch green are a perfect holiday dessert.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 15

Brownie Cooling Time (estimate) 15

Total Time 1

Servings layered jars

Calories 1305kcal

Author Toni Dash

Equipment

Wide mouth pint size Mason jar
Wide mouth jar lids
3-inch biscuit cutter

Ingredients

1 Brownie Mix with any ingredients specified on package
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter softened
1 teaspoon mint extract
2 tablespoons heavy cream
green food coloring
Crushed peppermints optional topping
Wide mouth mason jar with lid

Instructions

Brownie Instructions:

Prepare the brownie batter as instructed on the package.
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Pour brownie batter onto the sheet pan.
NOTE: The batter should be about 1 inch thick. It does not need to reach the edges (and it’s actually better if it doesn’t so that your layers aren’t too thin).
Bake brownie mix at 325 for 15 minutes, or until cooked through. Cool completely.
Once cooled, use a biscuit cutter and cut brownies into rounds that will fit inside a wide mouth pint size mason jar. Make sure to use a biscuit cutter or circle cookie cutter that is the same size or slightly smaller than your jar.*

Frosting instructions:

In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter until smooth (30-60 seconds).
Add 4 cups of the powdered sugar, mint extract and food coloring (more can be added after the frosting is blended if needed). Beat slowly until all ingredients are blended.
Beat on high speed for 3 minutes to make the frosting fluffy.
Adjust the frosting consistency if needed.
If too thick, add some of the heavy cream.
If too thin, add more powdered sugar.
If too sweet add a pinch of salt.
NOTE: the frosting should be thick enough to hold its shape, but thin enough that it’s easy to work with and squeeze through a piping bag.

Assembling the Grinch Cakes

Place frosting into a piping bag with a 1M tip (or use your favorite large tip). Pipe some of the frosting into the bottom of the jar.
Add one cut out brownies to the Mason jar, followed by more frosting. Repeat layers until the jar if filled.
Beginning with brownie, alternate between placing brownie and frosting layers until mason jar is filled.
Sprinkle crushed peppermints on top (optional).
You can cut out the “grinches heart” with construction paper and tie a ribbon around the outside to make these more festive.

Video

Notes

*The most common wide mouth pint size jars measure 3 inches wide across the opening so use a 2 ½ or 3” biscuit cutter (I used a 3” cutter for this). While the brownies are cooling, make frosting.

- Storage instructions: Mason jars will last up to 1 week. Make sure to store it in the refrigerator with the lid on.
- These are very rich, so make sure to eat these with a glass of milk!
- I used a brownie batter with chocolate chips in it (LINK to what I used). The extra chocolate in the brownie mix made these even more tasty, but it did make it a little harder to work with because it fell apart more easily. You may want to use just a regular brownie mix with no additional add-ins to make it easier to place the brownie into the jar.
- You don’t have to use the white plastic jars for this. You can use the metal jar lids if you would like to. I love how simple and easy those white plastic lids are and use them for just about everything!
- These make great fun Christmas gifts! Feel free to use different flavors of cake or frosting to switch things up! These are easy to give as gifts and store because the jars and lids make this so easy!

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