Mississippi Mud Cake

We have seen Mississippi Mud Pie make its rounds all over the interwebs over the last few years. We've seen countless variations, from triple-chocolate layer pies to pies with coffee ice cream. There definitely does not seem to be one standard recipe. Then we saw this… Mississippi Mud Cake. It defied logic that we would be as taken with it as we were. We are traditionally much more of a pie person than a cake person. We love pie crust. And whipped cream. And pie crust. Usually cake has to include an elaborate filling and sky-high frosting for us to choose it over pie. However, this Mississippi Mud Cake spoke to us in ways the Mississippi Mud Pie never did. We've had it in the back of our mind since we saw it, and figured a cold, rainy day in April when the weather folks were calling for 8 inches of snow would be the reliable time to whip up this cake.

Much to our dismay, we didn’t get 8 inches of snow. In fact, we didn’t even get one snowflake. Seriously, weather people?! How do you get it that wrong? We got all hyped up for a snow storm, and was severely disappointed when we could, in fact, get to the store.

Back to the cake we made on our snow rain day. We think the tide may be turning in our feelings about cake. Perhaps the key to cake harmony in our life is chocolate cake with non-traditional toppings? We couldn’t believe how much we loved our dad’s favorite birthday cake when we made it a couple of weeks ago. Like this cake, it was also chocolate, made in a 9×13-inch pan, and wasn’t topped with frosting. That cake had a cream cheese center and a sugar-walnut topping. This Mississippi Mud Cake is topped with a layer of soft-centered marshmallows, then a chocolate glaze, chopped pecans, and coconut. So, basically, it’s memorable.

Slowly, but surely, we're coming around to cake. We think it’s all about being non-traditional for us. We have quite a few more unique cake recipes to try, and we think we're going to love them. If you have any you’d like to share, feel free to include links in the comments below!

In the meantime, we think we'll just eat our way through this pan of chocolate/marshmallow/pecan/coconut awesomeness. Here’s to botched snow days and the wonderful goodies they yield!

One year ago: Hot Cross Buns
Two years ago: Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies
Four years ago: Cheddar Corn Chowder

Mississippi Mud Cake

Yield: 12 servings A recipe for a classic chocolate cake

For the Cake:

• 1½ cups (187.5 g) all-purpose flour
• 1½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar
• ¾ cup (64.5 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (244 ml) whole milk
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups (225 g) miniature marshmallows

For the Chocolate Glaze & Toppings:

• 1 cup (99 g) pecan halves
• ½ cup (90 g) semisweet chocolate chips
• ¼ cup (85.25 ml) light corn syrup
• ¼ cup (59.5 ml) heavy cream
• ½ cup (45 g) shredded sweetened coconut

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
• Make the Cake: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, butter, eggs, and vanilla extract. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and use a rubber spatula to gently fold it together until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake is firm to the touch.
• Remove the cake from the oven and evenly scatter the miniature marshmallows over top. Return to the oven for 5 minutes to melt the marshmallows. They will be puffy and lightly browned.
• Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Spread the pecans on baking sheet in a single layer and bake until fragrant, about 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, coarsely chop the pecans.
• Meanwhile, Make the Chocolate Glaze: In a medium saucepan, combine the chocolate chips, corn syrup, and heavy cream. Stir over medium-low heat until the chocolate is melted and the glaze is smooth. Pour the chocolate mixture over the top of the cake. If necessary, use the back of a spoon to gently spread the chocolate over the marshmallow layer so it is evenly covered. Sprinkle with the pecans, and then the coconut. Let cool completely before serving. Store leftovers tightly wrapped (or in an airtight container) at room temperature.

• Yield: 12 servings
• Prep: 20 minutes
• Cook: 40 minutes
• Total: 1 hour

Ingredients

For the Cake:

• 1½ cups ( 187.5 g ) all-purpose flour
• 1½ cups ( 300 g ) granulated sugar
• ¾ cup ( 64.5 g ) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1½ teaspoons ( 1.5 teaspoons ) baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup ( 244 ml ) whole milk
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups ( 225 g ) miniature marshmallows

For the Chocolate Glaze & Toppings:

• 1 cup ( 99 g ) pecan halves
• ½ cup ( 90 g ) semisweet chocolate chips
• ¼ cup ( 85.25 ml ) light corn syrup
• ¼ cup ( 59.5 ml ) heavy cream
• ½ cup ( 45 g ) shredded sweetened coconut

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x13-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
2. Make the Cake: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, butter, eggs, and vanilla extract. Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture and use a rubber spatula to gently fold it together until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the cake is firm to the touch.
3. Remove the cake from the oven and evenly scatter the miniature marshmallows over top. Return to the oven for 5 minutes to melt the marshmallows. They will be puffy and lightly browned.
4. Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Spread the pecans on baking sheet in a single layer and bake until fragrant, about 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, coarsely chop the pecans.
5. Meanwhile, Make the Chocolate Glaze: In a medium saucepan, combine the chocolate chips, corn syrup, and heavy cream. Stir over medium-low heat until the chocolate is melted and the glaze is smooth. Pour the chocolate mixture over the top of the cake. If necessary, use the back of a spoon to gently spread the chocolate over the marshmallow layer so it is evenly covered. Sprinkle with the pecans, and then the coconut. Let cool completely before serving. Store leftovers tightly wrapped (or in an airtight container) at room temperature.