Happy hot cocoa cake day!
Or should we unofficially call this Christmas cake day? I’m a huge fan of holiday cakes — even though I don’t love baking cakes in general, I always make an exception for festive ones.
Two years ago I shared a white sparkle Christmas cake that many of you have turned into a tradition. Last year I went with a pink peppermint cake — playful, festive and perfect for peppermint lovers.
Let’s take a moment to appreciate the whipped marshmallow.
I mean LOOK AT THIS.
So this year I decided to do a chocolate Christmas cake. I nearly made it last year, but peppermint won out — and now we have the ultimate decadent cake for chocolate lovers.
Isn’t it beautiful? It’s surprisingly straightforward: three component recipes (cake, frosting, marshmallow) and a simple assembly. No tricky layered slicing — if I can do it, you can too.
LYLAS.
Bonus points if you know that reference.
The cake is rich and fudgy, yet still light in texture. It’s finished with a chocolate cream cheese frosting — because cream cheese frosting is irresistible — and topped with cloud-like whipped marshmallow puffs that cut the richness perfectly.
Growing up, my favorite cakes were always chocolate with dark fudge icing. I loved the dense, chocolatey layers, and over the years I’ve chased that classic fudgy flavor in many forms.
So here we are!
This hot cocoa cake is based on a super fudgy chocolate layer cake and is paired with a rich chocolate cream cheese frosting. The whipped marshmallow on top brings a light, sweet balance and a beautiful texture that feels like a cozy mug of dessert-y hot chocolate.
The whipped marshmallow is one of my favorite parts — it’s airy, sweet and trims the cake’s density. It’s the same marshmallow topping I’ve used on other desserts and it holds up nicely when piped into puffs.
The whole cake reminds me of a toasted marshmallow cream hot chocolate — rich, comforting and perfect for the season. It’s an ideal celebration cake for holidays, birthdays, or simply a chilly winter Saturday. You can freeze half for later or share a slice with a friend to make someone’s day.
Hot Cocoa Cake
Hot Cocoa Cake with Whipped Marshmallow
8 people
Ingredients
cocoa cake
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
chocolate cream cheese frosting
- 3 (8-ounce) blocks cold cream cheese
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 1/2 ounces milk chocolate, melted and cooled
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
whipped marshmallow
- 4 large egg whites
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
cocoa cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray three 8-inch round pans with nonstick baking spray that contains flour.
- Whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- In a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the buttermilk, oil and eggs on medium until combined. Add the vanilla. With the mixer on medium, slowly add the dry ingredients until just combined, scraping the bowl as needed. Beat in the hot coffee until combined.
- Divide batter among the prepared pans. Bake 30–35 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for about 30 minutes, then invert onto parchment to cool completely.
- For easier frosting, wrap cooled layers in plastic and chill briefly in the freezer to firm them up.
- When ready, spread frosting between two layers, stack, then frost the outside of the cake. Pipe the whipped marshmallow on top and dust with cocoa powder before serving. Keep refrigerated because of the cream cheese frosting; bring out 30–60 minutes before serving.
chocolate cream cheese frosting
- Beat cream cheese until smooth, then add vanilla. On low speed, slowly add powdered sugar (about 1/2 cup at a time) and the cocoa powder, increasing speed to combine. Mix in melted chocolate. If too thick, add milk 1 teaspoon at a time; if too thin, add more powdered sugar.
whipped marshmallow
- Combine egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in a heat-proof bowl set over simmering water. Whisk constantly for 3–4 minutes until the sugar dissolves and whites are slightly warm. Transfer to a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and beat, starting slow and increasing to high, until glossy and thick (6–7 minutes). Beat in vanilla for one minute more.
- Fill a piping bag and pipe marshmallow puffs onto the cake. The marshmallow can be made ahead and refrigerated, but for best texture add it within 24 hours of serving.
Notes
What a looker.