This hot chocolate cake features rich chocolate cake layered with chocolate marshmallow ganache and lots of marshmallows. If you’re a chocolate fan, you’re gonna love this cake! Includes gluten-free, refined sugar free, and vegan friendly options as well!
I know there isn’t a shortage of cakes here on the blog 🙈 but I needed to include another! This hot chocolate cake may be more of a novelty idea than anything, but my hot chocolate loving family really enjoyed it! I mean, any excuse to eat chocolate…and marshmallows! 😋
It was a great excuse to use up all the homemade marshmallows I had made a few days prior as well!
The cake gets its name from the combo of chocolate and marshmallows. You can use prepared hot cocoa in the cake batter, but I opted for brewed coffee, which adds more of a rich flavor than the sweetness hot cocoa would. It’s also topped with loads of marshmallows, but I added marshmallows to the whipped chocolate ganache as well, which adds a fluffy and creamy texture.
I even sprinkled marshmallows between each layer, but to be honest, it made it a little difficult to cut. I would probably leave them out next time and just reserve them for the top.
It’s definitely a fun dessert though and would be a great treat to serve at a holiday party or get together with family and friends! I hope you give this a try and enjoy it as much as we did! 🤗
Hot Chocolate Cake
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8-10 servings 1x
Description
Rich chocolate cake layered with chocolate marshmallow ganache and lots of marshmallows. If you’re a fan of hot chocolate, you’re gonna love this cake! Includes gluten-free, refined sugar free, and vegan friendly options as well!
Ingredients
Cake:
2 cups unbleached all-purpose or gluten-free all purpose flour, I used King Arthur Flour, Measure for Measure Gluten-Free Flour
2 cups (276g) coconut sugar or granulated sugar
⅔ cup (65g) cocoa powder, plus more for dusting finished cake
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 ⅓ cup almond milk or other milk of choice
1 cup brewed coffee/espresso, prepared hot chocolate, or additional milk
½ cup oil of choice
1 teaspoon vanilla
Large/small marshmallows for decorating*, can use vegan marshmallows if needed!
Whipped Marshmallow Ganache:
2 cups mini marshmallows
2 cups dark/bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup full-fat coconut milk from can (may need more while blending)
Instructions
Whipped Marshmallow Ganache:
Since the ganache has to chill, I recommend making it first.
Place marshmallows, chocolate, and coconut milk in a large heat safe bowl and place over a pot of shallow boiling water. The bottom of the bowl should not touch the simmering water
Stir the mixture continuously until marshmallows and chocolate are completely melted. Cover and refrigerate until firm (at least 1 hour, but can also be made ahead of time).
Once it’s chilled, beat with a mixer until fluffy. If mixture is too stiff, add a little coconut milk or prepared hot chocolate, or brewed coffee until frosting is spreadable.
Cake:
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease three 6-inch cake pans or two 8-inch cake pans and line with a piece of parchment paper cut to size. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder/soda and salt until well blended. Mix in milk, coffee, oil and vanilla.
Pour batter into prepared pan and place into the oven for 20–30 minutes, depending on the pan, just until center is set and a toothpick inserted comes out with only a few moist crumbs. Remove and let cool completely before frosting.
Putting it Together:
Place one cake layer upside down on cake plate and spread a layer of ganache evenly on top. Sprinkle with marshmallows (optional), then top with another cake layer and repeat.
Frost the outside of the cake with remaining whipped ganache and top with lots of marshmallows. Dust with cocoa powder (optional) and serve.
Notes
*If you’re looking for a naturally sweetened option, check out my Honey Vanilla Marshmallows!
- Cook Time: 25 min
- Category: dessert, gluten free
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