Mississippi Mud Cake is a delicious combination of moist chocolate cake, creamy frosting, and melted marshmallows! Learn how to make the best ever Mississippi Mud Cake from scratch with this easy recipe.
Chocolate and marshmallows are one of my all time favorite dessert combos. From S’mores Cookies to Rocky Road Fudge this is one flavor pair I’ll never pass up.
What is Mississippi Mud Cake
Mississippi Mud Cake is a classic chocolate sheet cake with southern origins.
It’s made by layering:
- Homemade chocolate cake
- Melted marshmallow topping
- Pour a warm chocolate frosting over the whole thing and dig into unbelievable chocolate decadence!
This recipe is Mississippi Mud Cake just like Grandma used to make. Keep the southern theme by serving this for dessert after a dinner of Mississippi Pot Roast and Corn Casserole.
Even if you’re not southern, you’re going to love this recipe. It’s basically a chocolate lover’s paradise. And easier to make than you might think!
If you love today’s cake, be sure to try our marshmallow brownies. Same concept, but instead of cake we swapped it out with our favorite brownie recipe.
Ingredient Notes
- Hot brewed coffee. No, it won’t make your cake taste like coffee! This is my secret ingredient for chocolate cakes with the richest chocolate flavor. The bitter coffee adds amazing depth to the cocoa.
- Butter. Be sure to choose unsalted butter when baking.
- Eggs. Help the cake batter stay moist and combine the dry ingredients.
- Unsweetened Cocoa Powder. Be sure to choose unsweetened, and don’t use Dutch Processed in today’s recipe!
- Mini marshmallows. You’ll need a full 10 ounce bag for the melted marshmallow topping on this Mississippi Mud Cake.
Easy Instructions
- Make the chocolate cake batter. Feel free to swap this out with a devils food chocolate cake mix if you prefer. However, if you are wanting the best, you’ve got to try our homemade cake at least once!
- Marshmallow layer. While the cake is warm, add the marshmallows and return to the oven for another 3 minutes to melt the marshmallows. (It’s okay if they’re not fully melted here!). Let the cake cool completely while you prepare the frosting.
- Chocolate frosting. Pour the warm frosting over the cooled cake.
- Chill. Chill the Mississippi Mud Cake for at least 1 hour before serving. It’s delicious served cold straight from the fridge!
Tips and Tricks
- How to prevent cake from sticking. Spray the baking pan with baking spray OR use my Homemade Cake Release.
- Keep covered. Add a layer of plastic wrap over the cake pan while Mississippi Mud Cake chills. This keeps everything moist and prevents the frosting from getting dry and crackly.
- Marshmallows. If you prefer your marshmallows lumpy, you can skip the melting of marshmallows and just pour the chocolate frosting over the top. You’ll have a “bumpy” appearance that tastes delicious.
- Optional toppings. Add more mini marshmallows or chipped pecans to Mississippi Mud Cake before serving for an extra touch.
- Storing. I recommend storing this cake in the refrigerator. If you prefer to serve it room temperature, remove from the fridge about 30 minutes before serving.
Recipe FAQs
If your frosting layer is cracking while the Mississippi Mud Cake chills, you may have forgotten to cover the pan tightly with plastic wrap while refrigerating.
Yes, just chop them into smaller pieces first so they soften and melt at the same rate.
I use a 9 x 13 baking pan for this recipe and most of my sheet cakes. Works like a charm every time.
More Easy Cake Recipes
- Banana Pudding Cake
- Coconut Cake Recipe
- Boston Cream Pie
- Oreo Ice Cream Cake
- Sopapilla Cheesecake
- Funfetti Cake
Mississippi Mud Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the Cake
- ½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup brewed hot coffee
- ½ cup whole milk
For the Topping
- 4 cups 10 ounce bag mini marshmallows
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- ½ cup whole milk
- ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray 13×9 baking dish with baking spray (or use homemade cake release). Set aside.
- In a bowl, mix flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.
- In a measuring cup, mix together hot coffee and milk. Set aside.
- In mixer, beat butter and sugar for 5 minutes, until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Slowly add in dry ingredients alternating with the coffee/milk mixture (about 3 additions of each).
- Pour cake batter into prepared pan. Bake for about 28-30 minutes, until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and sprinkle with marshmallows. Return to oven for an additional 3-4 minutes.
- Remove from oven and cool completely before adding frosting.
- For the Frosting, in a small saucepan, melt butter over medium high heat. Add milk and cocoa powder, and whisk together.
- Over medium high heat, continue to cook until mixture begins to bubble (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat.
- In a mixing bowl (or if your saucepan is big enough), add the powdered sugar. Beat until smooth. Drizzle the warm frosting over the marshmallow layer of the cooled cake.
- Chill cake in refrigeratore for at least 1 hour or until ready to serve. ENJOY.
Notes
- How to prevent cake from sticking. Spray the baking pan with baking spray OR use my Homemade Cake Release.
- Keep covered. Add a layer of plastic wrap over the cake pan while Mississippi Mud Cake chills. This keeps everything moist and prevents the frosting from getting dry and crackly.
- Marshmallows. If you prefer your marshmallows lumpy, you can skip the melting of marshmallows and just pour the chocolate frosting over the top. You’ll have a “bumpy” appearance that tastes delicious.
- Optional toppings. Add more mini marshmallows or chipped pecans to Mississippi Mud Cake before serving for an extra touch.
- Storing. I recommend storing this cake in the refrigerator. If you prefer to serve it room temperature, remove from the fridge about 30 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Fudgey chocolate + gooey marshmallows + frosting. Need I say more? Mississippi Mud Cake proves that the best classic desserts never go out of style!
Is there something to substitute the coffee with? Have you made the cake without before?
The coffee just helps bring out the chocolate flavor (not making it taste like coffee). However if you don’t want to use it, just hot water is fine.
This cake is impressively delicious! The chocolate cake is moist & delicious & the marshmallow topping is so incredible! And then the chocolate on top of the marshmallow? Genius. Pure genius. Yum! I just absolutely cannot get enough!
Best cake ever! My oldest son just asked me to make this again.
This cake really satisfied my chocolate craving. It was so delicious!