Hot Chocolate Cake – Three layers of chocolate cake with layers of marshmallow buttercream in between and topped with chocolate chips and mini marshmallows!

Hot Chocolate Cake
If you love hot chocolate, than this is the cake for you! With three layers of chocolate cake goodness and thick layers of marshmallow buttercream in between, this cake is seriously amazing. The idea for this cake came when I was making hot chocolate dip a few weeks ago. I had been planning on making the monster mash cake the following day and after that turned out so tasty, I thought “why don’t I combine these two desserts?”.

Originally, I was going to have marshmallow buttercream between layers and chocolate buttercream around the cake but I opted to just stick with the marshmallow and save a few steps. Now this marshmallow buttercream is really delicious, usually I am not a huge marshmallow fan but it was really hard to stop eating it! Additionally, it is a very sticky frosting because of the marshmallow fluff so it can be a little more difficult to spread than a normal buttercream frosting. It is very easy for the crumbs from the cake to get stuck in the frosting but that only effects the visual aesthetic, it tastes just as amazing!

This cake is seriously the perfect indulgent treat for Christmas or even birthdays. It would be great to serve on Christmas for dessert!

Common Questions About Making Hot Chocolate Cake
What is hot chocolate cake?
Hot chocolate cake is a made from stacking three chocolate cakes with marshmallow buttercream frosting between layers and covering it.
Can hot chocolate powder be used for cakes?
Yes, it can be substituted in for cocoa powder in cake recipes. I would suggest only substituting part of the cocoa powder for it as the moisture content may be different in the hot chocolate powder than the cocoa powder.

What makes cake so light and fluffy?
What makes a cake so light and fluffy is the eggs, specifically the yolk.

Do you need to refrigerate a cake?
Depending on the frosting/icing, a cake may need to be refrigerated. If the frosting is made from butter, cream cheese, or whipped cream, play it safe and refrigerate it.

Should I put cake in fridge before icing?
Yes, it really helps when frosting the cakes cold so that the frosting doesn’t melt and it’s easier to frost. Wrap the cake in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour. I usually make my cakes one day, refrigerate them, and then frost them the next day. It gives the cakes plenty of time to cool and there is only so much time I can spend in the kitchen in one day.

Looking for more holiday recipes? Check these out!

Hot Chocolate Cake

Hot Chocolate Cake - Three layers of chocolate cake with layers of marshmallow buttercream in between and topped with chocolate chips and mini marshmallows!
Ingredients
Chocolate Cakes
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups sugar
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- Pinch of salt
Marshmallow Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4-5 cups powdered sugar
- 7 ounces marshamllow fluff
Toppings
- 3 cups mini marshmallows
- 2 tablespoons shaved chocolate
- 2 cups chocolate chips
Instructions
Chocolate Cakes
- Preheat oven to 350 and spray 3 six inch pans with nonstick spray and dust with cocoa powder.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract.
- In a separate bowl, mix together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt until combined.
- Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
- Divide batter evenly between the three cake pans and place in the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until you can stick a toothpick into each cake and it doesn't come back wet.
- Remove cakes from oven and let cool in pan for 10 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack and invert the cakes to remove them from the pan. Let cool until completely cool.
Marshmallow Frosting
- Beat butter and vanilla extract until light and fluffy.
- Slowly add in powdered sugar until completely combined. Add in marshmallow fluff and continue to beat until combined.
Assembly
- If your cakes are not flat on top, cut the tops off to make them flat and each layer even in height.
- Take one of the cakes and pipe frosting around the edge and in the middle. Use an icing spatula to spread the frosting evenly on top. Repeat with the next two cake layers.
- Pipe around the side of each of the cake layers and then using the icing spatula to spread it evenly around.
- Place chocolate chips around the bottom of the cake. I did 3 layers of chocolate chips.
- Place the mini marshmallows on top of the cake.
- Sprinkle chocolate shavings on top.
- Slice and serve.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1416Total Fat: 45gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 25gCholesterol: 74mgSodium: 136mgCarbohydrates: 258gFiber: 3gSugar: 228gProtein: 7g
This nutritional information can vary depending on the specific products you choose so this is a general guess of the correct nutritional information based on the products I used. Please keep that in mind when making the recipe.
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