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This Mississippi Mud Cake includes a homemade chocolate cake with melted marshmallows and warm chocolate frosting poured on top. Trust me, it's as delicious as it sounds!

A slice of Mississippi Mud Cake on a white plate.

When I think of a chocolate lover's dream, this is the cake that comes to mind! It's called a “Mississippi Mud” cake because of the layers of soft marshmallow and chocolate that make up the topping and frosting. It's one of the easiest cakes to make, baked in a simple 9×13” pan.

I adapted the recipe from my favorite Hershey's Perfectly Chocolate Cake recipe but instead of buttermilk I used milk and sour cream for an extra moist and tender cake. The warm chocolate frosting is the same recipe I use for this popular Texas Sheet Cake. It's SO GOOD!

How to Make Mississippi Mud Cake:

  • Combine dry ingredients: flour, sugars, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  • Add wet ingredients: Add oil, eggs, vanilla, milk and sour cream and mix until combined. Reduce speed and carefully pour in the boiling water. Beat on high speed for 1 minute to add air to the batter.
  • Bake: Pour batter into greased 9×13” pan and bake for 28-33 minutes.
  • Add marshmallows. Remove cake from oven and sprinkle marshmallows all over the top of the hot cake, completely covering it. Return to oven for 2-3 minutes until marshmallows are puffed up. Cool cake before frosting.
  • Make the Frosting: Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add milk and cocoa powder and whisk well. Cook for about 2-3 more minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and powdered sugar. Use an electric mixer to make the frosting smooth.
  • Drizzle frosting over cake.
Two process photos for adding marshmallows and warm chocolate frosting to a Mississippi Mud Cake baked in a 9x13 inch pan.

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:

The cake can be made 1-2 days in advance, stored covered at room temperature or in the refrigerator. The baked and frosted cake can be frozen for up to 3 months.

A pan of Mississippi Mud Cake with a spatula lifting out the first piece of cake.

More Chocolate Cakes to love:

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4.90 from 409 votes

Mississippi Mud Cake

Author: Lauren Allen
This Mississippi Mud Cake includes a homemade chocolate cake with melted marshmallows and warm chocolate frosting poured on top.
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 45 minutes
Total: 1 hour
Servings: 12

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Ingredients  

For topping:

Instructions 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×13” baking pan.
  • In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, sugars, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  • Add oil, eggs, vanilla, milk and sour cream and mix until combined. Reduce speed and carefully pour in the boiling water. Beat on high speed for 1 minute to add air to the batter.
  • Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 38-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Remove cake from oven and sprinkle marshmallows all over the top of the hot cake, completely covering it. 
  • Return to oven (at 350 degrees F) for 3-5 minutes or until the marshmallows are just slightly puffed and melted. 
  • Allow cake to cool completely before drizzling frosting on top.

For the frosting:

  • Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. 
  • Add milk and cocoa powder and whisk well. Cook for about 2-3 more minutes, stirring constantly. 
  • Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and powdered sugar. Use an electric mixer to make the frosting smooth.
  • Drizzle warm frosting immediately over cake. Refrigerate cake for about 30 minutes or until frosting has set. Store at room temperature.

Notes

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions: The cake can be made 1-2 days in advance, stored covered at room temperature or in the refrigerator. The baked and frosted cake can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 633kcal, Carbohydrates: 104g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 23g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Cholesterol: 49mg, Sodium: 394mg, Potassium: 224mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 78g, Vitamin A: 300IU, Calcium: 75mg, Iron: 2.1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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I originally shared this post September 2015. Updated February 2021.

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About The Author

Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

4.90 from 409 votes (356 ratings without comment)
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Mary OHara
1 month ago

5 stars
I made this for my new bf and he loved it 😍

Mary OHara
1 month ago

I’m making this today for my new BF, trying to impress .. I asked him what he would like and he said Mississippi mud cake.. I found this recipe and liked the instructions.. I will update outcome !

Dede
6 months ago

5 stars
Hi, I made this yesterday for my bunco group. It was very tasty! Question: the marshmallow layer wouldn’t stay on the cake so when I cut the cake the whole top (marshmallow and icing) came off. What did I do wrong?

Admin
Stacy Popham
6 months ago
Reply to  Dede

So glad it was a hit with the bunco crew! 🙌 Sounds like the cake may not have cooled quite enough before the frosting went on—that can cause the marshmallow layer to slide a bit. Next time, let it cool completely after the marshmallows, then pour the warm frosting over and chill it to set. Sticky layers, but worth it 🖤

Vanessa
6 months ago

5 stars
I halved the recipe and it was the perfect cake ratio. I find it a lot of cake with the whole recipe 🙂

Carrie
7 months ago

5 stars
The cake base was different than most other Mississippi mug cake recipes I’ve seen before and it came out perfect! In fact, it was so high I barely had room to put the marshmallows and frosting on top, and my family loved it! I’ll be making the chocolate cake by itself with a regular frosting because it was that good! Thank you for delicious recipe

Linda
7 months ago

5 stars
The cake was so delicious and moist. I used a 13×9 pan, perfect size. I took out at 33 mins considering another 3 mins for the marshmallows. After adding the icing I did sprinkle with toasted pecans. Delicious!

Last edited 7 months ago by Linda
memphis
11 months ago

4 stars
pritty good

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