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!
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.
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.
More Chocolate Cakes to love:
- The BEST Texas Sheet Cake
- Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Mousse Filling
- German Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Mug Cake
- Dark Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Raspberry Cake
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Recipe
Mississippi Mud Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar , packed
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 3/4 cup oil , canola or vegetable
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 Tablespoons milk
- 1/3 cup sour cream
- 1 cup boiling water
For topping:
- 10.5 ounce package mini marshmallows
- 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
- 6 Tablespoons milk
- 3 heaping Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar
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.
- Next time try Mississippi Mud Brownies!
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.x
I originally shared this post September 2015. Updated February 2021.
This post contains affiliate links.
Can you use marshmallow fluff instead of marshmallows
Sure, if you want!
Can this recipe be cut in half?
Yes, that’s fine.
Thank you! This recipe is great. I have made it twice now. But today I am not sure what I was thinking and didn’t read the icing recipe. I made it like butter cream(not heating the butter) I thought it looked wrong. Didn’t go back and read until I already iced the cake. Hopefully it will taste and set up ok
Too much batter for the pan, making the cake way too thick. It was not like what was pictured at all. Frosting way too sweet.
I agree way too much batter in pan mine has been in over already 35 minutes and the batter is still wet completely wet I don’t think it’s even going to be edible.
Always use a 9x13in pan! Total perfection
Too much cake batter for the pan! Not enough room for the marshmallows and frosting. I would definitely not recommend this recipe. My usual Mississippi Mud cake recipe used a larger pan with a cake layer that is thinner. I should have stuck with it.
This recipe was a big disappointment!
I made the cake today. Still have not eaten it. The two things things that I had issues with was the baking time. My cake was still raw in the middle at 28-33 minutes. I had to keep it in the oven close to 45 minutes to pass the toothpick test. Secondly, the icing was in no way able to “drizzle”. It was super, super thick. I even added hot water to it to try to thin it out but it didn’t stay thin for very long. I ended up just scooping thick icing on top and spreading it like it was mortar. But on the positive side, the flavor of the icing was good. Looking forward to eating it tonight.
Hi Lauren, I haven’t tried this recipe yet, but it looks and sounds delicious. I’m wondering can this recipe be made using a 13×18 in. half sheet pan? If so, I plan to give it a try. Thanks!
That would be fine for a thin sheet cake!
I made the Mississippi Mud Cake today for my husband’s Birthday. It is so moist and the icing is totally awesome! Couldn’t ask for a better recipe! I just added chopped pecans to the frosting. My frosting turned out so creamy. It reminded me of fudge just beginning to firm up. Just melts in your our mouth. Fantastic recipe! Thanks for sharing!!
Very good recipe
It looks wonderful! Could this be made with gluten free flour?
I am going to try this with Bob’s Red Mill Chocolate Cake Mix. I like that it bakes first…as when you add the boiling water to the mix it is always soupy. So, this recipe could work out well.
Just a tip…I also make mini cakes (In mini pie tins) to freeze for quick n easy GF snacks.