Mississippi Mud Cake

5 from 1 vote

Mississippi Mud Cake is a rich and gooey dessert with a fudgy chocolate cake, mini marshmallows, and pecans. Easy to make and perfect for any occasion, it's a classic recipe that everyone will love.

Prep Time15

Cook Time35

Chill Time30

Total Time1 20

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Mississippi Mud Cake Recipe

Servings:

Calories: 442kcal

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Cake

2 cups all purpose flour, spooned and leveled
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, I used Hershey’s brand
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon table salt
1 ¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ cup vegetable oil
⅔ cup whole milk, room temperature
4 large eggs, room temperature and well beaten
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
10 ounces mini marshmallows, I used Jet-Puffed brand (283g package or 6 cups)
¾ cup chopped pecans

For the Chocolate Frosting

½ cup salted butter, sliced into pats
5 tablespoons half and half
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, I used Hershey’s brand
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted to remove any lumps
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick baking spray.
Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to a medium (2-3 quarts) size mixing bowl. Whisk to combine.
In a separate medium bowl, add sugar, vegetable oil, room temperature milk, room temperature eggs and vanilla. Whisk to completely combine the wet ingredients.
Stir in the flour mixture. Continue mixing until the dry ingredients are well incorporated and no dry spots or lumps remain. Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking dish, and bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes away clean and the center of the cake springs back when carefully touched. (Remember, all ovens cook differently, so begin checking the cake at the 25 minute mark. If your oven runs on the lower side, you will need to add an extra 5-8 minutes.)
About 10 minutes before the cake comes out of the oven, prepare the frosting.
Add the sliced butter to a 2-3 quart saucepan over medium heat. Stir until the butter is completely melted.
Whisk in half and half and cocoa powder. Continue whisking until the mixture is heated through and smooth. Remove the pan from the stovetop.
Whisk in the sifted powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, as well as the vanilla. Whisk until the frosting is smooth.
Immediately after the cake is removed from the oven, evenly sprinkle the mini marshmallows over the top of the cake. Sprinkle the chopped pecans over the layer of mini marshmallows.
Evenly drizzle the chocolate frosting over the mini marshmallows and pecans. Let the cake cool completely before cutting 3 slices x 5 slices and serving.

Notes

Using room temperature milk and eggs helps the batter mix more smoothly and evenly, and helps create the thick, fudgy texture of the cake.
Be careful not to over-mix the batter; mix just until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Otherwise, you'll end up with a heavy, dense cake.
To avoid having a lumpy frosting, sift the powdered sugar before you add it. It would also be wise to buy a fresh bag of
Sprinkle the marshmallows immediately after the cake is removed from the oven so the residual heat melts them evenly.
If you find your frosting is too thick, add a touch of half and half, about 1 tablespoon at a time just to thin it out a little.

Nutrition