Chocolate Cake with Marshmallow Creme Frosting

Frosting can make or break a cake, even if it’s the most wonderfully decadent chocolate cake. That’s because frosting, like a favorite pizza topping, is wildly subjective. While some cake lovers prefer an extra-sweet American buttercream frosting, others prefer a lighter, mildly sweet ermine frosting. It’s hard to make everyone happy, but this chocolate cake with marshmallow creme frosting comes pretty darn close.

This recipe begins with a rich, fudgy chocolate cake made from scratch. The crown of marshmallow creme frosting is airy and light, with just the right amount of sweetness to please even the biggest sweet tooth. Recipe contributor Patricia Kreitz of Richland, Pennsylvania, likes to decorate her cakes with little rustic swirls in the frosting. You can even use a kitchen torch to caramelize the tips for extra flair!

The marshmallow creme frosting requires just four everyday ingredients, comes together in a matter of minutes and pipes like a dream (make sure you know how to use a piping bag). You could say it really takes the cake.

Ingredients for Chocolate Cake with Marshmallow Creme Frosting

• Dry ingredients: The chocolate cake begins with all the standard ingredients for chocolate cake, including all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and baking powder.
• Wet ingredients: To give the cake structure, moisture and tenderness, a blend of canola oil, whole milk and eggs is beaten into the dry ingredients.
• Brewed coffee: A splash of brewed coffee (or espresso powder) is the secret ingredient to making chocolate desserts taste even more decadent and chocolaty.
• Vanilla extract: Even though this is a chocolate-forward cake, choosing the best vanilla extract is still important for adding depth and complexity to the batter.
• Marshmallow creme frosting: This crowd-pleasing frosting is easy to make. Simply beat softened butter with marshmallow creme, vanilla extract, and confectioners’ sugar until light and supremely fluffy. Marshmallow Fluff is the brand name for marshmallow creme, but any marshmallow creme brand will work here.

Directions

Step 1: Mix the cake batter

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans. Sift dry ingredients together into a large bowl. Add oil, coffee and milk, then mix at medium speed for one minute. Add the eggs and vanilla, and beat for two more minutes.

Editor’s Tip: This cake batter will be thin and very pourable.

Step 2: Bake the cakes

Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Step 3: Make the frosting

In a large bowl, beat the butter until smooth, three to four minutes. Add the marshmallow creme and vanilla, then beat until well combined, about three minutes. Gradually add the confectioners’ sugar, continuing to mix until smooth.

Step 4: Decorate, slice and serve

Spread the frosting on the cake layers. Stack and then spread the frosting over the top and around the side of the cake. For a set frosting, refrigerate 30 minutes before serving.

Editor’s Tip: You can pipe extra frosting using a piping bag and your favorite decorating tip. If you’re team frosting, double the amount of frosting.

Chocolate Cake with Marshmallow Creme Frosting Variations

• Change the cake: You can enjoy this marshmallow creme frosting on any cake recipe, from classic vanilla cake to lemon layer cake.
• Add a filling: Fruity fillings made with strawberries, cherries or raspberries work wonderfully with chocolate cake and frosting made with marshmallow creme. Chocolate ganache, Nutella or caramel sauce would also work well as a filling between the cake layers.
• Add chocolate: Add up to 3/4 cup cocoa powder to the frosting to make a decadent chocolate marshmallow creme frosting.
• Make it fruity: Freeze-dried strawberries, ground to a powder in a food processor, are the secret to a vibrant strawberry frosting bursting with berry flavor.
• Go with a caramel fluff: Swirl homemade caramel sauce into the frosting to blend these two flavors into one sweet, magical moment.
• Satisfy cookie butter cravings: If you love cookie butter and all things speculoos, try beating cookie butter into this frosting recipe. Start with 1/4 cup and increase until it reaches the desired taste and consistency.

How to Store Chocolate Cake with Marshmallow Creme Frosting

Since frosting with marshmallow creme does not contain any cream cheese, milk or heavy cream, cakes decorated with it do not have to be refrigerated. Store chocolate cake with marshmallow creme frosting at room temperature in a covered dessert carrier.

How long will a chocolate cake with marshmallow creme frosting last?

A decorated chocolate cake with marshmallow creme will stay fresh for two or three days at room temperature. You can refrigerate the cake for up to five days or freeze cake for up to three months.

Store leftover frosting in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days, in the refrigerator for up to two weeks or in the freezer for up to two months. Defrost completely and let it soften at room temperature before using.

Chocolate Cake with Marshmallow Creme Frosting Tips

Why is my marshmallow creme frosting lumpy?

The biggest mistake people make when prepping homemade marshmallow creme frosting is using butter that is too cold. Softened butter is essential to ensuring the frosting mixes smoothly. Cold butter will not blend smoothly into the sugar and fluff, leaving your frosting with tiny butter lumps. If this happens, let the mixture sit at room temperature for 30 to 45 minutes to allow the butter lumps to soften, then beat again until smooth.

What else can you do with marshmallow creme frosting?

Spread this marshmallow creme frosting over brownies and top with graham cracker pieces for a special s’mores-inspired treat. This frosting is also tasty sandwiched between two homemade oatmeal s’mores cookies or spread as a final layer in a festive pumpkin trifle.