This Mississippi Mud Cake is a moist chocolate sheet cake covered in melted marshmallows and then topped with a warm chocolate fudge icing.
Best Mississippi Chocolate Cake
This Mississippi chocolate cake recipe is so rich and resembles the muddy Mississippi river banks. The layers of homemade chocolate cake, gooey marshmallows and melted fudge makes this one of our favorite chocolate cakes ever! This is a Southern favorite that is perfect for potlucks or any gathering.
Try our Mississippi Mud Pie for another delicious take on this classic cake recipe!
Ingredients Needed
This requires staple ingredients with the addition of mini marshmallows (get the full amounts in the recipe box below).
- Flour: I prefer to use all-purpose flour with baking powder and baking soda to allow the cake to rise in the oven perfectly.
- Sugar: You will need a combination of granulated sugar for the cake batter and powdered sugar for the frosting.
- Cocoa Powder: I prefer to use Hershey’s brand of unsweetened cocoa for the cake and frosting to give it the best quality.
- Sour Cream: This will be used to keep the cake super moist and delicious.
- Marshmallows: Use mini marshmallows for this recipe or if you don’t have mini, you can cut large marshmallows into smaller pieces. But, mini works best.
- Topping: chopped walnuts or pecans (totally optional).
How To Make Mississippi Mud Cake
You start with making the chocolate cake then top with marshmallows over the warm cake, bake a few minutes then top with a warm chocolate icing.
- Make the chocolate cake. Set the oven to 350 degrees and use baking spray to lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch baking sheet. Sift the dry ingredients into a medium bowl and combine. Add the oil, eggs, vanilla, milk, and sour cream into a large mixing bowl and combine using an electric mixer. Be sure to not overmix. Gradually add in the hot water and combine on low speed for 1 minute. Pour in the dry mixture and combine with the wet until fully incorporated.
- Bake. Add the prepared batter into the sheet pan and place it in the oven for 30 minutes to bake. Use a toothpick to check for doneness. Take the cake out and top with mini marshmallows before placing back into the oven for an additional 2 minutes until the marshmallows and melted slightly and are puffy. Take out of the oven and let the cake cool thoroughly.
- Make the chocolate icing. Add the butter into a small saucepan and melt before slowly adding in the heavy cream and cocoa powder. Allow the mixture to cool for 2 minutes while mixing constantly. Take away from the heat and pour in the vanilla and powdered sugar and whisk to combine until smooth. Drizzle the chocolate icing on top of the cooled cake right away. Place the cake into the fridge for 25-30 minutes to set the icing. Once the icing is set, serve, and enjoy!
Make-Ahead & Storing
Mississippi mud cake makes a great make-ahead because it tastes better the following day as all the flavors have time to mingle together. Store the cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days, in the fridge for up to 2 weeks and up to 6 months in the freezer. If storing in the fridge or freezer, warm the cake in the microwave for about 10 seconds or so before serving.
Tips and Variations
Turn into Cupcakes. Prepare the cake recipe like normal and pour the batter into cupcake liners about 2/3 of the way full before baking. Add the marshmallows on after they are finished baking. You will need to cut the baking time down.
Marshmallows. Replace the mini marshmallows with 10 ounces of marshmallow fluff. Let your cake cool a few minutes before spreading the marshmallow fluff. With the foil removed, microwave the jar for 15-20 seconds or until you see it bubbling for easy spreading.
Toppings. We love this cake as is, but feel free to add chopped nuts on top or any other topping you prefer. A scoop of vanilla ice cream on top of the warm cake sounds heavenly!
More Chocolate Cake Recipes
- Best Chocolate Cake
- Chocolate Turtle Poke Cake
- Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Heath Bar Poke Cake
- Chocolate Dump Cake
- Chocolate Depression Cake
Mississippi Mud Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup cocoa powder unsweetened
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup milk whole
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 cup water boiling
- 10 oz marshmallows mini
Chocolate Frosting
- ½ cup butter salted, softened
- 6 Tablespoon heavy cream
- 3 Tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2-3 cups powdered sugar
Topping
- chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking pan.
- In a medium mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, combine oil, eggs, vanilla, milk, and sour cream until combined. Do not overmix.
- On low speed, slowly add the boiling water. Beat on high speed for 1 minute. Add the dry ingredients to wet ingredients, and mix until fully combined.
- Pour batter into prepared cake pan and bake for 30 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove cake from oven. Sprinkle the top with mini marshmallows and return to the oven for 2 minutes or until the marshmallows are puffy and slightly melted. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.
- In a small saucepan, melt butter. Gradually add heavy cream and cocoa powder. Cook for about 2 minutes stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat and add vanilla and powdered sugar using a whisk. Beat until smooth. Immediately drizzle over the cooled cake. Refrigerate for 25-30 minutes until frosting has set.
Last Step:
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2 comments on “Mississippi Mud Cake”
description says it has walnuts but I do not see them listed in ingredients. Do they get sprinkled over cake or in batter?
Hi Isabella. That was a typo in the description and the walnuts are meant to be an option for topping and can be stirred into the chocolate. I will correct that. Thanks.