Tender, soft chocolate cake layers made with a touch of hot chocolate mix, white chocolate buttercream filling studded with marshmallows and drizzled with chocolate ganache, frosted in hot chocolate buttercream, dripped with white chocolate ganache, and topped with a heaping pile of marshmallows… this cake was inspired by Brooke Walker of Studio 5’s CHIP cookie of the month flavor, and I think we are ALL IN LOVE with both the cake and cookie version of these addicting winter flavors!

A few months ago, I made my Red Velvet Hot Cocoa Cake with red velvet cake layers and toasted marshmallow filling. It was super delicious, and I’ve loved sharing the recipe with you, including an appearance on Hallmark Home & Family with this cake! (See video below for that one!)

 

With THIS delicious cake, like I said before, I wanted to echo Brooke’s delicious CHIP cookie as much as possible. From what I could gather, the cookie she created was a chocolate cookie, with white chocolate chips, and marshmallows studded throughout. Sounds DELICIOUS, right?! I wanted to get as close to the cookie flavor as possible, so I headed into my kitchen this past weekend and went to work. With her cookie and my former cake in mind, I give you my new creation: Hot Chocolate Cake 🙂

First, I usually stick with dark chocolate for my cakes, but for this one I wanted something more chocolaty and luscious, that would allow the hot chocolate flavors to shine through the cake batter. I noticed that Brooke posed with a picture of Stephens Hot Chocolate for a darling promo shoot, so I used that kind of hot chocolate mix right in my cake batter. Using my usual doctored cake mix (where I ditch the usual eggs/water/oil combo and use more mouthwatering ingredients instead like sour cream, buttermilk, vanilla, more eggs, and a touch of vegetable oil), the cake baked up beautifully, and smelled like a chocolatrie right in my kitchen! The cake layers were thick and sweet, and seriously perfect for the flavor I was going for. Success!

Next, I wanted to echo the white chocolate chips that were studded throughout the CHIP cookie, so I made a white chocolate buttercream (using white chocolate ganache right in the buttercream). It’s one of my favorites and tastes so incredible (almost ice-cream-like). I wanted to use marshmallows in the cake, too, but I didn’t want the marshmallows to disappear inside the cake batter while decorating, and I didn’t want to have to make my own marshmallow filling this time, so I opted to just press whole marshmallows right into the white chocolate buttercream while filling my cake.

To amp up the filling even more, I added my favorite dark chocolate ganache drizzle right on top of the marshmallow layer. I wanted to shove my face right into the cake at that point… but I usually record myself making my cakes… so I figured I would be excused from the internet if I actually shoved my face into it.

Next time, maybe. haha

Let’s talk about this hot chocolate buttercream for a minute. IT IS TO DIE FOR… just for starters. Instead of using the whole amount of cocoa powder I add to my cocoa buttercream, I decided to substitute half of it with straight up hot cocoa mix. This seriously creates that signature hot cocoa taste and helps differ my chocolate buttercream from my hot chocolate buttercream. The taste realy takes this cake home. Just make sure you whip up the buttercream for a while so the hot chocolate granules can have time to truly blend into the cake. If not, you get little crunchy hot chocolate pieces in your buttercream. It can totally be avoided – just make sure you follow my directions in the instructions and you’ll be all set. You can always stir the hot chocolate with the heavy cream and microwave it for 30 seconds before adding it to your buttercream.

Next comes the white chocolate ganache drip. I used “Very White” Wilton chocolate candy melts – if you use anything else, your marshmallows on top will probably be a different color than your melt. You want white on white, so grabbing a bag of those “very white” melts is a no-brainer. Melt them in a glass dish for 30 seconds with the heavy cream (for only 30 seconds, any more and you’ll scald/seize it), and stir until there are no lumps.

For adding on the marshmallows on top, you want to add them to your cake when the white chocolate ganache is still slightly wet, but not too early. We don’t want those marshmallows escaping off the cake too early! And of course, you can remove mallows when you slice the cake, too, for a little bit of an easier slice.

Hope you love this cake as much as we did! It’s truly a favorite and we can’t wait to take it to Studio 5 to share with Brooke and her amazing team.

As always, if you make one of my cakes, I’d LOVE to see it! Make sure to tag me @bakingwithblondie or #bakingwithblondie on Instagram. 🙂

 

Hot Chocolate Cake
Recipe Type: Dessert
Author: Mandy Merriman | Baking with Blondie ORIGINAL
Thick tender chocolate cake, white chocolate buttercream filling studded with marshmallows and drizzled with chocolate ganache, a white chocolate drip and topped with marshmallows!
Ingredients
  • Hot Chocolate Cake[br]
  • 2/3 Cup Sour Cream
  • 3/4 Cup Buttermilk
  • 3 whole eggs
  • 1 Tablespoon Vanilla
  • 1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil
  • 1/2 Cup Hot Cocoa Mix (I used Stephens/Ghirardelli)
  • 1 Box Devils Food Chocolate Duncan Hines Cake Mix
  • [br]
  • White Chocolate Buttercream[br]
  • 1/2 Cup White Chocolate Chips
  • 1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) Unsalted Butter
  • pinch of Salt
  • 2 teaspoons Vanilla
  • 4 Cups Powdered Sugar, sifted
  • [br]
  • Hot Chocolate Buttercream[br]
  • 2 sticks (1 cup) Unsalted Butter
  • pinch of Salt
  • 1 Tablespoon Vanilla
  • 1/2 Cup Hot Chocolate Mix (Stephens or Ghirardelli)
  • 1/4 Cup Cocoa Powder
  • 1/4 Cup Heavy Cream
  • 6-7 Cups Powdered Sugar, Sifted
  • [br]
  • Chocolate Ganache Drizzle[br]
  • 1/2 cup Van Leer Dark Chocolate Melts
  • 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
  • [br]
  • White Chocolate Ganache Drip[br]
  • 1/2 Cup “Very White” Wilton Candy Melts
  • 2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
  • [br]
  • Marshmallows[br]
  • [br]
Instructions
  1. FOR THE HOT CHOCOLATE CAKE:
  2. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees, prep 3x 6″ (or 2x 8″) cake rounds with a swipe of shortening and a dust of flour to keep the cakes from sticking to the pan. Set aside.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and oil. When they are thoroughly combined, sift in the hot cocoa mix and cake mix. Don’t overmix – gently stir until the dry ingredients have been incorporated, then stop.
  4. Divide the batter between the prepared cake rounds, tap the rounds on the counter, then place into the oven to bake for 35-37 minutes. They are finished baking when the centers have been baked through completely.
  5. Let rounds cool for 3-5 minutes, then flip cakes out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap twice and freeze for at least a couple hours for easier decorating/filling/etc.
  6. FOR THE WHITE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM:
  7. In a small glass bowl, stir together the chocolate chips and heavy cream. Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir until the ganache is completely combined (no little white chocolate lumps). Set aside.
  8. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip up the butter until it’s light and fluffy. Add in the ganache, salt, and vanilla, and whip up until thoroughly combined.
  9. Slowly add in the powdered sugar. Add in more heavy cream if needed to thin.
  10. Set the stand mixer on high speed for 3 minutes to add texture and a lighter color/volume. Turn the mixture down to a low speed for about 30 seconds. Remove bowl from stand mixer and hand beat with a wooden spoon to eliminate any air bubbles. Place in a piping bag without a tip for ease when adding your filling.
  11. FOR THE HOT CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM:
  12. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip up the butter until it’s light and fluffy.
  13. Add in the salt, vanilla, hot chocolate mix, and cocoa powder. Slowly add in the heavy cream and powdered sugar. Add a little more heavy cream if needed.
  14. Set the mixer on high speed for 3 minutes, then down to the lowest for 30 seconds. Remove the bowl from the mixer and hand beat with a wooden spoon to get out any remaining air bubbles.
  15. FOR THE GANACHE DRIZZLE:
  16. In a small bowl, stir together the chocolate melts and heavy cream. Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir until smooth. Pour into a squeeze bottle, then set aside.
  17. FOR THE WHITE CHOCOLATE GANACHE DRIP:
  18. In a small bowl, stir together the white candy/chocoalte melts and heavy cream. Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir until smooth. Pour into a squeeze bottle, then set aside.
  19. ASSEMBLY:
  20. On a cake turntable, tape a 6″ cardboard cake rounds to a 8″ cardboard round and place on top with a nonslip mat underneath. Add a touch of hot chocolate buttercream in the center of the 6″ cardboard round, then place the first cake round in the center on top of it.
  21. Pipe a thick rim around the outside of the cake round with the hot chocolate buttercream, then fill the inside with the white chocolate buttercream. Press a few marshmallows into the white chocolate buttercream, then drizzle on some of the chocolate ganache. Top with the next cake round and repeat.
  22. Crumb coat the cake, then freeze for about 3 minutes.
  23. Add the final buttercream coat around the entire cake, then add the white chocolate ganache drip. Add on the marshmallows (if you are traveling with this cake, I recommend saving adding on the marshmallows until you are on site). Slice cold with a hot/sharp knife for best clean cake slices.
  24. Serve with more of the chocolate ganache drizzle if desired, enjoy!