“I made this for our bible study and it barely lasted 5 minutes! Should have doubled the recipe I guess!!!”
That looks like a classic Mississippi Mud Cake (or a very similar “Chocolate Poke Cake”). It’s a crowd favorite because it combines a dense chocolate sponge with a gooey marshmallow layer and a warm fudge frosting that sets into a crackly, ganache-like finish.
Since it went so fast, here is the full recipe scaled up for a standard 9×13 inch pan to ensure there’s enough for everyone next time.
Mississippi Mud Cake
The Base
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 1 bag (10 oz) miniature marshmallows
The Fudge Frosting
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 box (16 oz) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Optional: 1 cup chopped pecans (toasted)
Preparation
1
Bake the chocolate base
350°F for 30-35 mins
Whisk melted butter, sugar, and eggs. Fold in cocoa, flour, salt, and vanilla. Pour into a greased 9×13 pan and bake until a toothpick comes out mostly clean (don’t overbake!).
2
Add the marshmallow layer
Directly onto the hot cake
As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, pour the entire bag of marshmallows over the top. The residual heat will soften them into a gooey, spreadable layer.
3
Prepare the warm frosting
While cake is in the oven
Whisk melted butter, cocoa, and milk. Gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. It should be thin enough to pour but thick enough to coat a spoon.
4
The Final Pour
Seal in the moisture
Drizzle the warm frosting over the marshmallow layer while the cake is still warm. If using pecans, sprinkle them on top immediately before the frosting sets.
The Secret to the “Crackle”: Make sure your frosting is warm when you pour it over the marshmallows. As it cools, the sugar crystallizes slightly to create that thin, crispy top layer that contrasts with the gooey center.
