This Mississippi Mud Cake includes a homemade chocolate cake with melted marshmallows and warm chocolate frosting poured on top. Trust me, it’s as delicious as it sounds!

A slice of Mississippi Mud Cake on a white plate.

When I think of a chocolate lover’s dream, this is the cake that comes to mind! It’s called a “Mississippi Mud” cake because of the layers of soft marshmallow and chocolate that make up the topping and frosting. It’s one of the easiest cakes to make, baked in a simple 9×13” pan.

I adapted the recipe from my favorite Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Cake recipe but instead of buttermilk I used milk and sour cream for an extra moist and tender cake. The warm chocolate frosting is the same recipe I use for this popular Texas Sheet Cake. It’s SO GOOD!

How to Make Mississippi Mud Cake:

  • Combine dry ingredients: flour, sugars, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  • Add wet ingredients: Add oil, eggs, vanilla, milk and sour cream and mix until combined. Reduce speed and carefully pour in the boiling water. Beat on high speed for 1 minute to add air to the batter.
  • Bake: Pour batter into greased 9×13” pan and bake for 28-33 minutes.
  • Add marshmallows. Remove cake from oven and sprinkle marshmallows all over the top of the hot cake, completely covering it. Return to oven for 2-3 minutes until marshmallows are puffed up. Cool cake before frosting.
  • Make the Frosting: Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add milk and cocoa powder and whisk well. Cook for about 2-3 more minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and powdered sugar. Use an electric mixer to make the frosting smooth.
  • Drizzle frosting over cake.
Two process photos for adding marshmallows and warm chocolate frosting to a Mississippi Mud Cake baked in a 9x13 inch pan.

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions:

The cake can be made 1-2 days in advance, stored covered at room temperature or in the refrigerator. The baked and frosted cake can be frozen for up to 3 months.

A pan of Mississippi Mud Cake with a spatula lifting out the first piece of cake.

More Chocolate Cakes to love:

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Recipe

A slice of Mississippi Mud Cake on a plate.
Prep 15 minutes
Cook 45 minutes
Total 1 hour
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Ingredients
  

For topping:

  • 10.5 ounce package mini marshmallows
  • 1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
  • 6 Tablespoons milk
  • 3 heaping Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 3 cups powdered sugar

Instructions
 

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9×13” baking pan.
  • In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, sugars, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
  • Add oil, eggs, vanilla, milk and sour cream and mix until combined. Reduce speed and carefully pour in the boiling water. Beat on high speed for 1 minute to add air to the batter.
  • Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 28-33 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Remove cake from oven and sprinkle marshmallows all over the top of the hot cake, completely covering it. 
  • Return to oven (at 350 degrees F) for 2-3 minutes or until the marshmallows are just slightly puffed and melted. 
  • Allow cake to cool completely before drizzling frosting on top.

For the frosting:

  • Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. 
  • Add milk and cocoa powder and whisk well. Cook for about 2-3 more minutes, stirring constantly. 
  • Remove from heat and stir in vanilla and powdered sugar. Use an electric mixer to make the frosting smooth.
  • Drizzle warm frosting immediately over cake. Refrigerate cake for about 30 minutes or until frosting has set. Store at room temperature.

Notes

Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions: The cake can be made 1-2 days in advance, stored covered at room temperature or in the refrigerator. The baked and frosted cake can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 633kcalCarbohydrates: 104gProtein: 5gFat: 23gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 394mgPotassium: 224mgFiber: 2gSugar: 78gVitamin A: 300IUCalcium: 75mgIron: 2.1mg

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I originally shared this post September 2015. Updated February 2021.

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About The Author

Lauren Allen

Welcome! I’m Lauren, a mom of four and lover of good food. Here you’ll find easy recipes and weeknight meal ideas made with real ingredients, with step-by-step photos and videos.

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Comments

  1. 4 stars
    I made this recipe yesterday. The cooking time was not long enough and the cake filled the pan leaving little room for the marshmallows & icing. Also, my cake was MUCH, much fluffier than what your pictures show. Mississippi Mudcake should be denser. Should I leave out one of the eggs or use less boiling water?

  2. I used a 9” square cake tin. Took perhaps 45 minutes to bake as it was still runny at the specified time. I used 2/3 cup of boiling water.

    Be careful with the marshmallow part. I think 3 minutes is way too long as I ended up with a pool of melted marshmallows. Next time I’d put in the oven for seconds, or even not at all. They seemed to melt fine on top of the warm cake without the oven.

    So far so good. Waiting for the cake to cool. The cake cooked though and looks great. Thanks! Will try baking it again.

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