Hot Cocoa Cake With Whipped Marshmallow Food

HOT COCOA MUG CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray four 6-inch cake pans with cooking spray.
• Prepare the cake mix according to the package directions. Divide the batter among the prepared pans and bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Cool on a rack 10 minutes, then unmold and cool completely.
• For the buttercream frosting: Beat the sugar, butter and salt with an electric mixer on medium speed in a large bowl until incorporated. Add the vanilla, increase the speed to medium high and mix until smooth. Mix in enough milk to make it spreadable. Reserve 1/2 cup frosting in a piping bag fitted with a round tip. Mix food coloring into the remaining frosting to desired color.
• For the decorations: Cut off the domed tops of the cake rounds with a serrated knife so they are completely flat (save the trimmings for another use). Using a paring knife or 5-inch round cutter, cut a 5-inch circle from the center of one cake round, making sure to keep the outer ring intact (this will be the rim of the mug). Trim the cutout circle to a thickness of 1 inch, then use a paring knife to cut out a handle that is about 4 inches long and 2 inches wide. While you assemble the cake, freeze the handle on a small plate until very firm (this will make it easier to frost).
• Place a cake round cut-side up on a cake stand or serving platter. Spread with a thin layer of frosting almost to the edge. Top with another cake round and spread with a thin layer of frosting. Repeat with a third round. Top with the cake ring. Frost the entire cake with a thin layer of frosting to make a crumb coat (you don't need to frost the inside of the ring). Spread a thin layer of frosting on the handle. Freeze the cake and handle until the frosting is set and the handle is firm, about 30 minutes.
• Frost the cake--excluding the center cutout on the top--with more frosting. Smooth the sides and rim with an offset spatula. Frost the handle.
• Hold the handle gently against the cake and insert two to four 4-inch skewers to attach it. Smooth over any smudges in the frosting on the handle. Pipe a stripe of the reserved white frosting around the top and bottom of the mug (or wrap with strips of sour candy rope).
• When ready to serve, fill the cavity at the top of the cake with the pudding and spread flat to the rim with an offset spatula. Just before serving, top with whipped cream, leaving a rim of pudding showing.

TOASTED MARSHMALLOW-HOT COCOA BROWNIE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottom of 9-inch round cake pan with cooking or baking spray. Line bottom of pan with cooking parchment paper, then spray parchment.
• In large bowl, beat brownie mix, oil, milk and eggs with whisk until well combined. Stir in 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips. Pour batter into pan.
• Bake 38 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on cooling rack, then run knife around edge of cake, and carefully remove from pan (discard parchment). Transfer cake to parchment paper-lined cookie sheet.
• Make Ganache: In 1-quart saucepan, heat cream just to boiling over medium-high heat. Remove from heat; add remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips, but do not stir. Let stand 5 minutes, then stir until smooth. Refrigerate about 10 minutes or until slightly thickened. Carefully spread over top of cooled cake. Refrigerate another 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make Frosting: Place egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in heatproof bowl of a stand mixer, then set bowl over saucepan of simmering water. Beat constantly with whisk about 5 minutes or until sugar is dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch. Remove from heat; transfer bowl to stand mixer. Using whisk attachment, begin to beat mixture on low speed. Gradually increase to high speed. Beat 5 to 7 minutes or until stiff peaks form. Stir in vanilla.
• Spread frosting over top of cake, then refrigerate another 20 minutes. Set oven control to broil. Place cake on cookie sheet under broiler 4 to 6 inches from heat about 30 seconds or until top is lightly browned (alternatively, you can use a kitchen torch). Cool completely; sprinkle with cocoa just before serving.

HOT COCOA CAKE WITH WHIPPED MARSHMALLOW

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray three 8-inch round baking pans with nonstick baking spray - make sure it's the kind that has the flour in the spray!
• In a bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, powder and salt.
• In the bowl of your electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the buttermilk, oil and eggs on medium speed until combined. Beat in the vanilla extract. With the mixer still on medium speed, beat in the dry ingredients until they are just combined, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl if needed. Beat in the coffee until combined.
• Divide and pour the batter into the prepared cake pans. Bake the cakes for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool for about 30 minutes in the pan, then carefully invert onto parchment paper to let them cool completely.
• I actually like to do this part ahead of time. Once cool, I wrap the cake layers in plastic wrap and stick them in the freezer, if only for 30 minutes. This helps the frosting go on nicely!
• When you're ready to frost, add a dollop of frosting on top of two cakes and layer the cakes together. Add the remaining frosting and cover the cake.
• Pipe the whipped marshmallow on top of the cake. Sprinkle with cocoa powder. Slice and serve when you're ready!
• We love to keep this cake in the fridge (Eddie loves cold cake!) and I would recommend that since it has the cream cheese frosting. Bring it out 30 to 60 minutes before serving so it can come to room temperature.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add in vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time and add cocoa powder, increasing the speed to mix. Add in melted chocolate. If the frosting it a bit too thick, add milk 1 teaspoon at a time until desired consistency is reached. If it is too thin, add additional sugar gradually.
• To make the frosting, combine the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in a heat-proof bowl, preferably the bowl of your electric stand mixer. Place over top of a double-boiler that contains simmering water, and whisk constantly for 3-4 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and the egg whites are slightly warm. Immediately remove the bowl and place it on your stand mixer with the whisk attachment, beating slow at first and gradually increasing the speed to high.
• Beat for 6-7 minutes until glossy and thick, then beat in vanilla extract for another minute until combined.
• Fill a piping bag with the marshmallow and pipe puffs on top of the chocolate cake. Sprinkle with cocoa powder!
• Note: the marshmallow can be done ahead of time and holds up nicely in the fridge. If you have more than 24 hours though, I would wait as long as you can to add the marshmallow!

HOT CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH MARSHMALLOWS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375°F.
• Butter, flour and sugar eight 6-ounce coffee cups or mugs made of ovenproof stoneware.
• Wipe the rims clean.
• Place the 8 tablespoons of butter and the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of simmering water (or in a double boiler) and melt.
• Stir occasionally until combined and smooth.
• Remove from heat and let cool 5 minutes.
• Beat eggs, yolk, vanilla, salt, and 1/2 cup sugar at the highest speed until the volume doubles and the mixture becomes foamy, about 5 minutes.
• Stir the 3 tablespoons of flour into the chocolate.
• Gradually add it to the egg mixture, beating on low until it is fully combined.
• Spoon the batter into each cup until it is about 3/4 inch from the rim.
• Bake until the cakes puff and begin to crack, but the centers are still a bit runny, about 13 to 17 minutes.
• Remove from the oven.
• Sprinkle with marshmallows, return to oven for 2 to 4 minutes, until the marshmallows begin to crisp.
• Remove from oven.
• Allow to cool about 5 minutes.
• Sift cocoa on top.

WILBUR COCOA MARSHMALLOW CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Put the Wilbur cocoa and sugar into bowl.
• Add the water and mix until the sugar is dissolved.
• Separate the eggs and beat the yolks until light.
• Add to the Wilbur cocoa, sugar and water.
• Sift the flour and baking powder and salt into mixture.
• Beat the whites of eggs until dry and add lightly to the mixture.
• Line two jelly tins with paper, pour in the mixture and bake 20 minutes.
• Remove the paper and spread marshmallow whip onto a layer of cake.
• Put cake layers together.