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Hot Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Buttercream

This little hot chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream is designed to look just like a cup of hot cocoa. Made with rich chocolate cake, chocolate buttercream and topped with lots of marshmallows for a signature look. 
Author Elizabeth Van Lierde

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake:

  • 2 cups white sugar
  • 1 ¾ cup all purpose flour
  • ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 whole eggs at room temp
  • 1 cup milk
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Hot Chocolate Buttercream:

  • 1½ cup 3 Sticks unsalted butter, at room temp
  • ⅔ cup ghirardelli Dark Chocolate or Milk Chocolate Hot Cocoa Mix
  • ¼ cup cocoa powder
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • 5-6 cups powdered sugar

For cake topping: 

  • Marshmallows small and large 

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour three 6-inch cake tins and set aside.
  • In a large bowl fitted with a stand of hand mixer, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt until combined. 
  • Add in the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla extract. Beat on medium for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the hot coffee last with a wooden spoon of spatula. Mixture will be very thin. 
  • Pour batter evenly into cake tins and bake for 25-30 inutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 
  • Cool cake tins for 20 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling. 
  • In a large bowl beat butter for buttercream on medium high for 2-3 minutes or until butter is light and fluffy. 
  • Add in hot cocoa mix, cocoa powder, salt and vanilla until combined. 
  • Slowly add in 2-3 increments of powdered sugar and heavy cream, mixing after each addition. Beat until all ingredients are incorporated and buttercream is light and fluffy. 
  • Trim cake tops for a flat surface and begin to frost each layers and around the cake. 
  • Spoon a few tablespoons of icing on top of the cake to cream dimension for the marshmallows to 'sit' on creating the mug of a hot cocoa effect.