Rocky Road Chocolate Mallows Cake is one of my favorite cakes from Red Ribbon. This is made with layers of rich chocolate cake, filled with toasted crunchy cashews, soft mini marshmallows, and light chocolate cream – oh my gosh, I think I died there – I went to heaven.
For this recipe, you can also use my Perfect Chocolate Cake.
This recipe has been requested by a lot of you, so I hope you like this post. Disclaimer, this it not the original recipe from Red Ribbon. It just tastes like the original cake.
I would’ve never thought that one day I could make one of my most favourite cakes from Red Ribbon in the Philippines. We always buy this when there’s a special occasion, whether it’s someone’s birthday, anniversary or Christmas. The combination of all the ingredients in it, especially the marshmallows and the toasted walnuts are just perfect.
By the way, don’t attempt to make this cake if you are not decided to toast the cashews. It makes a lot of difference. FYI.
You may also like my other cake creations: Mango Bravo, Ube Cake, and Salted Caramel Popcorn Cake.
Why do I need to put Coffee in Chocolate Cake?
Coffee actually boosts and amplifies the chocolate flavor in cakes and cupcakes. Adding a little bit coffee to your cakes makes them taste more “chocolatey” but will not give you coffee flavor. You won’t taste the coffee, I promise. Adding a lot of coffee to a chocolate cake will create mocha cake. For this recipe, if you would like to omit the coffee, just make sure to replace the coffee to warm water or milk. It works well too, but not as the best as if there’s coffee in it, in my opinion.
If you prefer Keto or Low Carb cake recipes, please try my Keto Chocolate Cake.
How to Make Rocky Road Chocolate Mallows Cake?
Let’s Make the Chocolate Cake Layers
To start, you need to make the chocolate cake layers by adding the dry ingredients into a large mixing bowl. Beat the eggs until it thicken and turns yellow in color. Slowly add the wet ingredients. Mix until well combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until well incorporated. Bake the cake into a preheated oven at 350F (175C) for 45 minutes.
Now, Let’s Make the Filling
While the cakes are cooling, toast the cashews on a skillet over low-medium heat. Chop them roughly into small pieces and divide them into 2 bowls equally. Cool to room temperature. Then make the chocolate frosting by mixing very cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, cocoa powder and vanilla extract. Mix with whisk attachment until stiff peaks form. Now add in the mini marshmallows and half of the toasted chopped cashews. Gently fold the mixture in until combined.
Let’s Make the Outer Layer Cream
In stand mixer bowl, add in very cold heavy cream, mix on medium-high speed until it is slightly thickened. Then carefully add in powdered sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla extract. Continue beating until it is all mixed up. Stop the beater and scrape the sides when needed. Continue beating until stiff peaks form. Store this in the fridge until you need it.
Time to Frost this Cake.
Make 4 cake layers and arrange the cake by placing the 1st layer onto a cake board over the turntable. Then scoop in 1/3 of the chocolate marshmallow frosting. Spread evenly. Do the same steps to your 2nd and 3rd layer. Once you’ve done that, place the 4th later and start crumb coating the cake with the white cream frosting. Put the cake in the fridge for 20 minutes to set, and the remaining white cream frosting as well. Apply the final later of the white cream frosting on the side and top surface of the cake. Smoothen the cake with a cake smoother. Then again, put it back in the fridge to set for 20 minutes, and the unused white cream frosting as well.
Chocolate Ganache, Baby!
In a microwave-safe bowl, add heavy cream. Microwave for 30-40 seconds. Add dark chocolate chips or chunks, whisk together to melt the chocolate and until it is smooth and uniform. Let the chocolate ganache cool down to room temperature for 5-10 minutes.
Let’s Assemble this Rocky Road Chocolate Mallows Cake
Take the cake out of the fridge. Take the spatula and dip into the lukewarm chocolate ganache, then make strokes of chocolate into the white cream frosting to create a brush-like pattern. Starting at the bottom of the cake, with an upward diagonal stroke. Dip back the spatula into the chocolate between each stroke. Do this around the entire cake. Take the remaining toasted chopped cashews and mix with mini marshmallows. Spoon the mixture in a circle, in the middle of the cake, leaving 1 inch of space from the edge. With your piping bag, put in the cold white cream frosting with #2A tip. Make blobs on top of the cake. With another piping bag, put in the chocolate ganache with #2 tip and make swirls around the blobs.
Let the cake finish resting in the fridge overnight for the layers to set in completely. And there you have it… My own version of Red Ribbon’s Rocky Road Chocolate Mallows Cake.
If you don’t like chocolate, you may want to try my Ube Custard (Leche Flan) Cake.
Rocky Road Chocolate Mallows Cake ala Red Ribbon
Layers of rich chocolate cake with toasted chopped cashews and soft mini marshmallows chocolate filling, covered with light cream frosting and sprialed with chocolate ganache.
- cake pans
- stand mixer
Chocolate Cake Layers
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cups cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
Chocolate Filling
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1½ cups mini marshmallows
- ½ cup toasted cashews
White Cream Frosting
- 3 cups heavy cream
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips (melts)
- ¼ cup heavy cream
Toppings
- ½ cup mini marshmallows
- ½ cup toasted cashews
Chocolate Cake Layers
To start, we are going to make the chocolate cake layers. Preheat the oven to 350F (175C). Put the rack in the middle of the oven. Now, you are going to get 2 8 inch round pans and line them with parchment paper. Do not grease the paper or the sides of the pans.
Now, take a large mixing bowl and a sieve. Add the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, salt. Sift these dry ingredients together.
Then in your stand mixer bowl, add in eggs and beat them using the paddle attachment for about 5 minutes or until thickened and turns lemon yellow in color. While continuing to beat, slowly add vegetable oil, buttermilk, coffee, and vanilla extract. Mix this until all the wet ingredients are well combined.
Turn down the speed to medium-low and slowly add in the dry ingredients using a spoon. When all the dry ingredients have been added, turn the speed back up to medium and continue beating for another 1 minute.
Then divide the batter evenly between the 2 prepared cake pans. Bake these in a preheated oven at 350F (175C), in the middle rack for 45 minutes.
Take the toothpick test, insert a toothpick in the center of the cake, if it comes out clean, and springs back when gently pressed with a finger, then our cake is done.
Let the cakes cool down in the pans for 5 minutes, then carefully run a knife around the sides of the cake and invert them onto cooling racks. The pans should slip off easily. Peel off the parchment paper, and let the cake cool to room temperature.
Chocolate Filling
While the cakes are cooling, take a skillet or frying pan and put it on the stove. Add cashews and toast them over low-medium heat. Tossing the cashews occasionally until they are light brown and fragrant. Toss them on to chopping board and chop them roughly into small pieces. Divide the toasted cashews equally into 2 bowls and let them cool to room temperature.
Take the bowl of your stand mixer and whisk attachment, and put them in the freezer for 20 minutes before using them. Then in your cold mixing bowl, add very cold heavy cream, with the cold whisk attachment mix on medium-high speed until it slightly thickened. Then carefully add powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract. Continue beating it to mix it up, stop the mixer and scrape the sides when needed. Continue beating it until stiff peaks form.
Detach the bowl from the stand mixer and transfer the whipped cream into another large mixing bowl, just to free the stand mixer bowl. Now add in the mini marshmallows and half of the toasted chopped cashews. Gently fold the mixture in until it is well combined. Store this chocolate filling in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
White Cream Frosting
Take the stand mixer bowl and whisk attachment and leave them in the freezer for 20 minutes before using them.
Then into the cold bowl, add in very cold heavy cream, attache the cold whisk and mix on medium-high speed until it is slightly thickened.
Then carefully add in powdered sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla extract. Continue beating until it is all mixed up. Stop the beater and scrape the sides when needed. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.
Store this in the fridge until you need it.
Frost the Cake
Get your serrated knife and cut the cakes into half cross-sectionally to make 4 cake layers. Then take a cake board larger than 8-inch in diameter and place it on a revolving cake stand or turntable.
Place the first layer of cake in the center of the cake board, spread 1/3 of chocolate marshmallow filling on top and make it as flat and even as possible. Do this step until you have three layers of cake and filling on top.
Then place the 4th layer of the cake, flat side up.
Let's crumb-coat the cake. Get the white cream frosting from the fridge and cover the side of the cake with a thin layer of it. Do the same thing on the top of the cake. Use a cake smoother, to smoothen out the icing on top and the side of the cake while revolving the cake stand or turntable.
Then place the cake in the fridge for 20 minutes for the crumb coat to firm up a bit. Put the unused white cream frosting in the fridge as well while waiting.
Apply the final layer of the white cream frosting on the side of the cake as well as the top. And again, use the cake smoother to smoothen out the surfaces while revolving the cake stand. Removing any excess icing. The surface of the cake doesn't have to be perfectly smooth.
If you are happy with how your cake looks, clean the base of the cake board.
After this, place the cake in the fridge again for 20 minutes to firm it up, and the remaining unused white cream frosting.
Chocolate Ganache
In a microwave-safe bowl, add heavy cream. Microwave for 30-40 seconds. Add dark chocolate chips or chunks, whisk together to melt the chocolate and until it is smooth and uniform. Let the chocolate ganache cool down to room temperature for 5-10 minutes.
Assemble the Cake
Take the cake out of the fridge. Take the spatula and dip into the lukewarm chocolate ganache, then make strokes of chocolate into the white cream frosting to create a brush-like pattern. Starting at the bottom of the cake, with an upward diagonal stroke. Dip back the spatula into the chocolate between each stroke. Do this around the entire cake. I made 2 levels of stokes on the side of the cake and made the same brush-like pattern strokes on the top surface.
When you're happy, take the remaining toasted chopped cashews, mix with mini marshmallows, and spoon this mixture in a circle, in the middle of the cake, leaving 1 inch of space from the edge.
Put the remaining cold white cream frosting in a piping bag with a large round tip. I'm using a #2A. Pipe bib blobs of white cream frosting on top of the cake. You can make 8-12 blobs around the perimeter of the cake, depending on how big your blobs are. I'm just squeezing while creating a spiral pattern, lifting at the end creating a pointy tip.
Finally, attach small round tip #2 to another piping bag, and fill it with the remaining chocolate ganache. Outline each of the white blobs, with spiral, swirly chocolate.
Let the cake finish resting in the fridge overnight for the layers to set in completely.
- Toast the cashews. It makes a lot of difference.
- Add coffee to your chocolate cake to kick out the chocolatey flavor.
- Always use unused chocolate frosting and white cream frosting.
- Let the cake rest completely in the fridge. Remember that this recipe uses heavy cream. It is important to put them in the fridge or the cream will collapse.
- Cool the cake completely overnight before serving.
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