In a lot of ways, this cake is an homage to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Specifically, the chocolate bar that Charlie found the golden ticket in, which was a “Whipple-Scrumptious Fudgemallow Delight”. Now, I have never eaten a Wonka bar in my life. I always wanted to, and that actually may be a future project of mine now that I am writing this out loud, but I feel like any kid watching that movie or reading the book would want to try one. I was actually commissioned to make this cake by a longtime client of mine who has been ordering cakes from me since 2019, and she specifically wanted a chocolate cake with chocolate ganache. She left the rest of the cake components up to me, and after getting the green light from her to include marshmallow-y components in it, that’s where this cake came about! I love the combination of chocolate and marshmallow. S’mores, choco-pies, those pinwheel cookies, all things that introduced me to the fun contrast that is bitter chocolate with toasty, caramelized, sugary marshmallows. I felt like from a visual standpoint, having toasted marshmallows on top of the cake would look gorgeous, and would add a nice color contrast. And since this was for a long-term client, I made a point to make the marshmallows from scratch as well! While I only tasted components of the cake putting it together, she did give me really positive feedback on the cake itself, so rest-assured, it is the perfect cake for any chocolate-marshmallow lovers out there!

For the components, we have an Ovaltine chocolate cake, whipped chocolate ganache, cocoa soak, Swiss meringue buttercream, and toasted marshmallows. If you want to use premade marshmallows to save time, you totally can, and this recipe’s difficulty goes from a 7/10 to a 5/10, but I prefer homemade marshmallows because they have this springiness that the storebought ones lack. That and I prefer a square-shaped marshmallow. It looks more elegant, especially after being hit with a blowtorch. The marshmallows require time in the freezer for them to set up, and it is a potentially messy process, since they are super sticky. Using a stand mixer to whip the marshmallows makes for an even easier time, so keep that in mind as you approach this recipe. The cake itself is my signature chocolate cake batter, which comes together really easily. It’s hard for me to believe that I have been using that cake recipe now for the past 14 years, but time flies when you’re having fun! The ganache buttercream comes together with a little patience, since you are first melting, then chilling, and finally, whipping the chocolate into a soft, mousse-like texture. The other buttercream, the Swiss meringue, that is probably the most technical. You have to take egg whites, whisk them with sugar over a double boiler to pasteurize them(aka remove any risk of salmonella by cooking the egg whites to 140 degrees F) and dissolve the sugar granules, then whip that into a Swiss meringue. The meringue is then mixed with softened butter until everything emulsifies into a buttercream. The challenges here include getting the egg whites to the right temperature, whipping up the meringue, and making sure that the butter and egg whites whip together long enough to form a smooth buttercream. The thing about meringue buttercreams is that when you mix butter into the meringue, the mixture initially will split and look kind of like congealed baby vomit. But as you whip the deflated meringue and the butter chunks together, they will gradually meld together into a smooth, silky buttercream that tastes like ice cream! I would say that the marshmallows, followed by the meringue buttercream, are the two hardest parts of this recipe, but if you own either a stand mixer or an electronic hand mixer, this recipe becomes dramatically easier!

For the homemade marshmallows:
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp gelatin powder + 2 tbsp cold water
a pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a pot, heat up water and sugar, bringing that up to a boil. In a bowl, mix together the gelatin, cold water, salt, and vanilla. Once the sugar is dissolved, pour the syrup over the gelatin, whisking everything continuously until it becomes glossy, white, and triples in volume. It should be meringue-like in appearance.

For the chocolate cake:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups water
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 tbsp Ovaltine powder
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cups canola oil
a pinch of salt
3 tbsp cider or black vinegar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a large bowl, combine all of your ingredients together, whisking them until a lump-free batter forms. Pour your batter into a lined quarter sheet tray and spread it into an even layer. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Allow the cake to fully cool before cutting out 2 6-inch rounds, and forming a third using the scraps. Freeze the layers for at least 30 minutes, just for easier assembly.

For the chocolate soak:
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp cocoa powder
a pinch of salt

Mix everything together until combined. Keep refrigerated until time to use.

For the ganache:
4oz heavy cream
1oz unsalted butter
a pinch of salt
6oz dark chocolate

In a pot, heat up your cream, butter, and salt until it comes to a boil, and the butter fully melts into the cream. Place your dark chocolate into a heatproof bowl and pour the boiling cream over that. Let the cream and chocolate sit for 1 minute before stirring until combined. Refrigerate the ganache for 30 minutes, then whip it with a whisk until it is airy and easily spreadable.

For the Swiss meringue buttercream:
2 egg whites
1/4 cup granulated sugar
a pinch of salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
1 tsp vanilla extract

Over a double boiler, whisk your egg whites, sugar, and salt in a heat proof bowl until the egg whites are frothy and the sugar granules are fully dissolved. Transfer the bowl off heat and into a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Beat the egg whites until they triple in volume and form a stiff peak meringue. To that, whisk in the butter, cubed and at room temperature, and the vanilla, continually whisking everything until it comes together into a smooth, creamy consistency.

To assemble:
Line a 6-inch ring mold with acetate and place that onto a lined sheet tray that can fit into your freezer. Using either a blowtorch or a gas stove burner and a skewer, carefully torch the exterior of your marshmallows. In the ring mold, start with the scrap layer of cake, and 1/3 of the soak. Spread on 1/4 of the whipped ganache, and then add in 1/3 of the marshmallows. Spread over that 1/3 of the Swiss meringue buttercream. Repeat these steps for the next layer. Then place on the last round of cake, the remainder of the soak, and start by rippling half of your remaining ganache with the remaining Swiss meringue buttercream. Then assemble a border around the top of the cake, alternating between piping the whipped ganache, and the remaining torched marshmallows. Freeze the cake for at least 4 hours before attempting to unmold.