Description
A decadent, made-from-scratch Mississippi mud cake featuring a rich, fudgy chocolate base layered with gooey mini marshmallows and crunchy pecans, then smothered in a silky chocolate icing. This is classic Southern comfort no box mix needed.
Ingredients
Cake Batter
2¼ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
¾ cup (60 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
1 cup (240 ml) vegetable oil
¾ cup (180 ml) whole milk
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 (10 oz / 283 g) bag mini marshmallows
1 cup (113 g) chopped pecans
Icing
½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter
3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
5 Tbsp whole milk
3 cups (360 g) confectioners’ sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat & Prep
Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and line a 9×13″ pan with parchment paper.
Mix Dry Ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Combine Wet Ingredients
Whisk in sugar, oil, milk, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
Bake the Cake
Pour batter into pan and bake for 25–30 minutes, or until a toothpick shows moist crumbs. Do not overbake.
Add Marshmallows & Pecans
Immediately sprinkle marshmallows and pecans over the hot cake. Return to oven for 2–3 minutes, until marshmallows puff but don’t brown.
Make the Icing
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Whisk in cocoa and milk until smooth. Remove from heat, then whisk in confectioners’ sugar and vanilla until glossy and pourable.
Finish & Serve
Pour icing over marshmallow-pecan layer while warm. Allow to cool before slicing.
Notes
Deepen the Flavor: Substitute half the milk with brewed coffee for richer chocolate notes.
Texture Alert: Cool fully so icing sets atop marshmallows still soft, not melted into them.
Storage Tip: Cover and store at room temperature up to 4 days. Freeze individual slices for longer keeping.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 30 min bake + 5 min icing & setting
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Southern American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 140 g
- Calories: 372
- Sugar: 33
- Sodium: 138
- Fat: 19
- Saturated Fat: 6
- Carbohydrates: 49
- Fiber: 2
- Protein: 4
- Cholesterol: 41
Keywords: homemade Mississippi mud cake, chocolate cake, marshmallow pecan cake, scratch baking