Hot Chocolate Layer Cake with Homemade Marshmallows

I made this for Christmas one year!  It was a masterpiece!   We all thought we died and went to heaven.

My brother-in-law, Martin said... "mmmm, the marshmallows taste like marshmallows and the chocolate taste like chocolate"  My kids got such at laugh out of that!

Hot Chocolate Layer Cake with Homemade Marshmallows

Serves 16

For the Cake:

6 oz (3/4 cup) unsalted butter; more for the pans

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour; more for the pans

3/4 cup canola oil

4 1/2 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

3 cups granulated sugar

3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder

3 large eggs at room temperature

3/4  cup buttermilk at room temperature

2 Tbs pure vanilla extract

2 1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp kosher salt

For the Frosting:

2 1/2 cups heavy cream

3 oz unsalted butter

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds scraped out

6 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

2 cups granulated sugar

6 oz (2 cups) natural unsweetened cocoa powder, more for decorating

1/2 cup Lyle's Golden Syrup

1/2 tsp kosher salt

For the Marshmallows: 

3  1/4-oz envelopes unflavored powdered gelatin

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup plus 2 Tbs confectioners' sugar; more as needed

Make the Cake

Position racks in the bottom and top thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Butter three 9x2 inch round cake pans and line each with a parchment round.  Butter the parchment, then dust with flour and knock out the excess.

In a 3-quart saucepan, combine the butter, oil, chopped chocolate, and 1 cup water.  Heat over medium heat until melted.

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, sugar and cocoa powder.  Pour the hot chocolate mixture into the sugar mixture and whisk until combined.

Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, then whisk in the buttermilk, vanilla, baking soda, and salt.  Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans.

Set two pans on the top rack and the third on the lower rack.  stagger the pans on the oven racks so that no pan is directly over another.  Bake, swapping and rotating the pans' positions after 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.  Cool on racks for 10 min.  Invert the cakes onto the racks, remove the parchment, and cool completely.

Make the Frosting

In a 4-quart saucepan over low heat, combine the cream, butter, and vanilla bean and seeds and stir until the butter is melted.  Remove the vanilla bean and whisk in the chopped chocolate until melted.  Whisk in the sugar, cocoa powder, syrup, and salt until smooth - be sure the cocoa powder dissolves completely.  Pour into a 9x13 inch pan and freeze until firm.  About 2 hours, or refrigerate overnight.

Make the Marshmallows

Pour 3/4 cup cold water into the bowl of a stand mixer.  Sprinkle the gelatin over the water.  Attach the bowl to the mixer and fit it with a whisk attachment.

Clip a candy thermometer to a 3-quart saucepan; don't let the tip of the thermometer touch the bottom of the pan.  In the saucepan, boil the sugar, corn syrup, salt, and 3/4 cup water over medium heat without, stirring until it reaches 234 degrees to 235 degrees, about 10 minutes.  With the mixer on low speed, pour the hot sugar mixture into the gelatin in a slow, thin stream.

Add the vanilla, carefully increase the speed to high, and beat until the mixture has thickened and cooled, about 5 minutes (the bottom of the bowl should be just warm to the touch). Line a 9x13 inch pan with foil, leaving an overhang on the 2 sides.  Sift 1 Tbs of the confectioners' sugar into the bottom of the pan, then pour the marshmallow mixture into the pan and sift another 1 Tbs confectioners' sugar on the top.  Let sit at room temperature until set, at least 2 hours.

Assemble the cake

Remove the frosting from the freezer or refrigerator. Transfer to the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes to soften.  Change to a whisk attachment and beat at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Put a cake layer on a flat serving platter or a cake stand lined with strips of waxed paper to keep it clean while icing.  Top the layer with 11/2 cups of the frosting, spreading evenly with an offset spatula to the cake's edge.  Repeat with another cake layer and 1 1/2 cups frosting.  Top with the last cake layer.

Put 1 1/2 cups of the frosting in a small bowl.  With an offset spatula, spread this frosting in a thin layer over the top and sides of the cake.  Refrigerate the cake until the frosting forms enough to seal in the crumbs, 20 to 30 min.

Spread the remaining frosting in a smooth layer over the top and sides of the cake.  If necessary, you can re whip the remaining frosting to loosen and lighten it.  Remove the waxed paper strips.

Use the foil

Make ahead: You can bake, cool, wrap, and store the cake layers at room temperature for up to 1 day or freeze for up to 1 month.  You can refrigerate the frosting for up to 3 days.  The assembled cake can be refrigerated for up to 4 hours (return to room temperature before serving).  Wrapped well, leftover marshmallows keep at room temperature for up to 1 month.  We used them in Hot Chocolate!!!