Mississippi Mud Cake With Video

This is a no-fuss, no mixer required, simple recipe that you’re going to love, and of course I have a how-to video!

I’m sharing today’s recipe by popular request, but honestly it almost feels like a cheat. Mississippi Mud Cake is actually extremely similar to Texas sheet cake, and sometimes they even go by the same name. After some digging, I found that the difference between the two (beyond the geographical location of the states they’re named for) comes down to this: One has marshmallows (👆🏻). The other does not. And… that’s it. Even though I hesitated to share initially, after transforming my Texas sheet cake into its Eastern sister more than once for myself, I decided it was worth sharing in its own post. To make this recipe, I used the same chocolate sheet cake (soft, moist, chocolatey and fudgy, no alterations were needed), scattered a generous number of marshmallows overtop, and doubled the chocolate frosting to better accommodate all the bumps and grooves from the marshmallows. The results were incredible, decadent, and since I’ve received so many requests, worth sharing in their own post (plus, videoing and photographing the cake made for a great excuse to make it two more times!).

Why Is It Called Mississippi Mud Cake?

The surface is said to resemble the dark, mucky banks of the Mississippi river.

How to Make Mississippi Mud Cake

The true beauty of this cake is how easy it is to make. There’s no mixer needed and much of the work is done on the stovetop. This is just an overview of the process, for the full step-by-step instructions please scroll down to the recipe card. The hardest part is waiting for the icing to harden before you can dig in!

Tips:

Add pecans! Some Mississippi Mud Cakes incorporate pecans (which makes the whole thing a lot like a rocky road cake). Substitute a cup of the marshmallows for a heaping cup or so of coarsely chopped pecans, or just sprinkle pecans over the top. When adding the mini marshmallows to the top of the cake, very gently press them against the surface to encourage them to stick. The frosting will hold them on, but gently pressing helps (don’t smash your cake, though!). Measure your powdered sugar (for the frosting) the same way you would measure flour (or better yet use a scale like this one!). Don’t pack it into the cup or your frosting will be too thick. Begin preparing the frosting while the cake is still cooking, ideally you’d time it so the frosting is finished within 5 minutes of the cake coming out of the oven and pour it over the cake while both are still warm.

Storing

I always leave my mud cake in the jelly roll pan that I baked it in, as transferring it would be difficult and the cake would most likely fall apart (unless you cut it and move it piece by pice). To store, cover with plastic wrap and keep at room temperature for up to 4-5 days. The cake may be refrigerated if you prefer it cold, and would keep up to a week in the fridge. Personally I think it’s best at room temperature.