Rocky Road Cake

4.92 from 23 ratings

If you love rocky road ice cream, this is the cake for you! It incorporates all the chocolate, marshmallow, and nutty goodness into a layer cake!!

Prep Time30

Cook Time35

Additional Time45

Total Time1 50

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: American

Servings: 24

Calories: 689kcal

Author: Chelsey White

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake Ingredients

2 1/2 cups granulated sugar 500g
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 226g or 2 sticks
4 large eggs, room temperature 224g
1 1/2 tsp baking powder 6g
1 tsp baking soda 6g
1 tsp fine salt 6g
1 cup water, warm 240g
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature 240g
1 cup black cocoa powder 100g
3 cups all-purpose flour 375g

Chocolate Drip

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips 90g
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature 80g

Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting

2 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature 565g
1 Tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 12g
1/2 tsp fine salt 3g
8 cups powdered sugar 1000g
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature 120g
3/4 cup marshmallow fluff 75g

Rocky Road Ice Cream Scoops

2 cups marshmallow buttercream recipe above
1 cup milk chocolate, melted and cooled 175g
1 cup mini marshmallows
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
maraschino cherries garnish

Instructions

Chocolate Cake Layers

Begin by preheating the oven to 350 F / 175 C. Line four 7- or three 8-inch pans with parchment rounds and spray with non-stick baking spray.
Add 2 1/2 cups sugar and 1 cup butter into the bowl of a stand mixer. Cream together on a high speed for 2 minutes with a whisk attachment or hand mixer. The mixture should become lighter in color.
Mix in 4 large eggs on a medium speed, two at a time.
Add 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, and 1 tsp salt. Mix on medium-high for another minute.
In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 cup of hot water, 1 cup of buttermilk, and 1 cup of black cocoa. Whisk until no clumps remain.
Next, add 2 cups of flour into the butter/egg mixture. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula, to ensure the flour is fully incorporated.
Pour the buttermilk/cocoa mixture and gently mix to incorporate the liquid (if you don't, you'll end up splattering the cocoa mixture all over your kitchen!).
Add in the last cup of flour and mix on low until the flour is incorporated.
Evenly divide the batter between the prepared pans. I like to use a kitchen scale to ensure each pan has exactly the same amount of batter.
Bake for 32-35 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Let the layers cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then run an offset spatula around the edge of the pans to help separate the layers from the pans.
Place the pans in the freezer for about 45 minutes to accelerate the cooling process. Once the layers are fully cooled, carefully flip the pans, and remove the layers from the pans.
Use a serrated knife to level the tops of the layers, then set aside.

Chocolate Ganache Drip

Place 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl and set aside.
Heat 1/3 cup of heavy cream in a heatproof bowl in the microwave for 45 seconds to 1 minute, until gently bubbling.
If you don’t have a microwave or prefer to use the stove top, you can heat the cream over a medium heat in a pan until it begins to simmer. Remove from heat.
Gently pour the heavy cream over the chocolate chips, making sure they are covered with cream. Let the mixture sit for 1-2 minutes.
Stir slowly until the cream and chocolate are fully combined, and the ganache is silky smooth. Pour into a plastic squirt bottle to easily add drips to a cake. If you don’t have any plastic bottles on hand, you can also use a spoon to drizzle it over cakes.
Set aside to cool for about 10 minutes or place in the fridge for about 5 minutes until the mixture is just slightly warm to the touch.
Before adding around the entire cake, complete a test drip on the cake once it is frosted and chilled to check the consistency. If the test drip seems too thick, try heating up the ganache for 5-10 additional seconds in the microwave. If the mixture seems too thin, allow it to cool a bit longer, then try another test drip.

Marshmallow Buttercream Frosting

While the cake layers bake and cool, make the marshmallow buttercream frosting.
Beat 2 1/2 cups of butter on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment until smooth.
Add in 1 Tbsp vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp salt. Mix on a low speed until combined.
Gradually mix in 8 cups of powdered sugar and 1/2 cup of heavy cream on a low speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure everything is properly mixed together.
Once the powdered sugar is fully incorporated, mix in 3/4 cup of marshmallow fluff.
Beat on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached.
If the frosting seems too thick, add an extra Tbsp of heavy cream. If it's too thin, mix in another 1/4 cup of powdered sugar.
Stir by hand with a rubber spatula for a couple minutes to get the frosting SUPER smooth. Set aside.

Rocky Road Buttercream Scoops

Once the marshmallow buttercream is made, place 2 cups of marshmallow frosting into a separate bowl.
Mix in 1 cup of melted and cooled milk chocolate and stir until combined.
Fold in 1 cup of mini marshmallows and 1/2 cup chopped nuts.
Use a cookie scoop to make mock ice cream scoops. Scoop them onto a parchment lined baking sheet and place in the freezer until they're firm to the touch.

Rocky Road Cake Assembly

Stack and frost cake layers on a greaseproof cake board using a dab of frosting to help stick the first cake layer to the board.
Add an even layer of marshmallow buttercream between each cake layer.
Top with a drizzle of chocolate ganache, mini marshmallows, and chopped walnuts.
Repeat with remaining cake layers.
Add a thin coat of frosting around the cake to fully cover the cake layers. Smooth using a bench scraper, then chill the cake in the fridge (10 minutes) or freezer (5 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.
Add a second, thicker layer of frosting to the cake and smooth using a bench scraper.
Add chopped walnuts around the base of the cake, then chill the cake until the frosting is firm to the touch.
Then add a chocolate drip to the sides of the cake and top the cake with mock rocky road ice cream scoops. Top the scoops with more ganache, nuts, and maraschino cherries. Then enjoy!

Video

Notes

Tips for Making the Best Rocky Road Cake

Properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level). Or better yet, use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
Mix your cake batter just until the ingredients are incorporated after adding in the flour. This ensures your cake layers are tender and fluffy.
Use a scale to weigh your cake pans as you fill them. This will make your cake layers bake to the same height and bake more evenly.
Level your room temperature or thawed cake layers with a serrated knife to make them easier to stack.
Chill the leveled cake layers in the freezer for about 20 minutes before assembling the cake. It makes it so much easier to frost them!

Making This Rocky Road Cake in Advance and Storage Tips

Make your cake layers in advance and freeze them. It breaks the process up and makes it more approachable.

Make your frosting ahead of time too or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.

A frosted cake can last in the fridge for up to a week.

Nutrition