When I was creating my S’mores Cake Recipe, I thought it would be amazing to pipe some pretty marshmallow fluff on top and toast it. The problem was, the jar of Kraft Marshmallow Creme I started with in recipe testing was not pipeable and quickly lost its shape, melting into pools of goo all over the cake. It was a happy accident though, because instead I concocted a homemade version that is pipeable, holds its shape perfectly, and looks amazing when toasted! And this homemade Marshmallow Meringue is so tasty, you’ll forget all about that store bought stuff. 

You can totally frost an entire cake with this Marshmallow Meringue, but my favorite way to use it is for piping pretty accents and toasting them with my kitchen torch. The toasted portions of my S’mores Cake Recipe, S’mores Cupcake Recipe, and Banana Nutella Cake all feature this recipe. You don’t have to stop at accents though – this Marshmallow Meringue is super light and fluffy, making it perfect as a filling or frosting for cakes and cupcakes. Feel free to get creative! 

There are only four ingredients in this recipe, but they’re all super important. When whipped, the egg whites give structure, the sugar helps bind it all together and sweeten it, the vanilla is responsible for making it taste like marshmallowy goodness, and the cream of tartar helps it hold its shape. Don’t skip the cream of tartar! I know it might be tempting, but it’s truly a must. 

This Marshmallow Meringue can be made ahead, but if you want the best consistency for piping and frosting, I recommend using it immediately. That means if you want to use it with any piping tips or frost a cake with pretty peaks, you’ll want to whip it up as a last step in your decorating process vs. a make-ahead recipe. You can store the Marshmallow Meringue for up to two days in the refrigerator if you’re planning on using it as a filling, it just won’t be as spreadable and easy to work with for frosting and piping. 

My favorite part about using Marshmallow Meringue is breaking out my kitchen torch and toasting it. It’s exhilarating! If you’re in need of a good butane kitchen torch, here is the one I use. I’ve tried using other things to toast (matches, a lighter, etc), but nothing holds a candle to a trusty kitchen torch. So if you want to toast this meringue, you’ll need one. Something that does not work for toasting this Marshmallow Meringue? The oven. It’ll melt your meringue into soup, so don’t even think about it.

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Marshmallow Meringue Frosting

A homemade alternative to store bought marshmallow creme, using only four ingredients. Perfect for frosting cakes and cupcakes, piping decorations, and using as a filling. Tastes even better when toasted with a kitchen torch!

Cook Time 10 minutes

Servings 4 Cups

Ingredients

• 4 large egg whites
• 1 Cup (200g) granulated white sugar
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Instructions

• Fill a medium saucepan with an inch or two of water and bring it to a simmer over medium heat. Whisk together the egg whites, granulated sugar, and cream of tartar in a heatproof bowl, then place it on top of the simmering saucepan. Make sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Alternatively, you can use a double boiler for this part.
• Whisk the egg white mixture continuously until the sugar and cream of tartar are dissolved, about 4 minutes. It will thin out and be very frothy on top.
• Remove the mixture from the heat and add it to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (you can use a hand mixer for this part as well). Add the vanilla, then beat on high speed for about 5 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when it looks glossy with stiff peaks. To test it, dip your whisk attachment into the meringue and make sure the peak holds.
• Use the Marshmallow Meringue immediately on cakes, cupcakes, or any dessert. You can frost with it, pipe with it, use it as a filling, or whatever you’d like before toasting with a kitchen torch (it tastes great untoasted too though).

Notes

Make Ahead Tips

1. If you’re planning on using this Marshmallow Meringue as a frosting or piping with it, I do not recommend making it ahead. Instead, whip it up right before you’re planning on frosting or piping. If you’re using it as a filling, you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days.
2. After topping your baked goods with Marshmallow Meringue, you can store them at room temperature for up to 6 hours, after which I recommend storing them in the refrigerator. Do not freeze. 

Did you make this recipe? I want to know how it went! Leave a comment below or feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram and show me. I love to see what you create.

The post Homemade Marshmallow Meringue Frosting Recipe appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

I know I’m not alone in saying that a mug of hot cocoa with marshmallows on top is downright nostalgic. It’s a distinct flavor combo that is enjoyable at any age, reminiscent of winter and the Holiday season. Remember how I talked about having a list of Holiday cake flavors I wanted to create? Well, this one has been on the top of the list for a few years now. So as soon as I had the energy toward the end of my maternity leave, I decided to do some recipe testing and check it off the list. Surprisingly, this one didn’t take much testing at all! It is packed with hot cocoa flavor, marshmallowey goodness, and all the nostalgia. Behold: 

Let’s talk about the flavors going on here. I really wanted every bite to taste like hot cocoa (without being literally hot), so I whipped up some Swiss Miss hot cocoa with whole milk, cooled it to room temperature, and used it to infuse my favorite Chocolate Cake recipe. The result is extra chocolatey and so moist that it’s almost fudgey – just the way I like a chocolate cake. It’s got that extra little kick of hot cocoa from the infusion, and paired with the rest of the recipe elements, it tastes just the way I imagined. I honestly could not stop eating this one, and that’s always a really good sign because I’ve had a lot of cake in my day and can usually refrain.

The cake layers are delicious on their own, but the Hot Cocoa Buttercream is what gives this cake that extra flavor boost and truly makes the recipe. It tastes just like hot cocoa, partly because I added a little cocoa powder + infused it with more of that hot cocoa made with whole milk that I used in the cake. And to really take this recipe beyond, I decided to fill the cake with a layer of Hot Cocoa Buttercream and a layer of Marshmallow Fluff. I mean, how could I not? 

To turn this delicious cake into a masterpiece, I frosted the outside with more Hot Cocoa Buttercream and left the top edge “unfinished,” aka I didn’t swipe the buttercream on top of the cake to make sharp edges. I like that an unfinished edge creates the look of movement, and it reminded me of a sloshy cup of hot cocoa. Finally, I cut up some mini marshmallows and added them to the side of the cake in an ombrè layout, then piled some larger marshmallows on top and dusted the whole thing with cocoa powder. Voila! 

The mini marshmallows are so sticky inside that you can just press them onto the buttercream once you cut them. I will admit, it does take a bit of time to cut them all up, but I just love the way this design looks! It’s such a tasty recipe though, you can decorate it any way you want and rest assured that it will taste amazing. Enjoy!

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Hot Cocoa Cake Recipe

Layers of hot cocoa infused cake, hot cocoa flavored buttercream, and marshmallow fluff – inspired by a cup of hot cocoa with marshmallows!

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Servings 15 slices

Ingredients

Hot Cocoa

• 1 1/4 Cups whole milk
• 3 1/2 Tbsp hot cocoa mix

Hot Cocoa Cake

• 2 Cups (265g) all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 Cups (300g) white granulated sugar
• 2/3 Cup (60g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder (not Dutch Process)
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 Cup (120ml) vegetable oil
• 2 whole eggs, room temperature
• 1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 Cup (240ml) hot cocoa made with whole milk, room temperature
• 1 Cup (240ml) hot water

Hot Cocoa Buttercream

• 1 1/2 Cups (339g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 1/2 Cups (540g) powdered sugar
• 1/2 Cup (45g) cocoa powder
• 1/4 Cup (60g) hot cocoa made with whole milk, room temperature
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt

Optional Fillings and Toppings

• Marshmallow Fluff for filling
• Mini and Large marshmallows for decoration

Instructions

Make the Hot Cocoa

• In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the whole milk until it begins to simmer. Whisk in the hot cocoa mix and set aside. Wait until it's entirely room temperature before continuing on with this recipe.

Make the Hot Cocoa Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF and prepare three 6-inch or two 8-inch cake pans by spraying the sides with cooking spray and fitting the bottoms with a wax paper or parchment cake circle. 
• Place all of the dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer and stir on low for 30 seconds to fully combine them. Add the vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla, and hot cocoa and mix on low until just combined. Ensure that the hot water has been heated to a simmer, then with the mixer still on low, add the hot water in a slow stream. Turn the mixer to medium and beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. The batter will be very thin. 
• Pour into prepared cake pans no more than 2/3 full and bake for 40-45 minutes, until a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting. 

Make the Hot Cocoa Buttercream

• In a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip butter on medium speed until creamy and light in color, about four minutes. Scrape down the bowl and paddle and turn the mixer to low, then add powdered sugar, cocoa powder, hot cocoa, salt, and vanilla extract. Increase the speed to medium and beat for two full minutes.

Assembly

• Once the cake layers are completely cool, torte them to the desired height. Pipe a ring of hot cocoa buttercream around the edge of the first cake layer, then fill the middle halfway with marshmallow fluff before filling the rest of the space with hot cocoa buttercream (here's a tutorial on this filling method). Add the next layer of cake on top and repeat the filling process before adding the final cake layer on top, upside down so that the smooth bottom of the cake is facing up. Crumb coat with the hot cocoa buttercream and refrigerate for 20 minutes, then frost a final layer of hot cocoa buttercream, leaving the top edge unfinished.
• Use a knife to slice mini marshmallows and place them onto the buttercream finish in an ombrè layout. The inside of the marshmallow should be sticky enough to press onto the side of the cake and adhere, but if you need to, use a little water to make it stickier. Finish the design by piling marshmallows of various sizes on top and dusting with cocoa powder.

Notes

Make Ahead Tips:

1. The Hot Cocoa Cake layers can be made ahead and stored, wrapped in plastic wrap, at room temperature for up to two days. Alternatively, you can store the wrapped cake layers in the freezer for up to 2 months before thawing and frosting.
2. The Hot Cocoa Buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-whip in your stand mixer to bring back to smooth buttercream consistency. 

To Make As Cupcakes: fill cupcake tins no more than 2/3 of the way full and bake at 350ºF for 15-17 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Yields about 35-40 cupcakes.

Did you make this recipe? I want to know what you think! Let me know in the comments below or tag me on Instagram. I love to see what you’re caking!

The post Hot Cocoa Cake Recipe with Marshmallows appeared first on Sugar & Sparrow.

Cake and ice cream. They’re undoubtedly a perfect pairing when you serve them side by side, and even better when you combine them into one big beautiful ice cream cake! Since I don’t actually own an ice cream maker, I hadn’t yet ventured into the world of making ice cream before (let alone an ice cream cake). That is, until I discovered The Curious Creamery Ice Cream Cake Kits. These amazing creations are made for people like me, because there’s no ice cream maker required! Just whip up the ice cream mix according to the instructions, layer it with some delicious cake (which is also included in the kit), freeze it all together, and you’re good to go!

The Curious Creamery makes ice cream cake kits in flavors like Birthday Cake, Cookies and Cream, and Mudd Pie. They make tons of other ice cream mix flavors (some of which you can customize by adding your own flavoring right into the mix!) but the ice cream cake kits come with the addition of either cake mix or cookie pie crust for you to make a decadent dessert in minutes. The best part is, all you need for the ice cream portion is either a stand mixer or hand mixer, some cold dairy, a little sugar, and a freezer. It’s like pure magic!  

The flavor I chose to go with is Cookies and Cream, and my goodness, it was everything I’d hoped for and more. Immediately upon receiving the kit, I had a vision for the ultimate ice cream cake that seemed to come from the heavens. I pictured a sky high cake with multiple layers and flavors going on, so I opted for the Milk Bar approach to building it: use a 6-inch (leak proof!) springform pan as the base of the mold, add acetate strips to create the tallest cake mold ever, and fill up the entire thing with layer upon layer of flavor.  

The Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Cake Kit comes with two tasty layers: a Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Mix that was unbelievably easy to whip up (literally took 5 minutes) and a Chocolate Cake mix that was fluffy and fail-proof (just add water!). Everything in the kit tastes great together, but the beauty of The Curious Creamery kits is that you can add your own flair if you want to. Since I wanted to have a lot of layers going on, I decided make some whipped marshmallow fluff and crush up some Oreos with the filling and all. That gave me a total of four different layers to use in my sky-high design. I decided to make it naked so you could see all the pretty layers, then added some fun piping and mini Oreos to the top.

I’ll walk you through the entire recipe for this delicious Cookies & Cream ice cream cake, but first, here’s a little video tutorial to show you how easy it is to create an ice cream cake with The Curious Creamery Ice Cream Cake Kits:

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by The Curious Creamery. Although I was compensated, all opinions are my own and this ice cream cake mix is truly as amazing as advertised. I was shocked at how easy and tasty it was, and I can’t wait to make more of the flavors!

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Sky High Cookies & Cream Ice Cream Cake

A 7-inch tall ice cream cake masterpiece with layers of chocolate cake, cookies and cream ice cream (no ice cream machine required!), whipped marshmallow fluff, and crushed Oreos. 

Servings 20 slices

Ingredients

Cookies & Cream Ice Cream Cake

• 2 packages The Curious Creamery Ice Cream Cake Kit in the Cookies & Cream flavor
• 1 1/3 cups (320ml) water
• 1 cup (240ml) whole milk, cold
• 2 cups (480ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
• 3/4 cup (154g) white granulated sugar
• 1 cup crushed Oreo cookies (about 12 cookies)
• Mini Oreos for garnish, optional

Whipped Marshmallow Fluff

• 2 cups (480ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
• 2 cups marshmallow fluff

Instructions

Make The Chocolate Cake

• Preheat the oven to 350ºF and prepare two 6 inch cake pans by spraying with cooking spray and fitting a wax or parchment paper circle to the bottom. Place the cake mixes (there should be one pouch in each box, so two pouches total) into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the water and beat on low until ingredients are incorporated, about one minute. Scrape down the bowl and paddle, turn the mixer to medium, and beat for another two minutes. Pour batter evenly into prepared pans and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let the cakes cool in the pan for five minutes until turning out onto a wire rack to cool for an additional few hours. Let the cakes cool completely before moving on to the next steps.

Make The Cookies & Cream Ice Cream

• Combine the chilled milk and 2 cups heavy whipping cream in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add the white granulated sugar and contents of both ice cream mix packets and stir gently to combine. Turn the mixer to high and whisk for 3-5 minutes, until the mixture becomes wavy and creamy and almost doubles in size. 

Make The Whipped Marshmallow Fluff

• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the Heavy Whipping Cream until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Add the Marshmallow Fluff and whip the mixture on high until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Set the mixture aside.

Assembly

• Prepare a 6 inch leak-proof springform pan by fitting the bottom with a cardboard cake circle and fitting a strip of acetate to the sides. Torte the chocolate cake layers into three half-inch layers and place the first layer of chocolate cake in the bottom of the mold. 
• Next, fill a piping bag with whipped marshmallow fluff and pipe a layer on top of the chocolate cake. Sprinkle a layer of crushed Oreos on top of the whipped marshmallow fluff. Fill another piping bag with the Cookies and Cream ice cream mixture and pipe a layer on top of the crushed Oreos. 
• Add the next layer of Chocolate Cake and fit another acetate strip around it to heighten the cake mold. Continue with another layer of whipped marshmallow fluff, then crushed Oreos, then Cookies and Cream ice cream, and another layer of Chocolate Cake. Finish with a final layer of whipped marshmallow fluff, and use a piping tip to pipe some additional whipped marshmallow fluff around the top of the cake in any style you like (I used Wilton Tip 1M to do a swirl border). Garnish with more crushed Oreos and Mini Oreos. 
• Place the ice cream cake in the freezer for 4-6 hours, until very firm. After it’s frozen, release it from the springform pan and remove the acetate strips. 

Have you tried The Curious Creamery ice cream cake kits yet? I really think they’re a game changer! Order your very own ice cream cake kit here and let me know what flavor you chose. I can’t wait to see what you create with these magical kits!

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