Soft, tender red velvet cake layers are frosted with a rich hot chocolate buttercream made using a favorite cocoa mix, filled with toasted marshmallows for a gooey surprise, and finished with white chocolate ganache and a generous pile of marshmallows on top. It’s basically the best way to celebrate hot chocolate—extra marshmallows included.
The weather shifted from mild autumn to bitter winter almost overnight. No snow yet, but with how cold it’s been, it feels inevitable. I grew up in Utah and still have a complicated relationship with snow—part of me prefers to admire it from inside a warm kitchen. What I never tire of is watching my boys play in it, then bringing them inside to warm up with something cozy.
After outdoor play, a steaming mug of hot cocoa is my go-to comfort. This cake captures all the favorite hot chocolate flavors and adds a twist with red velvet cake layers. The result is familiar, comforting, and a little bit decadent.
I wish I had a photo of the sliced cake—the cross-section was gorgeous—but I hurried to a cake class and refrigerated the slices before I could photograph them. I’ll probably make the cake again just to capture those perfect layers. Fortunately, family and neighbors usually don’t complain about generous taste-testing.
This version is adapted from a cookbook recipe with a few tweaks. The buttercream uses a good-quality hot chocolate mix (I like Ghirardelli), and this time I added a touch of instant pudding mix to make it extra thick and silky. The buttercream melts on the tongue, and the toasted marshmallow filling brings a nostalgic, campfire-style sweetness that makes slices hard to resist.
At home we pile both mini and small marshmallows into our hot chocolate, so this cake follows suit. A combination of textures—velvety cake, creamy buttercream, gooey toasted marshmallows, and a silky white chocolate ganache—makes every bite feel indulgent.
If you prefer, you can substitute a chocolate cake for the red velvet layers—red velvet is essentially a chocolate cake with a distinctive crumb and color—so the flavor profile will remain comforting and chocolaty. The vivid red hue, however, brings a festive, elegant touch that’s perfect for holiday gatherings or any special occasion.
- Red Velvet Cake
- 3 whole eggs
- 3/4 cup buttermilk
- 2/3 cup sour cream
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 Duncan Hines Red Velvet Cake mix
- Hot Chocolate Buttercream
- 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
- 2/3 cup Ghirardelli dark or milk chocolate hot cocoa mix
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- Pinch of salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 5–6 cups powdered sugar
- Optional: 3–4 tablespoons chocolate instant pudding mix
- White Chocolate Ganache
- 1/2 cup “Very White” Wilton candy melts
- 3–4 tablespoons heavy cream
- Marshmallows for toasting
- Mini marshmallows for garnish
- For the cake: Preheat convection oven to 325°F. Prepare baking rounds by lightly coating with shortening and dusting with flour.
- Whisk together eggs, buttermilk, sour cream, vegetable oil, and vanilla until combined.
- Sift in cake mix and the 1/4 cup flour, then stir until just combined; batter will be thick.
- Divide batter evenly into prepared pans and bake 25–27 minutes, or until centers spring back when touched.
- Cool in pans 2 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack to cool. For easier decorating, wrap rounds when slightly warm and freeze for 30 minutes to overnight.
- For the buttercream: In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, whip butter on high until light and fluffy.
- Add hot chocolate mix, cocoa, salt, vanilla, and heavy cream. If using, add pudding mix a tablespoon at a time.
- With mixer on low, add powdered sugar about 1/2 cup at a time until incorporated. Adjust with more heavy cream or powdered sugar to reach desired consistency.
- Beat on high 2–3 minutes until very light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low briefly to remove air bubbles, and finish smoothing by hand if needed.
- For the toasted marshmallow filling: Preheat oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
- Place 2–3 cups of small marshmallows on the sheet and bake 5–7 minutes until expanded and browned on top. Remove and set aside to cool slightly.
- For the white chocolate ganache: Combine candy melts and heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl, heat 30 seconds, then stir until smooth and lump-free. Transfer to a squeeze bottle for drip application.
- Assembly: Secure an 8″ cardboard round to a 6″ cake round and place on a turntable. Use a little buttercream as glue and set the first cake layer in place.
- Spread a thin layer of buttercream, pipe a dam around the edge, and fill the center with toasted marshmallows. Repeat with remaining layers.
- Crumb coat the cake and freeze 10 minutes, then apply the final coat and freeze another 10 minutes.
- Add the ganache drip, chill briefly to set, then pile on mini marshmallows and any remaining toasted marshmallows as garnish.