Here’s a fun cake with the potential to be disastrous. Or at least you’d think. Somehow, the few times I’ve made this marshmallow enrobed Rocky Road Bundt Cake, it’s been quite delightful! No wonder it’s a multiple contest winning cake.
Here’s a little history: In 1993, the cake won Peggy Jenson an award in a contest sponsored by Crisco. Crisco published it in one of their little supermarket checkout books called “Best Recipes” with the name Bumpy Highway Cake. Over a decade later, a contestant entered that same cake in an Accubake Cake Challenge which premiered on Food TV. She gave it a new name — My Bumpy Life Cake and took home a prize.
Rocky Road Bundt Cake Without Shortening
So I’d been eyeing this cake for a while, but wanted to make it without the shortening. Using one of my favorite chocolate bundt cake recipes as a base, the original condensed milk glaze as the topping/marshmallow glue and my favorite ganache for the chocolate drizzle, I came up with my own rendition. The cake base (the one in the link) is not very sweet, but goes well with the sweet marshmallows and ganache. Since making this cake with that base, I discovered Nana’s Favorite Devil’s Food Cake and I changed the chocolate Bundt cake base to that. It’s a bit sweeter now, but not overly sweet.
Messy to Beautiful
This cake requires some patience. The cake itself is easy, but sticking all of those marshmallows on the side takes patience. The cake should be warm so that the marshmallows melt slightly and stick to it. Also, you can use all or just part of the condensed milk mixture. Use just enough to get the marshmallows to stick. It will look terrible at first, but just hang in there and arrange the marshmallows the best you can. The chocolate ganache that you drizzle over the cake will tie it all together. Once it sets it’s actually firm enough for you to (carefully!) lift and place onto a stand using a cake lifter.
- Rocky Road Chocolate Cookies
- Easy Condensed Milk Rocky Road Candy
- Rocky Road Peanut Butter Brownies
- Rocky Road Graham Squares
- Brownie Mix Rocky Road Brownies
Recipe
Rocky Road Bundt Cake
Anna
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
Cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 270 grams
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 cups sugar 385 grams
- ¾ cup unsweetened natural style cocoa powder
- 1 cup hot brewed coffee
- 1 cup vegetable oil canola or light olive oil
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Marshmallow Covering
- 14 oz can of condensed milk minus ⅓ cup save the ⅓ cup for something else
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2-3 cups mini marshmallows plus more!
- ½ cup toasted pecans chopped
Ganache Drizzle
- ⅓ cup heavy cream plus more
- 3 oz bittersweet chocolate
- ½ tablespoon corn syrup
- ½ tablespoon unsalted butter
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease and flour a Bundt pan.
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In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and sugar.
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Whisk together the cocoa powder and the hot coffee and let it cool.
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Add the cocoa mixture to the bowl with the dry ingredients, then stir in the oil, milk, eggs and vanilla. Beat by hand or on low speed of a handheld mixer until smooth.
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Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with moist crumbs. Let the cake cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Flip from pan onto a baking rack and set the rack over a cookie sheet or flat surface lined with wax paper, parchment or foil.
Condensed Milk Mixture
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Beat the condensed milk, butter and powdered sugar until smooth. Spread it as evenly as you can over the warm cake, letting it fall into the hole and down the sides. Mix together the marshmallows and pecans, then press into the top of the cake. Press marshmallows into the sides of cake covering it the best you can. Note: Be sure to use a warm cake. If the cake is cool, the marshmallows won’t stick as easily.
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Let cake cool – marshmallows and glaze will set. Make the ganache.
Chocolate Ganache Icing
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Bring the ⅓ cup cream to a boil in a microwave safe 2 cup glass measure or in a saucepan. Add 3 ounces of chopped chocolate, corn syrup and butter. Stir until melted and smooth.
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Drizzle spoonfuls of ganache over the marshmallows. If the ganache is too thick, you’ll get clumps, so make sure you thin it out enough.