Polka-Dot Chocolate Cake with Marshmallow Buttercream
Holiday Cake Trio by Dominique Jessee @twobunsbaking
Prep: 15min | Bake: 35min | Decorate: 30min
Yields: 8 slices
Our Polka-Dot Chocolate Cake with Marshmallow Buttercream is the final cake in our Easy Holiday Cake Trio. It’s a super fun addition to your holiday dessert table and your kids will come running for it’s chocolatey goodness. Almost more than the yum factor, we are in LOVE with the polka dot pattern. It’s so easy to create, you’ll want to add chocolate dots to everything in life.
Jump to recipe | Jump to Polka Dot tips
Let’s get baking!...
for the Chocolate Cake
Ingredients:
1 Betty Crocker Chocolate Cake Mix (plus oil, eggs, water per instructions on box)
¾ cups mini chocolate chips (plus additional handful for polka dots)
1 tsp flour
Directions:
- Preheat oven according to box directions.
- Follow box directions to make cake batter.
- Mix mini chocolate chips with 1 tsp flour. Fold chips into cake batter, stirring minimally.
- Pour batter into 2 greased 6” cake pans.
- Bake for 35-40 minutes. Baking times vary depending on your oven and cake pans used. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Allow to cool in cake pan for 10 minutes before removing onto a wire rack to cool completely.
for the Marshmallow Buttercream
Ingredients:
10 ounces marshmallow creme
1 stick unsalted butter
4 Cups powdered sugar
3 tbsp milk or cream
pinch of salt
Directions:
- Using a mixer, cream marshmallow creme and butter together on high speed until fluffy.
- Add the powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing well between each addition. Add the milk or cream and salt as needed.
- Beat frosting on high for 5 minutes until creamy consistency is reached.
- Frost cake as desired.
- Working with Marshmallow Fluff: Adding marshmallow fluff to this buttercream will add a bit of gelatin to the frosting—which will make this frosting stickier than a traditional buttercream and make it difficult to frost the cake. We recommend using the frosting immediately
Ready to Polka...dot?
Adding the Polka Dot Pattern
- Elevate cake to be closer to eye level. Use a cake stand, or flip over a sturdy, level pasta pot that can rotate easily on the counter.
- Use a bamboo skewer or toothpick to mark the dots. (Don’t get scared—go for it!)
- Alternate dots in a 3-2-3 pattern.
- Add chips to cover each dot. Flat side of chip should be facing out.
- Done! Beautiful!
Tips for Baking with Kids
I have fond memories of baking molasses cookies with my parents during the holidays. I love these tips from Dominique because it reminds me to slow down and enjoy my own kid this seasons. Amazing what they can create, even if I have to sweep the floor twice! (Or three times...)
Styling the Dessert Table
Polka dots make a beautiful stand-alone cake. They are even more adorable in our trio with Dominique’s Appley Dapply Gingerbread Cake [link] and Let it Snow! Cranberry Cake [link]. Add a few sprigs of foraged holly or pine, and you have a gorgeous tiered-cake table.
This non-baking, mommy-blogger is ecstatic to have Dominique Jessee and her son Noah come out an bake with us. I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to buy some boxed mix. Get ready Betty Crocker...
Happy holiday baking!
Check out our other posts in this series:
Easy Holiday Cake Trio—Perfect for Little Helpers
Appley Dapply Gingerbread Cake with Molasses Cream Cheese Frosting
Let it Snow! Cranberry Cake with White Chocolate Buttercream
