Toasted Marshmallow Cake Recipes

TOASTED MARSHMALLOW & GINGER CAKE

Steps:

• Melt the butter, sugar, treacle and syrup in a small saucepan, whisking until smooth. Set aside to cool for 10 mins. Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease and line a 2lb loaf tin with baking parchment (our tin was 22 x 7 x 7cm).
• In a bowl, mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda, ground ginger, cinnamon and 1⁄2 tsp salt. Pour in the warm syrup mixture and the milk, followed by the egg yolks. Whisk until you have a smooth batter. Pour into the tin and bake for 1 hr or until a skewer comes out clean. Cool in the tin for 30 mins, then slice off the top to give you a smooth surface. Flip onto a wire rack and remove the baking parchment. Leave to cool. Can now be covered with cling film and kept for up to 5 days.
• To make the buttercream, put the ingredients in a large bowl and mash together with a fork or spatula (this prevents the icing sugar from going everywhere). When roughly combined, blend with an electric hand whisk until smooth.
• Now make the marshmallow icing. Put the egg whites, sugar, 1 tbsp water and a good pinch of salt into a heatproof bowl. Place over a pan of simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the hot water, and whisk until thick and leaving a prominent trail from the beaters - this will take about 4 mins. Remove the bowl from the heat and continue whisking for another 3 mins until cooled slightly and really stiff. Transfer half to a piping bag fitted with a large round nozzle and set aside.
• When ready to assemble, slice the cake lengthways into 3 even layers. On a cake stand or plate, reassemble the cake, with the largest slice on the bottom, layering with the buttercream.
• Using a small offset palette knife or small butter knife, cover the cake with the marshmallow icing left in the bowl. Use the palette knife to create vertical lines along the edges (see tip, left). Now use the piping bag to pipe spikes of meringue over the top of the cake. Use a cook's blowtorch to toast the meringue to a golden brown - a few charred patches will add to the effect. Serve straight away or chill for up to 2 days, removing from the fridge 30 mins before serving. We decorated ours with sparklers.

TOASTED MARSHMALLOW-CHOCOLATE PUDDING CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare cake batter and bake in 13x9-inch pan as directed on package. Cool cake in pan 15 min. Pierce cake at 3/4-inch intervals with handle of wooden spoon, using turning motion to make large holes.
• Beat pudding mixes and milk in large bowl with whisk 2 min. Immediately pour half the pudding evenly over warm cake. Let remaining pudding stand 5 min. or until slightly thickened; spread over cake. Top with marshmallows. Refrigerate 1 hour.
• Heat broiler when ready to serve cake. Broil cake, 6 inches from heat, 1 to 2 min. or until marshmallows are golden brown. Cool slightly.

DEVIL'S-FOOD CAKE WITH TOASTED-MARSHMALLOW FROSTING

Steps:

• Place oven rack in the middle position, and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 3 8-by-3-inch anodized-aluminum cake pans with parchment paper, and grease them.
• Combine butter and coffee in a 5-quart saucepan, and set over low heat to melt. Remove from heat, and whisk in the cocoa, chocolate, brown sugar, vanilla and salt, until there are no lumps of cocoa or unmelted chocolate. After mixing, add the eggs and yolks, and whisk well to combine. Sift flour and baking soda right into the pan, then whisk thoroughly to combine, making sure there are no pockets of flour. Divide batter among the three cake pans (about 23-24 ounces each).
• Bake for 30 minutes, or until the cakes are firm, but a light touch with a finger still leaves an impression, and a few crumbs cling to a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake.
• Set aside on a wire rack until the pans, and the cakes, are completely cool to the touch, about 90 minutes.
• Fill a 3-quart pot with 1 1/2 inches of water, and place over medium-low heat. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the egg whites, sugar, salt, cream of tartar and vanilla. Place the bowl over the steaming water bath, and use a spatula to stir and scrape down the bowl, keeping the mass moving over the steam for about 10 minutes, or until a digital thermometer inserted into the mixture reads 175 degrees.
• Place the bowl in the stand mixer with the whisk attachment, and whip on high speed until it quadruples in volume and turns thick and glossy, about 5 minutes.
• Loosen the sides of the cakes with a knife and invert them onto a wire rack. Peel away the parchment paper, then flip cakes right-side up again. Use a long serrated knife to evenly trim the puffy tops off the cakes (set these aside for snacking).
• Place one cake, cut-side up, onto a serving plate. Top with a cup of frosting, and spread it into an even layer with a small palette knife or the back of a spoon. Repeat with the second and third layers, placing these cut-side down. Finish the sides of the cake with remaining frosting, then lightly torch with a blowtorch, so the frosting turns golden brown.