Mississippi Mud Cake

Name: Mississippi Mud Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 2 cups sugar; 1 cup butter (melted); ½ cup unsweetened cocoa; 4 eggs (beaten); 1 teaspoon vanilla; ⅛ teaspoon salt; 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour; 2 cups chopped pecans (toasted); 10.5 ounces miniature marshmallows; 1 pound powdered sugar; ½ cup whole milk; ⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa; ¼ cup butter (softened)

5 from 11 votes

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Learn to make my vintage recipe for Mississippi Mud Cake, a cross between brownies, cake, and s’mores! It’s a simple, family-friendly dessert that’s delicious, decadent, and suitable for any occasion!

This Mississippi Mud Cake recipe is an old one. Best I can tell, it originated in the 70s. The name apparently comes from its resemblance to Mississippi River mud with the various layers of silt and rock that make up its composition.

But what is it, you’re asking? Mississippi mud cake is basically a brownie base with melted marshmallows and a chocolate frosting drizzled all over the top. Oh, brother. What could be wrong with that? Sounds like the perfect kind of comfort food recipe to me!

Recipe Snapshot: Mississippi Mud Cake

Cuisine: Southern
Cooking Method: Oven
Total Time: 40 Minutes

Servings: 24
Primary Ingredient(s): Sugar, butter, cocoa, eggs, flour, pecans, marshmallows
Skill Level: Easy

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING …

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“I can not tell you how many times I’ve made this over the years but now I realize it’s been a while; it was a mainstay of get togethers with family and friends for many years. Totally decadent and totally divine too!“
— Barbara | Creative Culinary

What Makes This Recipe Special

Mississippi Mud Cake is a vintage recipe in the truest sense. It’s familiar, dependable, and unchanged because it works. The combination of a dense chocolate cake, a layer of marshmallows added while the cake is hot, and a simple poured icing creates a dessert that is rich without being complicated.

My version keeps the structure and ingredients true to how the cake has been made for decades, with no updates meant to modernize or soften it. It’s the kind of recipe that cooks return to again and again because of its dependability.

Ingredient Notes

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All-Purpose Flour – In the south, we use White Lily flour for all our baking. It’s made with soft winter wheat and produces tender baked goods.
Vanilla Extract – Practically every chocolate recipe contains vanilla extract. Believe it or not, vanilla actually brings out the chocolate flavor.
Eggs and Butter – The fat and binder for the brownie layer.
Unsweetened Cocoa, Sugar – Make sure the cocoa powder you use is unsweetened. Hershey’s cocoa powder is a familiar, trusted brand. The sugar in the recipe is adequate for sweetening.
Chopped Pecans – My home state of Georgia is famous for producing pecans and they’re easy to source here. You might find it easier and more economical to substitute walnuts.
Miniature Marshmallows – One of the toppings layered on after the cake is (mostly) done baking.
Powdered Sugar, Whole Milk, Butter – These three ingredients, along with more cocoa, make the icing for the top of the finished cake.

The complete ingredient list with detailed measurements is included in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Recipe Variations to Try

Experiment with nuts. I often see walnuts used in this recipe, as well as peanuts and sometimes cashews.
Experiment with other toppings. Some cooks add more marshmallows to the top and even things like M&M or other small candies.
Give the cake a mocha flavor by adding a tablespoon of instant coffee powder to the batter.

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How to Make Mississippi Mud Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Sugar, butter, cocoa, eggs, vanilla and salt in a mixing bowl. — **STEP 2.**

Adding flour and pecans to the mixture. — **STEP 2.**

Add the sugar, butter, cocoa, eggs, vanilla, and salt to a large mixing bowl. Whisk it all together until combined. Stir in the flour and 1 1/2 cups of the toasted pecans.

Cake batter in a baking pan. — **STEP 3.**

Cake when finished baking. — **STEP 4.**

Marshmallows added to top of the cake. — **STEP 5.**

Marshmallows after additional baking. — **STEP 6.**

Pour the batter into a greased and floured 15×10-inch pan.

Pro Tip

For any chocolate cake, if you want to make sure the finished cake doesn’t have white flour on the outside, use cocoa powder to dust your pan.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean
Remove the cake from the oven and top it evenly with the marshmallows.
Return the pan to the oven and bake for 5 more minutes.

While the cake is baking, make the frosting.

Icing ingredients in a mixing bowl. — **STEP 7.**

Frosting applied to top of warm cake. — **STEP 8.**

Place all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until combined and smooth.
Remove the cake from the oven and drizzle the chocolate frosting over the top while still warm. Sprinkle with the remaining toasted pecans.
Allow the cake to cool completely before cutting and serving.

Recipe Success Tips

It’s important to allow the cake to cool completely before cutting it. If you let it cool completely, even refrigerate it, before cutting, the cuts will look much nicer.
For a shortcut, you can substitute two packages of brownie mix for the layer.
Having all the ingredients at room temperature makes for a smoother batter.

How to Store Leftovers

Wrapped tightly in aluminum foil or plastic, this will stay fresh for up to 5 days at room temperature. It may also be frozen, very tightly wrapped, for up to three months. Allow the frozen cake to defrost completely before serving.

Questions About Mississippi Mud Cake

Can I use Dutch process cocoa powder in Mississippi Mud Cake?

Sorry, but no. You’ll need plain cocoa powder (such as Hershey’s). Dutch process reacts differently with leavening agents, and your recipe won’t turn out correctly.

Do I have to include the nuts when making Mississippi Mud Cake?

No, of course not. If someone in your household has a nut allergy or you just don’t like nuts, simply leave them out. The recipe will still be utterly delicious!

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Have a question or thought to share?

If you have a question about the recipe or if you’ve made it and want to share how it turned out, I would truly enjoy hearing from you. Just scroll down to leave a comment or add your star rating.

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