A week ago, I was asked by a friend to make a cake for her in-laws' golden wedding anniversary last weekend which is an honor of course and I am really happy that she appreciates the cakes I made previously on past gatherings or occasions. She said she liked the chocolate mousse cake I brought last time for our friend's birthday so much that she cannot forget it! (Aaawwww!) So when she asked me, I said yes of course!!! So I asked her about her preference, she said she would like to have a cake that is creamy and not too sweet ( because Germans do not like it too sweet), like the chocolate mousse cake or similar. I thought "OK that is easy" and I also like and make my cakes not that sweet. Then she went on that she will be picking it up on Friday around lunchtime as she needed to go to work afterward and it will be served after lunch the next day, Saturday...OK now, this is something new to me. I usually make a cake the same day or earliest is a night before it will be served. I have no idea how long can I make it in advance. And of course, I want it to be pretty as this will be the real first cake someone else (aside from Armin) asked me to do!
I spent the first day "googling" about cakes to get some ideas. I saw some really nice pictures and I decided I want to make a fondant cake. The problem is I am pretty sure a mousse filling is next to impossible for a fondant cake, although I read some people tried it, but being a novice at making fondant cakes I do not want to risk my first cake "order" becoming a disaster. Another major problem I have is ... I HATE FONDANT! I never eat it on cakes because the sweetness of it makes me feel sick! But the pictures of cakes on the internet just look so nice and I just have to give it a try. I am stubborn that way! So after another two days researching in Google and reading a lot of cake forums, I found what I think is the best solution for this special cake. A chocolate cake with chocolate ganache filling with a marshmallow fondant! This is almost the same to the Chocolate Mousse Cake recipe I used that my friend liked so much and chocolate ganache hardens as it cools down which, I think, would make it perfect crumb coat for smoother fondant cake finish plus it is also less sweet than buttercream or another icing. Now I chose to do marshmallow fondant, first because the ingredients are easier to find and, second, I thought it would taste a lot better since I like marshmallows and I had a feeling it will be less sweet than the regular fondant. It turned out I was right, this is the fondant even I can eat..and I did and love it. Now as for the timing, I also read from the forums I visited that making the cake a few days in advance should not be a problem. But I was still skeptical about it of course, so what I did was make a test cake! I made the cake on Sunday and we ate it on Tuesday. Making the test cake also let me played with various ideas for the design on the final cake which I really enjoyed doing.
Here is the recipe I use for making a moist chocolate cake and the chocolate ganache. How to make marshmallow fondant and how I designed the cake (without using fondant tools) will be on another post as this one is too long already.
Printable Recipe
Very Chocolate Cake in Marshmallow Fondant- part I
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup cocoa powder
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 cup boiling water
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
For chocolate Ganache
- 14 ounces semi sweet chocolate (at least 40% cacao)
- 9.3 fluid ounces all-purpose cream or whipping cream
Instructions
- For the cake: Grease and flour a 9" or 24cm round pan. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together, adding the eggs and milk the last. Note that the batter will be runny. Pour batter into the prepared pan and tap it a bit to even out the batter. Bake in a preheated oven at 350°F/180°C for 35-40 minutes or until the inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and let it cool down. Make sure it is no longer warm when you assemble the cake. Can be made a day in advance. Cover with fling wrap and place in the fridge.
- For the Ganache: ***If using the microwave, place 200ml cream in big bowl and heat for 10 seconds on full power, add the semi-sweet chocolate and heat for another 10 seconds. Take out from microwave and stir well. If chocolate is still lumpy, heat it again for another 10 seconds and stir again afterwards. Repeat as needed but giving it a good stirring in between and the chocolate should melt slowly without heating too much. ***If not using the microwave, place the bowl with cream on top of a small saucepan with boiling water, make sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Add chopped chocolates and stir continuously until it melts then remove from heat. Continue stirring until well blended. Let the chocolate ganache cool down.
- Scoop about half of the ganache into another bowl and add the remaining 75ml of cream and mix until well blended. Put it in the freezer for 7-10 minutes to make it set faster but do not let it freeze. Take it out of the freezer and whip until it becomes light and fluffy. This will be the filling and the other will be used for a crumb coating.
Nutrition
ADDITIONAL TIPS:
When you crumb coat and it becomes too stiff to work with just pop it in the microwave for 10 seconds at a time until the desired consistency is achieved. It should not be too runny or you will make a mess but soft enough that the crumbs are not sticking to it when you try to spread it out and will able you to scrape excess.
My sister in law (a much more experienced cake maker) gave me some tips as well. When the cake has completely cooled down, cover it with a fling wrap and place it in the fridge for at least 2 hours. This will make it firmer, thus, easier to crumb coat. Then put the filling and apply the first coat. Put the cake back in the fridge for another hour so the ganache can set then take it out again to apply a second coat of ganache. The result will be a firmer coated cake that will make it easier to cover with fondant and a smoother, straighter finish.
Another tip I found useful is making a dam for the filling especially if the filling is of softer consistency. Just put some of the ganache in a piping bag and use a tip with a big hole. Then pipe ganache on top edges of the first layer of cake until you make a full circle. You can pipe another layer on top of the first one if you want to have a higher filling. Fill inside of the dam with the filling and make sure to spread it evenly and the same level as the dam before putting the next layer of cake. This will help prevent the filling from bulging out on the sides.
I posted a video on the technique I use for dividing cakes into layers using a thread. I find it easier and less messy or no crumbs at all.
Celeste says
Hi, is this still good when you bake it not in the oven? I mean, just like what others do, just in a steamer ??
Bebs says
Hi Celeste, I haven't tried it on a steamer but it might work.
Nerie says
Hi, may i ask if you are using convection oven or regular oven? Will there be any difference in the cooking time? Thank you so much.
Bebs says
Hi Nerie, I have a convection oven but I bake cakes and similar stuff without the fan or convection function because it creates crust too early and makes them dry.
Nerie says
Thank you so much! Ill try making it today! I have already tried your ensaymada and ube cheese pandesal and my family simply loves it 🙂
Bebs says
That is great to hear, Nerie.
Anna Davis says
I need to make two 10" layers. How do I scale this recipe?
Bebs says
Hi Anna, this recipe is for 9-inch round pan. I suggest making it 3 times (4 to be safe) to reach the height you need. If you have a big mixer and oven then you can double the recipe so you need to make it only in 2 batches.
Danny says
I made this cake and marshmallow fondant for my son's birthday and the cake was deelicious and got many compliments. Unfortunately, the party was in the hot sun and even though the fondant held up pretty well, as soon as I cut the cake, the ganache, which had all melted, oozed out and the fondant slipped off. The whipped ganache, however, held up perfectly. I'm not sure if that's because the layers of cake insulated it? Do you have any tips for keeping the ganache from melting? I know buttercream is worse, but I'd hoped for better from this ganache. (Would a simple shading umbrella be enough?)
Bebs says
Hi Danny, yes heat is a common problem for cake icing and direct sun could definitely ruin a perfectly coated cake. Placing a canopy over it could help but being exposed to the heat too long could still result in a meltdown.
Miray says
Did you use All-Purpose Flour for this recipe?
Bebs says
Yes I did, but you can also use cake flour.
Cheryl says
Absolutely delicious—I baked in square 8” glass pans for about 45 min, checking temp to get to 205 F. It made a wonderful Minecraft cake.
Bebs says
I am glad you like it, Cheryl. The Minecraft Cake sounds awesome.
Tahlia says
I love it. I was nervous with the runny batter and how moist it was when it came out but it was amazing! So delicious and chocolatey. Everyone loved it the test run so I will make it for the real cake next week. Thank you so much. I have a spingform tin though and it leaked a bit. Suggestions?
Bebs says
Glad to hear it was a success, really love this chocolate cake recipe. About your leaking springform, maybe try lining it with parchment paper at the bottom and the sides that are slightly overlapping to prevent the batter from leaking out.
Michelle says
Hey Bebs!!
Thank you for the recipe. I was hoping you could help. I made this cake but the batter spilled over. Any tips or tricks? Did you pour this into two 9” pans? I will try it again.
Bebs says
Hi Michelle. I usually use a 3 inch deep round pan. If you are using a shallow one then you would need two of them and might need to reduce the baking time. Just remember not to fill the pan with batter completely when baking any cake. Max would be 3/4 of the pan.
Abena says
Hello, I'm wondering what flour is stated in the recipe? Is it plain flour (all purpose) or self raising? I'm in the UK 🙂
Bebs says
Hi Abena, I used all-purpose flour in this recipe, but you can also use cake flour if you have it.
wafa faye says
Ate Bebs.. u are an amazing person.. ❤❤❤❤
Bebs says
Thank you wafa faye!!! ?
Karjana says
I have another question: Since the cake has fondant on it, how do you store it? I red somewhere that the fondant can get sticky?
I am making the chocolate cake today, and decorating it tomorrow. The cake is getting picked up tomorrow and the wedding is on Saturday, and I just want to make sure that they store it correctly before the wedding
Bebs says
If you are living somewhere cold now then just leave it in the coolest place of the house maybe in box if you have one.
Karjana says
Thank you! The cake turned out great, and I am so excited to see what they think about it this weekend.
Bebs says
I'm glad to hear it went well, Karjana. I will cross my fingers for you but I am pretty sure they liked it! 😛
Karjana says
Thank you so much for the response.
I am a little scared it's gonna be to sweet w/the white chocolate ganache, BUT I will try it! Making a wedding cake today/tomorrow and I am using this recipe! So excited and scared at the same time haha.
Bebs says
I know what you mean..the same for me on my first time to make a wedding cake...but the white chocolate is usually not that sweet and adds flavor to the fondant..
Karjana says
Hi!
It looks like you have a layer of some kind of white frosting between the cake and the fondant, is that right? And if yes; what kind of cream did you use?
Thank you 🙂
Bebs says
That is white chocolate ganache with 3:1 ratio of white chocolate to heavy or all purpose cream. So if I am using 200g white chocolate, I use 66g of cream. To use chocolate ganache the ratio is 2:1. Or you can also use buttercream but I find that using chocolate ganache to frost the cake before adding the fondant makes it more stable and hold the shape better with firmer edges since the ganache hardens more than buttercream when chilled in the fridge before adding the fondant.
Stella Yiu says
Hi Bebs,
I would like to follow your idea to make a chocolate cake with ganache under marshmallows fondant. But would you mind telling me what kind of chocolate cake is best for supporting the fondant? You have said mousse cake is not ok, but what of others? I am a newbie so pl explain in a bit more details. In addition, how long did the final product stand? Was it moist and soft? Did it melt? Sorry I could not rate your receipe for I have not tried it yet.
Thank you for your assistance!
Regards,
Stella
Bebs says
Hi Stella, I used a regular and really simple chocolate cake recipe and it held really well. The recipe for the chocolate cake is on the post and you can print it. I mentioned not to use mousse as a filling (to place in between layers of cakes) or as frosting (for covering or coating the outer layer) because it is too light and fluffy and it might melt when exposed to warm temperature. You may also use other kinds of cakes as long as they are dense or stable enough to carry the weight of fondant, so I am not sure if chiffon or sponge cake is a good idea, I haven't tried it myself. I also used butter cakes, banana cake, carrot and fruit cake under fondant and they were also great for fondants.
As for this particular chocolate cake here, for trial puposes, I had it sit at room temperature (in June) for three days and it still looked the same like it did on day 1. When we ate it on day 3, the cake was still moist and taste almost like freshly baked and the ganache (filling and frosting) did not melt. Just make sure that you cover the cake very well with fondant so the moisture is kept in. I think it could last some more days outside the fridge, but we never got the chance to try it.
I would say that using ganache (white or chocolate) as frosting is the best way to get a smooth and more stable finish, the only thing is it it can be too sweet with the chocolate and fondant, but some people do like it sweet, right!
Here is a video I found (that I also watched) to give you some idea on how to frost with ganache before covering with fondant, to get that smooth, sharp edges.
Hope this helps and do let me know how it goes if you try it.
Stella Yiu says
Thx Bebs. May I ask one more question. My pan is a flexible 7 and a half inch pan, how may I adjust the batter, temperature etc so that it can stand as two and a three quarter cake?
Bebs says
I think for a 7 1/2 inch round pan, just cut the ingredient measurements into half. This is what I did for the cake here. Temp is the same but you might want to make a toothpick check after 30 minutes. Can you explain what you meant about 2 and 3/4 cake? Do u mean as layers with different sizes? Or just the height in inches? If it is the latter then half of the ingredients should do it. Check this for .
Stella Yiu says
Thanks very much Bebs, My pan is 71/2 x 2 3/4 round pan. I don't know how to adjust the batter and the resultant cake, hence the last post. Do you think I could bake two cakes with half of the batter each time and then make them into a composite cake with the ganache between the layers and crumb coat the cake as well? After this, then follow the fondant. Do you think this would be ok?
Bebs says
Hey Stella, I just baked the same cake now only in a square pan slightly bigger than your round one. Now I would say, to be on the safe side, make a batter using the original measurements. The pan I used on the cake in my post here was only 6 1/2 inches (I measured it again just for you 😉 ) So it could be too less if you only used the half measurements. Of course you can divide the batter and bake them one after the other, I did the same today! Using the ganache in between layers and as crumb coat is the way to go specially if you want to have a smooth fondant finish. What I also do is when the ganache has already set and is hard enough (from the fridge) I wet my palm with a bit of lukewarm water and smooth the surfaces all over the cake with my palm before putting the fondant on. Goodluck and I hope all goes well with your cake. Please do tell how it goes and you can also send photos if you like! 🙂
Melissa French, The More With Less Mom says
I Pinned it! And I'll eat it! Thanks for sharing with Let's Get Real (I'm co-hosting this week)!
Bebs says
Thanks Melissa, hope you like it 😉 !