This recipe is supposed to be baked in a 1 1/2 pint (3 1/3 cup) bowl, making a smallish rounded cake. I really wanted to make a jack-o-lantern cake for my birthday party, but needed party-sized, not small, so I tripled the recipe. That turned out to be overkill, and filled much more than the bowl I had expected to use, so I’ll just share the recipe at the original size, and let you multiply as you wish. With the tripled amount of batter, I used both a 2.5 quart bowl and a springform with the same diameter as the top of the bowl.

Ingredients (for one batch):

cake:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 8 ounces superfine sugar (if you can’t find superfine, blend regular sugar in the blender in small batches)
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 5 ounces buttermilk
• 6 ounces self-rising flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch salt

frosting:

• 6 ounces white marshmallows
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 2 egg whites
• 2 tablespoons superfine sugar

additionally: 2 ounces grated milk chocolate to decorate (if not making a jack-o-lantern – candy corn, a candy pumpkin and 2 oreos if you are)

Cream the butter, vanilla, and sugar until light in color and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.

Melt the chocolate over low heat, then stir in the buttermilk gradually until well combined. Set aside to cool slightly.

Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Alternate adding small amounts of the flour mixture and the chocolate mixture to the butter, beating between each addition.

Pour the batter into a greased 1 1/2 pint bowl and bake at 325 degrees for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes in the bowl, then turn out onto a rack to cool competely.

For my tripled batch, the portion I baked in the springform was done in an hour, the stuff in the bowl took two. This didn’t make the most even cakes for me, but would probably cook faster and more evenly in the smaller, intended size.

With a bit of evening, the parts came together acceptably, though.

To make the frosting, heat the marshmallows and milk on the stove over medium-low heat.

Once the marshmallows have melted, set aside to cool slightly.

Clearly, some food dye was added.

Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the sugar, and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the marshmallows, then set aside for ten minutes.

Spread the frosting over the cake and sprinkle with chocolate shavings, or create a candy face.

Spooky? Goofy? …goofy.

Chocolate Marshmallow Cake

From perfect Chocolate.

cake:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 8 ounces superfine sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3 ounces semisweet chocolate
• 5 ounces buttermilk
• 6 ounces self-rising flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• pinch salt

frosting:

• 6 ounces white marshmallows
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 2 egg whites
• 2 tablespoons superfine sugar

• 2 ounces grated milk chocolate for sprinkling

Cream the butter, vanilla, and sugar until light in color and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.Melt the chocolate over low heat, then stir in the buttermilk gradually until well combined. Set aside to cool slightly.

Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Add small amounts of the flour and chocolate mixtures to the butter, alternating and beating after each addition.

Pour the batter into a greased 1 1/2 pint bowl and bake at 325 degrees for 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 5 minutes in the bowl, then turn out onto a rack to cool competely.

For the frosting, heat the marshmallows and milk on the stove over medium-low heat. Once the marshmallows have melted, set aside to cool slightly.

Whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the sugar, and continue beating until stiff peaks form. Fold the egg whites into the marshmallows, then set aside for ten minutes.

Spread the frosting over the cake and sprinkle with chocolate shavings.