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Hot chocolate cake

Serves 15  
Prep 45 mins plus chilling and cooling  
Cook 25-30 mins  
Difficulty More effort

Made with malt and chocolate and topped with chewy marshmallows – why drink a hot chocolate when you can tuck into a big old slice of it with Dr. Oetker?

What you'll need
  • 250g unsalted butter, softened
  • 350g caster sugar
  • 5 medium eggs, beaten
  • 350g plain flour
  • 50g powdered malt drink
  • 50g Dr. Oetker Cocoa Powder
  • 3 tsp Dr. Oetker Baking Powder
  • 75g greek yoghurt
  • 150g Dr. Oetker Milk Chocolate, melted
  • For the marshmallow frosting
  • 2 medium egg whites
  • 125g caster sugar
  • ½ tsp Dr. Oetker Cream of Tartar
  • 1 tsp Dr. Oetker Glucose Syrup
  • 250g unsalted butter, softened
  • 400g icing sugar, sifted
  • 1 tsp Dr. Oetker Madagascan Vanilla Extract
  • For the decoration
  • 150g Dr. Oetker 72% Extra Dark Chocolate
  • 150g Dr. Oetker White Chocolate
  • 150g Dr. Oetker Milk Chocolate
  • Dr. Oetker Glamour and Sparkle Sprinkles
  • Dr. Oetker Chocolate Stars
  • 1 bag marshmallows
  • 5 candy canes
  • meringue kisses
  • chocolate kisses
Method

1.  Heat the oven to 180C/160 fan/gas 4 and grease and line three 9-inch cake tins. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until soft and light. Add the eggs, a little at a time, beating well to fully incorporate. Combine the flour, malt drink, Dr. Oetker Cocoa Powder and Dr. Oetker Baking Powder with a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Fold into the butter and egg mixture, then add the yogurt, melted Dr. Oetker Milk Chocolate and 100ml hot water. Stir until well combined then divide between the tins. Bake for 25-30 mins until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Tip from Dr. Oetker
To melt the milk chocolate, chop into small, equal-sized chunks or shards. Place in a small glass bowl and microwave in 15-20 second intervals, stirring well after each time, until completely smooth and glossy. The chocolate will continue to melt, so don’t return to the microwave unless you think it is completely necessary. Allow to cool a little before adding to the cake batter.

2.  To make the marshmallow frosting, combine the egg whites, caster sugar, Dr. Oetker Cream of Tartar and Dr. Oetker Glucose Syrup to a large bowl. Set this over a pan of just simmering water (don’t let the bowl touch the water) and whisk with electric beaters until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is warm. Remove from the heat and continue whisking until fluffy and doubled in volume. Beat the butter on a high speed until light, then add the icing sugar and Dr. Oetker Madagascan Vanilla Extract and continue beating for about 5 mins until fully incorporated. Add the marshmallow mixture and beat on a high speed until fluffy. Pop in the fridge until needed.

Tip from Dr. Oetker
To make sure the marshmallow mixture doesn’t overheat and collapse, keep the water over a low setting so it is only just simmering. To see if the sugar has dissolved, test a tiny spoonful of the mixture by rubbing it between your index finger and thumb. It should not feel grainy or lumpy in any way. If it does, continue mixing until totally smooth and glossy.

3.  When ready to decorate the cake, place a little of the frosting on a cake board. Top with the first layer of sponge, then spread with a few tbsp of frosting. Repeat this process until all the layers are used up. Crumb coat the cake by using about one-third of the remaining frosting to lightly cover the cake as evenly as possible. Discard any unused crumb frosting. Refrigerate for at least 1 hr. Use the remaining frosting to cover the cake, using a cake scraper or palette knife to create an even surface. Refrigerate for a further 1 hr.

Tip from Dr. Oetker
Use a long serrated breadknife to gently cut off any domed cake tops, creating a flat surface for perfectly even layers. Start at the lowest part of the dome and slowly cut off the top, keeping your knife parallel to your work top throughout. Making sure the cake has cooled completely will make this a lot neater.

4.  Meanwhile, make the chocolate bark by melting each chocolate separately, either in small glass bowls set over simmering water or in the microwave, stirring frequently. Line three baking trays with baking parchment. Pour about half of the Dr. Oetker 72% Extra Dark Chocolate onto one of the trays, then drizzle with the Dr. Oetker White Chocolate and Dr. Oetker Milk Chocolate. Repeat for the other kinds of chocolate, then sprinkle with the Dr. Oetker Glamour and Sparkle Sprinkles and refrigerate to set.

5.  To decorate, drizzle the edge of the top of the cake with the remaining melted dark chocolate, allowing it to drip down the sides – make sure the chocolate is completely cool at this stage. Pile the middle of the cake with the Dr. Oetker Chocolate Stars, marshmallows, candy canes, meringue and chocolate kisses. Serve immediately.

Tip from Dr. Oetker
For the drip effect, use a squeezy bottle to create a circle of chocolate around the edge of the cake, applying a bit more pressure where you want your drips. Alternatively, use a teaspoon, gently pushing the drips down the side where you want them. Spoon the remaining chocolate into the middle of the cake and use an offset spatula to spread it evenly over the surface.

  • 250g unsalted butter, softened
  • 350g caster sugar
  • 5 medium eggs, beaten
  • 350g plain flour
  • 50g powdered malt drink
  • 50g Dr. Oetker Cocoa Powder
  • 3 tsp Dr. Oetker Baking Powder
  • 75g greek yoghurt
  • 150g Dr. Oetker Milk Chocolate, melted
  • For the marshmallow frosting
  • 2 medium egg whites
  • 125g caster sugar
  • ½ tsp Dr. Oetker Cream of Tartar
  • 1 tsp Dr. Oetker Glucose Syrup
  • 250g unsalted butter, softened
  • 400g icing sugar, sifted
  • 1 tsp Dr. Oetker Madagascan Vanilla Extract
  • For the decoration
  • 150g Dr. Oetker 72% Extra Dark Chocolate
  • 150g Dr. Oetker White Chocolate
  • 150g Dr. Oetker Milk Chocolate
  • Dr. Oetker Glamour and Sparkle Sprinkles
  • Dr. Oetker Chocolate Stars
  • 1 bag marshmallows
  • 5 candy canes
  • meringue kisses
  • chocolate kisses

1.  Heat the oven to 180C/160 fan/gas 4 and grease and line three 9-inch cake tins. In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar until soft and light. Add the eggs, a little at a time, beating well to fully incorporate. Combine the flour, malt drink, Dr. Oetker Cocoa Powder and Dr. Oetker Baking Powder with a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Fold into the butter and egg mixture, then add the yogurt, melted Dr. Oetker Milk Chocolate and 100ml hot water. Stir until well combined then divide between the tins. Bake for 25-30 mins until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.

Tip from Dr. Oetker
To melt the milk chocolate, chop into small, equal-sized chunks or shards. Place in a small glass bowl and microwave in 15-20 second intervals, stirring well after each time, until completely smooth and glossy. The chocolate will continue to melt, so don’t return to the microwave unless you think it is completely necessary. Allow to cool a little before adding to the cake batter.

2.  To make the marshmallow frosting, combine the egg whites, caster sugar, Dr. Oetker Cream of Tartar and Dr. Oetker Glucose Syrup to a large bowl. Set this over a pan of just simmering water (don’t let the bowl touch the water) and whisk with electric beaters until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is warm. Remove from the heat and continue whisking until fluffy and doubled in volume. Beat the butter on a high speed until light, then add the icing sugar and Dr. Oetker Madagascan Vanilla Extract and continue beating for about 5 mins until fully incorporated. Add the marshmallow mixture and beat on a high speed until fluffy. Pop in the fridge until needed.

Tip from Dr. Oetker
To make sure the marshmallow mixture doesn’t overheat and collapse, keep the water over a low setting so it is only just simmering. To see if the sugar has dissolved, test a tiny spoonful of the mixture by rubbing it between your index finger and thumb. It should not feel grainy or lumpy in any way. If it does, continue mixing until totally smooth and glossy.

3.  When ready to decorate the cake, place a little of the frosting on a cake board. Top with the first layer of sponge, then spread with a few tbsp of frosting. Repeat this process until all the layers are used up. Crumb coat the cake by using about one-third of the remaining frosting to lightly cover the cake as evenly as possible. Discard any unused crumb frosting. Refrigerate for at least 1 hr. Use the remaining frosting to cover the cake, using a cake scraper or palette knife to create an even surface. Refrigerate for a further 1 hr.

Tip from Dr. Oetker
Use a long serrated breadknife to gently cut off any domed cake tops, creating a flat surface for perfectly even layers. Start at the lowest part of the dome and slowly cut off the top, keeping your knife parallel to your work top throughout. Making sure the cake has cooled completely will make this a lot neater.

4.  Meanwhile, make the chocolate bark by melting each chocolate separately, either in small glass bowls set over simmering water or in the microwave, stirring frequently. Line three baking trays with baking parchment. Pour about half of the Dr. Oetker 72% Extra Dark Chocolate onto one of the trays, then drizzle with the Dr. Oetker White Chocolate and Dr. Oetker Milk Chocolate. Repeat for the other kinds of chocolate, then sprinkle with the Dr. Oetker Glamour and Sparkle Sprinkles and refrigerate to set.

5.  To decorate, drizzle the edge of the top of the cake with the remaining melted dark chocolate, allowing it to drip down the sides – make sure the chocolate is completely cool at this stage. Pile the middle of the cake with the Dr. Oetker Chocolate Stars, marshmallows, candy canes, meringue and chocolate kisses. Serve immediately.

Tip from Dr. Oetker
For the drip effect, use a squeezy bottle to create a circle of chocolate around the edge of the cake, applying a bit more pressure where you want your drips. Alternatively, use a teaspoon, gently pushing the drips down the side where you want them. Spoon the remaining chocolate into the middle of the cake and use an offset spatula to spread it evenly over the surface.