It didn't take me long to learn how to spell Mississippi when we moved here. Okay, I already knew how to spell it, but it took some time to stop me from reciting "M-I-crooked letter, crooked letter, I-crooked letter, crooked letter, I-humpback, humpback, I." And, I'm not talking about some silly rap song. This is the way I was taught to spell Mississippi in elementary school. How about you?
Anyhow, when I saw this recipe listed in my new Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible, I knew it had to be one of the first recipes I tried. I've always heard of Mississippi Mud Cake (and Pie) but never experienced tasting one. Plus, what a more fitting title?
This is a great party or pot luck cake. It doesn't take much effort to throw together, and it serves a crowd, depending on the sizes of the serving slices. You can serve it completely cooled to room temperature, or throw each slice into the microwave, like I do, for 15 seconds. Paula suggests the completely cooled route, but I'm such a sucker for melt-in-your mouth warm chocolaty cake.
Oh, and to cut the pieces into circles as pictured, no fancy tools are needed. Just grab a round glass and dig away! 🙂
This week, you have seen three recipes from Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible and now I'm giving you the chance to win your own copy! Smithfield is giving one of you the opportunity to dig into Paula's book for free, so you can try out hundreds of other of her recipes for fabulous Southern cuisine. She covers everything from Sweet Potato Balls, to Hot Pimiento Cheese Dip, to Southern Brown Rice, to Cheesy Mac, to The Real Deal Gumbo and a bunch of lickin' your lips desserts! She adds in some tips and illustrations to help give you visuals of some of the more difficult steps, too.
If you would like to win a copy of Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible, please leave a comment attached to this post telling me your favorite southern dish. Only one entry per person, please, and open only to residents in the United States. The contest will close on Sunday, February 26 at 9:00 PM EST. The winner will be picked randomly and announced next week. Good luck!
Full Disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by Smithfield, but the opinions expressed of Paula Deen's Southern Cooking Bible are my own.
Recipe Card
Mississippi Mud Cake
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder , sifted
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup whole milk
- 8 Tablespoons butter , melted
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups mini marshmallows
For the glaze and topping:
- 1 cup pecan halves
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup light corn syrup
- ½ cup chopped semisweet chocolate
- ½ cup shredded sweetened coconut
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13- by 9-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
For the cake:
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla. Using a rubber spatula, fold the milk mixture into the flour mixture just until combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean and the cake is firm to the touch, 30 to 40 minutes.
- Remove the cake from the oven and evenly scatter the marshmallows over top. Return to the oven for 5 minutes to melt the marshmallows.
For the glaze:
- Reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F. Spread the pecans on a baking sheet and bake until fragrant, about 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, coarsely chop the pecans.
- In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, corn syrup, and chocolate. Stir over medium-low heat until the chocolate is melted. Pour the chocolate mixture over the top of the cake. Top with the pecans and coconut. Let cool completely before serving. (Or, serve warm if you're so inclined...) 🙂
