Instructions

CAKE

1. Adjust your oven rack to the center position and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray 3 8-inch round cake pans with non-stick baking spray and set aside.
   
2. In a large bowl, add flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt and whisk to combine. In a medium bowl add the boiling hot chocolate, chocolate, cocoa powder and instant espresso powder, whisk until smooth.
   
3. Attach the paddle attachment to a stand mixer and beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add eggs one at a time beating after each addition until combined. Beat in sour cream and vanilla until incorporated.
   
4. With the mixer speed on low, add the flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with the chocolate mixture in 2 additions. Mix until just combined. Do not over mix. Give the batter a few final stirs by hand.
   
5. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cake pans and smooth the tops with an offset cake spatula or rubber spatula. Gently tap the cake pans on the counter to release air bubbles. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Rotate cake pans halfway through baking.
   
6. Let cakes cool in their pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Invert cakes on to wire racks to cool completely, about 2 hours.
   

MARSHMALLOW FILLING

1. Combine the sugar, cream of tartar and water in a small saucepan with a tight fitting lid. Heat saucepan over medium-high heat uncovered. Once the mixture comes to a boil, cover the saucepan and cook for 2 minutes. Uncover the saucepan and continue to boil until the sugar syrup reaches 242 degrees on a candy thermometer.
   
2. While the syrup is heating up, combine the egg whites and salt in a clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Starting on low speed, beat egg whites, and gradually increase the speed to medium-high in the process. Beat until soft peaks form.
   
3. If your sugar syrup is close to reaching 242 degrees, continue to whip the egg whites to firm peaks. If your sugar syrup is not close to reaching 242 degrees, let the egg whites wait at the soft peak stage before whipping them into firm peaks as the sugar syrup comes to temperature.
   
4. Once the sugar syrup has come to 242 degrees and the egg whites are whipped to firm peaks, run the mixer on high speed and slowly pour the sugar syrup down the inside of the bowl and into the whipped egg whites. Continue whipping until the filling becomes thick and holds stiff peaks, about 5 minute. Add vanilla extract and whip to combine.
   

COCOA WHIPPED CREAM

1. (If you don’t have an extra mixer bowl, transfer the filling to another bowl and wash and dry your mixer bowl for the Cocoa Whipped Cream.) In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the sugar, cocoa powder, salt, cream and vanilla extract on medium-low speed until the sugar has dissolved, about 1 minute. Increase the mixer speed to medium-high and whip until the cream is thick and holds stiff peaks, about 2 minutes.
   

ASSEMBLE

1. Fit a piping bag with a round piping tip or coupler and place about 1 cup Cocoa Whipped Cream inside. Place 1 cake layer on an 8-round cake board and place on a cake turntable with a nonslip mat. Pipe a frosting dam around the edge of the first cake layer.
   
2. Spread 1/2 cup of the marshmallow filling in an even layer over the top until the filling reaches the frosting dam.
   
3. Top the second layer of cake and pipe a frosting dam around the edge and spread about 1/2 cup of the marshmallow filling in an even layer over the top, until it reaches the frosting dam. Place the third cake layer on top (bottom side up).
   

CRUMB COAT

1. Spread a light coating of frosting over the top and the sides of the cake creating a crumb coat, and freeze the cake for 15 minutes or refrigerate for 30 minutes.
   

FROSTING THE CAKE

1. Line an 8-inch acrylic disc with parchment paper. Apply a large dollop of frosting on the top of the cake and spread out evenly until it reaches the edge of the cake. You should have excess frosting hanging off the edges.
   
2. Place the lined acrylic disc on top of the cake (parchment paper side down), being sure it lines up with the bottom cake board.
   
3. Apply more frosting to the sides of the cake, making sure it covers the bottom cake board all around. Once the cake has been fully covered in frosting, use a heated metal cake scraper and gently press it against the acrylic disc and bottom cake board and rotate the cake turntable to smooth. Apply more frosting to any gaps in the frosting and rotate the turntable until the sides are completely smooth.
   
4. Place the cake in the freezer for 15 minutes, or the refrigerator for 20 to 30 minutes before removing the acrylic disc.
   
5. Using a small offset cake spatula, insert the spatula under the acrylic disc and gently rotate the turntable until the disc releases. Peel off the parchment paper. Smooth out the top of the cake with the cake spatula until smooth.
   
6. Fit a piping bags with Wilton piping tips #1M, #32 ,#17 and fill each piping bag with the remaining marshmallow filling. Use the 1M tip first and pipe rosettes over the the top edge. Use the remaining 2 piping tips to fill in the decorative edges.
   
7. Grate fresh cinnamon over the top and garnish with cinnamon sticks and serve.