This 6-Inch Chocolate Cake with Marshmallow Frosting pairs a moist, fluffy chocolate cake with the most delightful marshmallow frosting. It’s perfect for a small party or to satisfy a chocolate craving!
Mini Chocolate Cake With Whipped Marshmallow Frosting
I’ve developed a mild obsession with my 6-inch cake pan. It’s just the right size to make a simple, beautiful dessert to feed a few. And that’s what we have here with this fantastic 6-inch chocolate cake with marshmallow frosting.
The cake itself is a downsized version of a chocolate cake I’ve made many times. Add to that the marshmallow frosting on top, and you’ve got a wonderful 6-inch cake for chocolate lovers, with a bit of a nostalgic twist thanks to the gooey marshmallow creme.
Let’s talk a little bit more about this marshmallow frosting. It’s such an easy frosting to make, and it’s also one of my all-time favorites. It’s fluffy and surprisingly not overly sweet. Plus, it pairs so well with this chocolate cake!
This 6-inch chocolate cake recipe will give you 4 generous servings or 6 smaller ones. It’s such a lovely way to end a special dinner for just a few, without having to deal with a lot of leftovers.
For more 6-inch cake recipes, see my Spice Cake, Yellow Cake, and Hummingbird Cake.
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card to find the ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
For the cake:
- All-purpose flour – Learn more: How to Measure Flour
- Unsweetened cocoa powder – Chocolate is the key ingredient in this 6-inch chocolate cake, so make sure you use a high-quality cocoa powder.
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Salt
- Unsalted butter – Learn more: Unsalted or Salted Butter: Which is Better for Baking?
- Granulated sugar
- Light brown sugar – Learn more: Light Brown Sugar vs Dark Brown Sugar: What’s the Difference?
- Egg – Let this come to room temperature, along with the butter.
- Vanilla extract – Use store-bought or homemade vanilla extract.
- Buttermilk – The acid in buttermilk reacts with the baking soda to make the cake tall and fluffy; don’t try to substitute regular milk!
For the frosting:
- Unsalted butter
- Confectioners’ sugar – Sift the sugar to keep your frosting smooth and free of lumps.
- Vanilla extract
- Marshmallow creme
- Chocolate sprinkles – These are optional, but they add a little extra chocolate flavor.
Are Marshmallow Fluff and Marshmallow Creme the Same?
Yes, they are the same. Marshmallow Fluff is the brand name of the most popular type of marshmallow creme. You can use Marshmallow Fluff, Jet-Puffed Marshmallow Creme, or another variety for the marshmallow frosting in this 6-inch chocolate cake recipe.
How to Make a 6-Inch Chocolate Cake with Marshmallow Frosting
Since this is simply a smaller version of a chocolate cake, the method is no different from most other chocolate cake recipes. You’ll simply have a smaller amount of batter and put it in a smaller cake pan!
Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350°F, then grease and flour a 6-inch round cake pan (or use a baking spray with flour). Next, line the pan with parchment paper and grease the paper.
Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a mixing bowl.
Mix the wet ingredients. Use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar in another mixing bowl, until they’re light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla.
Finish the batter. Reduce the mixer speed to low, then add the dry ingredients in 3 portions, alternating with 2 portions of the buttermilk, mixing just until combined.
Bake. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and use a rubber spatula to spread it evenly. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. After this, carefully remove the cake from the pan and place it directly on the rack to finish cooling. (Learn more: Why Every Baker Needs Wire Cooling Racks)
Make the frosting. Use an electric mixer on medium speed to beat the butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and marshmallow creme until the ingredients are well-combined and the frosting is smooth.
Frost the cake. Spread the frosting onto the cooled 6-inch cake and decorate with the chocolate sprinkles.
Tips for Success
Read over my baking tips for beginners if you’re new to baking. Here are some additional tips for this 6-inch chocolate cake and the marshmallow frosting that goes with it.
- Let the butter and egg come to room temperature. Not only do they mix into the other ingredients more smoothly this way, they’ll also hold more air when beaten, giving your cake more lift.
- Don’t over-mix the batter. If you beat the batter for too long, the gluten strands in the flour will toughen, ruining the light, fluffy texture of the cake.
- Make it your own. You can, of course, use something other than marshmallow frosting if you like. Try the chocolate frosting from my 6-inch yellow cake if you want an all-out chocolate experience.
Serving Suggestions
I like to add some chocolate sprinkles on top of the marshmallow frosting, but you can skip the garnish or go with another topping like chocolate curls, mini chocolate chips, or chopped nuts. It’s also easy to add some seasonal sprinkles to make the cake more festive for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, a birthday, or most any occasion.
To lean into the marshmallow-and-chocolate combo, try topping your 6-inch chocolate cake with graham cracker crumbs for a s’mores-inspired cake.
How to Store
Store this 6-inch chocolate cake with marshmallow frosting in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
Can This Recipe Be Frozen?
To make this recipe in advance and have it on hand in the freezer, I recommend freezing the 6-inch chocolate cake and then adding the marshmallow frosting later.
If your cake is already frosted, place it on a parchment-lined baking sheet and put it in the freezer. When the frosting is frozen through, wrap the cake in plastic wrap and place it in a freezer bag, airtight container, or wrap it in a layer of foil. Freeze the cake for up to 3 months and thaw it at room temperature.
More Chocolate Cake Recipes
6-Inch Chocolate Cake with Marshmallow Frosting
This mini chocolate cake is the perfect dessert when you're only feeding a few!
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 3/4 cup (90g) all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup (21g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup (56g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (50g) firmly packed light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon (75ml) buttermilk
For the frosting:
- 1/3 cup (75g) unsalted butter, softened
- 1/3 cup (36g) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup (43g) marshmallow creme (such as Marshmallow Fluff)
- chocolate sprinkles, for garnish
Instructions
To make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour (or use a baking spray with flour) a 6-inch round cake pan. Line with parchment paper. Grease the paper.
- Whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix well.
- Reduce mixer speed to low. Add the flour mixture in 3 portions, alternating with 2 portions of the buttermilk. Mix just until combined.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan, and spread evenly. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until a pick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Then transfer the cake from the pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the frosting:
- Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla, and marshmallow creme until thoroughly combined and smooth.
- Spread the frosting on the cooled cake. Top with chocolate sprinkles.
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24 Comments on “6-Inch Chocolate Cake with Marshmallow Frosting”
Please forgive me, I know this post is about the 6” pan, but any possibility you might have this particular recipe for both cake & frosting for use in a more common size pan? It just sounds so wonderful!! (Sorry again)
Hi, Lorr. You should be able to double it for a 9-inch round pan or quadruple for a 9×13 or two 9-inch rounds.
Fantastic! Thank you so much!! Can’t wait to give it a go
Just curious if you recommend regular or Dutch process cocoa powder? I see both baking powder and baking soda although quantity of b. Powder is more. Does that mean Dutch process cocoa is preferred? Thanks. I live these small size recipes.
Hi, Mary. I use regular unsweetened cocoa powder.
I love small batch desserts! Thanks…would love to see more recipes like this!
Just curious, how can I make a vamilla cake this size?
Try this one: 6-Inch Yellow Cake with Chocolate Frosting
Do you recommend a 6” x 2” pan or a 6” x 3” pan!
My pans are 6″x 2″.
Can I use regular marshmallows for the frosting by melting them and then adding them to the recipe? Cause marshmallow creme isn’t available where I stay. If yes, what adjustments should I make to the recipe?
Marshmallows aren’t quite the same as marshmallow fluff, but they are similar so it might work well enough using an equivalent amount. You can also make your own marshmallow fluff. Do a quick google search for a recipe for that, and you’ll find several options.
Ok I will check that out. Btw if I do use marshmallows should I lessen the amount of sugar?
Marshmallow creme has sugar, too, so you probably wouldn’t need to adjust.
Ok. Thank you so much
Hi Jennifer, made this cake for my granddaughter’s Birthday this morning and it looks much smaller than yours. It only measures one and a quarter inches (without the topping) and I followed the ingredients and method exactly. Any ideas? I would appreciate your comments ……and many thanks for the metric measurements, essential here in the UK.
Hi, Jan. If you didn’t change anything at all about the recipe, my first guess would be that your baking powder and/or baking soda weren’t effective. I’ve had brand new containers of those just not work for me. Here’s some more info: How to Test Baking Powder and Baking Soda for Freshness. If that’s not the issue, then I’d look at the type of pan you used, the accuracy of your oven’s temperature, and the chance of over-mixing the batter.
Hi Jennifer – both powders passed the test (both new and stored properly) so I don’t k ow what the problem was. Cake tin is fine, oven new and bakes well and I’m sure I didn’t overmix so I don’t know what the problem was. Having said all that the cake tasted ok. Could you tell me how deep it should be, I!m going to give it another go.
Many thanks for your time.
I haven’t measured the height of it, but I’d guess that it’s about 2 to 2 & 1/2 inches tall.
Hi Jennifer, I made this cake for a small group of friends. I followed the recipe exactly. It looked perfect but was dry. Any suggestions? I do love the 6” size as it’s just right to not have a lot of leftover cake.
Hi, Laura. Dry usually means too much flour. If you didn’t change anything at all about the recipe, be sure you’re either measuring the flour by weight or using the spoon and sweep method.
The cake was awful & frosting was worse.
I am a very experienced baker & a friend asked for a chocolate cake w marshmallow frosting. I did a trial run. Thank goodness for that. I tried to fix it. It only got worst. Waste of time, money & effort.
I hate to be so harsh, but it tasted that bad !
Made this and it was delightful !! The cake had a lovely, deep chocolate flavour. I think I overbaked it by a few mins as it was a little dry on the outside, so I think timing is very critical, but I really enjoyed the combination of the cake with the frosting.
Thank you for posting a wonderful, perfectly sized recipe 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed the cake, Steph!