Description
Tombstone Chocolate Snack Cakes are a spooky and festive Halloween dessert featuring moist cocoa-infused cakes filled with a light and fluffy red-tinted marshmallow creme. Coated with a smooth confectioners’ sugar glaze, these treat-sized cakes are perfect for parties or seasonal celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
Marshmallow Creme Filling
- 1 1/2 cups marshmallow creme
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 2-3 teaspoons red food dye
Confectioners’ Sugar Glaze
- 1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
- 4 tablespoons milk
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare Molds: Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray your baking mold with baking spray and lightly dust with cocoa powder to prevent sticking. Set aside.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and cinnamon until well combined. Set aside.
- Cream Butter and Sugar: Using a mixer, beat the softened butter and sugar for 3-5 minutes or until the mixture is light and fluffy. This aerates the batter ensuring light cakes.
- Add Eggs: Add the eggs one at a time to the butter mixture, beating well after each addition to incorporate fully. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary to ensure even mixing.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Mix gently to combine without overmixing for tender cakes.
- Fill and Bake: Fill the prepared molds about 60% full with batter. Bake in the preheated oven for 13-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out with a few moist crumbs but no raw batter.
- Cool Cakes: Remove cakes from the oven and cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Carefully remove them from the molds and allow them to cool completely. If desired, trim the domed backs with a serrated knife for a flat top.
- Prepare Marshmallow Creme Filling: In a mixing bowl, beat together marshmallow creme and softened butter on medium-high speed until smooth. Add confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, salt, and red food dye. Continue mixing until the filling is light, fluffy, and evenly colored. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a small round tip.
- Make Confectioners’ Sugar Glaze: Whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, milk, and vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth. Adjust the consistency by adding a bit more milk for a thinner glaze if desired. Set aside.
- Assemble Cakes: Use a large wood skewer to create a tunnel from the bottom to the top of each cooled cake by wiggling it to make space for the filling. Pipe the marshmallow creme filling into each tunnel, filling generously but not overflowing. Wipe away any excess filling from the cakes.
- Glaze the Cakes: Using a pastry brush, apply the confectioners’ sugar glaze evenly over all sides of the filled cakes.
- Serve and Store: Serve the tombstone cakes immediately. Alternatively, store in an airtight container until ready to serve. Before serving, decorate the outside with any leftover red marshmallow filling to enhance the spooky effect.
Notes
- These filled Tombstone Chocolate Snack Cakes are both delicious and a little spooky making them the perfect Halloween dessert recipe!
- Ensure cakes are completely cool before filling to prevent melting the marshmallow creme.
- For a more intense red color, add additional red food dye as preferred.
- Store cakes in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerate for up to 4 days.
- Use a serrated knife for cleanly trimming the cake tops if desired.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 snack cake
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 28g
- Sodium: 110mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 36g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 60mg
