Pink Marshmallow Fantasy Period….
Picasso had his Blue and Rose Periods, and I, I had my Pink Marshmallow Fantasy Period.
A period in my life(I was 7) when I was quite sure that the North Pole was not blanketed in snowy white but in pink marshmallow snow. Santa lived in a gingerbread house speckled with colorful gumdrops. And the trees were actually candy canes. I think it was a side effect of playing Candy Land one too many times.
I’m not sure what got me thinking about that the other day, but I did, and that inspired me to make a cake based on my Pink Marshmallow Fantasy Period. The inside cake design was based on my bullseye cheesecakes, where you pour batter into the center of batter, and then in the center of that batter. I had found some Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Pieces that were on sale during Thanksgiving and I snatched those up knowing I could use them in something. This was my something. If you can’t find them, I would substitute 1 cup white chocolate(chopped) and 1/3 cup crushed candy cane pieces. I decided to blanket it in pink marshmallow snow using the frosting that I used for my Marshmallow Snowflake Cupcakes. I had to double the batch this time as it was not enough frosting…I like me some frosting. 
The mini candy canes on the side represent the candy cane tree forest that I imagined Santa walking the reindeer through and the crushed candy cane on top is just for effect. 
When I saw it completed I knew that was what I was going to bring to my Housewarming Party. Fun, Whimsical, Sugar-Filled and something special from my childhood.
Chocolate Peppermint Stick Marshmallow Fantasy Cake
White Cake Batter
Chocolate Cake Batter
Marshmallow Frosting
Mini Candy Canes(for decoration)
Crushed Candy Canes(for decoration)
Classic White Cake
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 large egg whites (3/4 cup)
3/4 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips
pink food coloring
Set rack at the middle level in the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
Butter the bottom of two 9-inch round. Line bottom with parchment or waxed paper.
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar for about 5 minutes, until light and fluffy. Stir together flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. Combine egg whites, milk and vanilla extract. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the butter mixture then add half the milk mixture. Continue to alternate beginning and ending with flour mixture. Scape the bowl and beater often. Fold in Andes Peppermint Crunch Baking Chips. Take 2/3 of the batter out and place into a separate bowl and set aside. Add 3 drops of pink food coloring to the remaining 1/3. Blend until the batter is pink in color.
Chocolate Cake
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup boiling water
In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix together with a wooden spoon then set aside. In small bowl combine eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat well with hand mixer(or place in a stand mixer). Slowly add boiling water and mix. Add wet ingredients to flour mixture and fold and stir until smooth.
To make the the cake:
Set out both prepared cake pans. In the first pan scoop 2 cups of chocolate batter into the pan, spread out with spatula. Next scoop 1 ½ cups white batter with peppermint chips into the center of the chocolate batter. Spread out to form a circle. Lastly scoop 1 cup of the remaining pink into the center of the pink batter.
For the second pan. Scoop 2 cups white batter with peppermint chips into pan, spread out with a spatula. Scoop 1 ½ cups of the chocolate batter into the center of the white batter, spread out with spatula to form a circle. Scoop 1 cup of the remaining pink batter into the center of the chocolate batter.
You will most likely have leftover batter…if so make cupcakes.
Bake for 30-35 minutes, OR until the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 15 minutes. Flip cake over onto a rack and remove parchment or waxed paper. Let cake cool completely before frosting.
Marshmallow Frosting:
4 egg whites
1 ½ cups sugar
½ cup light corn syrup
pinch of salt
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp peppermint extract
6 drops pink food coloring
Using a large bowl, preferably the top of a double boiler, mix eggs, sugar, corn syrup ans salt until combined. Place the bowl over simmering water ans whisk until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is hot, about 3 minutes(be careful to not make it too hot since you are using eggs and don’t want them to scramble). Remove heat and beat 5-7 minutes until frosting is cool and stiff peaks form. Beat in vanilla and peppermint extract. Add food coloring and beat until all the color is incorporated.
To assemble the cake:
Place one cake layer on cake plate. Take one cup of frosting and spread it out evenly onto the layer. Place the second layer on top of the frosted layer. Use remainder of frosting to frost top and sides of cake. Decorate top of cake with crushed candy canes. Decorate side of cake with mini candy canes.
Source: Cake recipes adapted from Food Network.com, frosting recipe adapted from Cupcakes Galore by Gail Wagman
60 Responses
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December 10th, 2007 at 9:56 am
You never cease to amaze me!
December 10th, 2007 at 10:02 am
Holy crap that looks good!!! I have to make that for Christmas!
December 10th, 2007 at 10:12 am
This looks so tasty and I am sure it was! I have been looking high and low for candy canes this year without any luck! I am hoping to get some soon so I can make incredibly tasty things such as this! Yum!
December 10th, 2007 at 10:41 am
I am so making that (possibly in cupcake form) for our big gathering on the 26. hoping the frosting works out. im yet to have luck with frosting that has to be cooked. im jixed in that department for some reason.
Its gorgeous!!!
December 10th, 2007 at 11:43 am
Gorgeous cake!
December 10th, 2007 at 11:45 am
It completely fits Picasso’s Pink Period emotions, both are full of joy and happiness, and also very romantic. Adorable cake!
December 10th, 2007 at 12:04 pm
What is there to say about this cake other than WOW! It looks absolutely incredible, and despite how difficult it would be to veganize the recipe, I think it just might be worth it…!
December 10th, 2007 at 12:54 pm
Your cake is beautiful on the outside but absolutely wow on the inside! Can it come and live at my house?
December 10th, 2007 at 1:19 pm
If that is what fantasy looks like, I’ll take it. Any day of the year.
December 10th, 2007 at 1:38 pm
Hahaha, you and Picasso, like to Pea(body)s in a pod! This looks deeelish! (p.s. I’m so sorry I missed the deadline for your housewarming party — if you want to take my lastest post as a late submission, cool, if not, I understand!)
December 10th, 2007 at 1:50 pm
The inside looks so very cool!
December 10th, 2007 at 2:17 pm
Ooooh I’m in LOVE! I want a piece right now! Coming from someone who only has a bite of cake and passes the rest to her family that’s quite an accomplishment!
December 10th, 2007 at 2:33 pm
Oooohh my wooooooord!!!! I want that cake and I want it NOW!!!! But wait……….I’ll have to make it myself and then I can stash it somewhere outta sight where no one will see it - cos then I can have it all to myself……..muwahahahaha!!!
Actually it would make a superb baby shower cake for my daughter. She is expecting end Feb early March and I am organising a baby shower in the New Year. So thanks for the inspiration Pea. Stunning cake and pix!!
December 10th, 2007 at 2:42 pm
Oh my - that has to be the most stunning cake I’ve ever seen in my life? I don’t suppose I can invite myself belatedly to your housewarming (I’ll shuffle in the back with a bottle of wine) just to try a bit, can I?
December 10th, 2007 at 2:50 pm
That is out of control! Yum!
December 10th, 2007 at 3:36 pm
there are no words to adequately express how gorgeous that cake is!
December 10th, 2007 at 4:22 pm
Beautiful, as usual. I love the cake portion!
December 10th, 2007 at 5:15 pm
What a beautiful cake for the holidays!
December 10th, 2007 at 6:25 pm
Oh my god, yum!
December 10th, 2007 at 6:59 pm
pink marshmallow frosting with mint candies aaaaaaaaaaaaaah! omg WOWOWOWOOOOOOOOOO!
December 10th, 2007 at 8:33 pm
Glad I checked back in today — that caught my eye during the potluck. Let’s see now…. do I need an excuse to bake it? Nope. Don’t think so. Better get my shopping list in order. Thanks for the recipe!
December 10th, 2007 at 8:40 pm
Wow. Just wow. That is beautiful and looks scrumptious!
December 10th, 2007 at 9:31 pm
i’ve been a silent fan of your blog for a while now, but decided to finally step into the light hehe.
that cake is really a beautiful thing to behold! still quite the novice, my baking usually looks a bit rustic. your presentation, on the other hand, is so lovely that it’s broken my longstanding indifference toward marshmallows (s’mores notwithstanding).
December 11th, 2007 at 5:04 am
oh i just love this post! all the poesie that’s in it: the texts, the magnificent photos and the wonderful recipe!! really lovely it made my day
December 11th, 2007 at 6:20 am
I’ve been waiting for this recipe ever since I saw the picture!! I told my husband I had to make that cake!!!!! It’s perfect
I can’t wait……and I love those Andes peppermint chips. I buy bags of them each year….
December 11th, 2007 at 8:09 am
I want to live in that pink marshmallow place, too, Pea!
December 11th, 2007 at 8:10 am
This is the most stunning cake I’ve ever seen. Definitely making this very soon!
December 11th, 2007 at 8:30 am
May I have a piece, like right now?!? this looks too gorgeously good!
December 11th, 2007 at 9:01 am
That’s so pretty! I loved playing Candyland when I was little…that and Chutes and Ladders. I’ve never made marshmallow icing, and now I’m looking for a reason; it’s so glossy.
Julie
December 11th, 2007 at 9:19 am
So beautiful, so magical. The perfect holiday dessert.
December 11th, 2007 at 9:45 am
That is a seriously cool technique for cakes - mixing the two types of batter. Beautiful result.
December 11th, 2007 at 9:46 am
WOW!!!!!! My husband would love this.
December 11th, 2007 at 10:41 am
Wow - I don’t like chocolate cake or peppermint, but this is so beautiful, its enticing me!
December 11th, 2007 at 11:33 am
Love that frosting…so fairy tale light/like!!
Really creative!
December 11th, 2007 at 11:41 am
Since a few months, I come here very often. Your blog is so wonderfull. Everythings are perfect for me: the presentation, the recepts and the pictures, the style…everything
Today, with this marvellous pink cake, I finally decide to give you a comment. You told about Picasso, but I would say that YOU are an ARTIST too !!
I don’t “speak” well english, because I’m a swiss french speaking “bloggeuse”.
So, continue like that, just for my eyes.
I wish you a good day
verO
December 11th, 2007 at 2:50 pm
Oh that is one super pretty cake. I may make it sometime this month! After I go buy more candy canes because mine are all currently glued to the gingerbread house as supports.
I love pink and chocolate AND Candy Canes. This cake is perfect!
December 11th, 2007 at 3:22 pm
Oh how beautiful! That does look like it was straight out of my childhood and Candyland!
December 11th, 2007 at 4:17 pm
you never cease to amaze me with your source of inspirations for your latest decadent treat. Your “Pink Marshmallow Fantasy Period” (haha, love it!) certainly inspired you to bake a gorgeous cake, THAT’S for sure!! stunning!!
December 11th, 2007 at 4:45 pm
Exquisite!
It made me happy just looking at it… what a delicious, sugary work of art. Nice work!
December 11th, 2007 at 6:30 pm
Waht a cake! The marshmallow topping sounds really interesting.
December 11th, 2007 at 9:21 pm
Best cake of the year! Where’s my fork?
December 11th, 2007 at 9:53 pm
Wooohoo! I will most definitely give this a try once I get the use of my left arm back. That looks so friggin’ amazing and as I said before, I’m a total peppermint whore. That cake will go perfectly with some… peppermint ice cream
Thanks for the recipe. Sweeeeet.
December 11th, 2007 at 10:53 pm
Peabody, that is one spectacular cake! It is so pretty and it looks so luscious. Absolutely fabulous!
December 11th, 2007 at 11:00 pm
Wonderful !!!
Conpliments for the DMBLG … so, will you be happy to pass on the other side as a judge for January??
If so, send me an email at
contact (at) thefoodtraveller (dot) com
Ciaoo
December 12th, 2007 at 8:47 am
What a cake!! I was obsessed with candy things when I was younger - whenever we would have to make up stories in school, mine were always about towns made of candy. I never really connected it with playing Candy Land, but I think you are onto something….
If this is what the North Pole looks like, I will surely be visiting!!
December 12th, 2007 at 9:40 am
This is an impossibly cheerful cake with an impossibly cheerful name! It just makes me smile. It also looks like another DMBLGIT winner! Congrats on your win–it was a sensational photo!
December 12th, 2007 at 10:28 am
How beautiful!! The inside of that cake is FANTASIC!
December 12th, 2007 at 4:44 pm
I have to make a dessert to take to a party Saturday night. I think I just found it.
December 13th, 2007 at 12:14 am
Oh. My. God. I was having coffee yesterday with a friend and we were talking about how your pictures drive us into a frenzy of food lust. But, this cake is just…..mindboggling. How do you do it?
December 13th, 2007 at 10:00 am
That is the most beautiful Christmas creation I have ever seen - I want to be eating it!
December 13th, 2007 at 6:41 pm
Okay - these are one of those cakes that would never get to the table because I would keep taking my finger to the icing! Then…I would take a fork to the plate…I can’t…can’t … speechless!
December 15th, 2007 at 7:13 am
Oh my god…. I am defiantly trying this recipe. Its beautiful! Defiantly great for the holidays! Thanks for the recipe!!
December 16th, 2007 at 10:32 pm
Wow that is one awesome cake creation! Looks delicious.
December 18th, 2007 at 10:55 am
Wow! What a gorgeous cake. My daughter wants me to make it for her birthday (Christmas Eve). Wish me luck!
December 26th, 2007 at 12:25 pm
Yum! Just wanted to let you know that we made this for dessert for Christmas dinner and it was amazing! So pretty and so yummy! The pictures are up on my blog if you want to see (though they are not as good as yours!) Thanks for the recipe.
December 30th, 2007 at 3:43 pm
[…] Chocolate Peppermint Stick Marshmallow Fantasy Cake December 30, 2007 Filed under: Breakfast — stacielk @ 11:44 pm This cake looked sooo good when I saw that Peabody posted it in early December. I thought it would be a great dessert to bring to a Christmas Party we had the Saturday before Christmas, so my friend Jori and I got together to try it out. I was a bit disappointed on the appearance of the cake when it was all put together (the frosting wasn’t fluffy and spreadable like it should have been, not sure what went wrong there…) but it was probably one of the best cakes I’ve had! If you like cake, chocolate and peppermint, this is the cake for you! (and if you want to see how it was supposed to look check out Peabody’s page) […]
January 1st, 2008 at 6:47 pm
I can’t wait to make this cake for my daughter! She is going to adore it. I’m new to checking out food blogs and i must say, i love yours! Keep up the great work - you are appreciated!
September 12th, 2008 at 12:19 am
Hi there!
I have made this recipe several times already and I must say it’s THE BEST chocolate cake recipe EVER… The vanilla cake is fab, too… esp, when mixed with the colour… The marshmallow frosting came out a little grainy for me, maybe I didn’t heat it long enough or maybe the sugar I used was too granulated… Next time, I will try fine sugar and cooking a little longer.. TWO THUMBS up to you and THANKS SOOOO MUCH for this post.. Your pics are BEAUTIFUL!!! –Leesa
October 24th, 2008 at 7:28 am
Hi there…I’m planning on making this in a few weeks and I have a question. Does the frosted cake need to be refrigerated? I noticed some of the other bloggers who made this said their frosting melted so I was curious. I’ll be traveling with it and want to make sure it’ll hold up!
May 10th, 2009 at 12:03 am
That is my fantasy period. I could just eat it up. like I usually do. But this time with more lip smacking.