Chocolate cake gets an exciting makeover with three distinct chocolate flavours hidden beneath luscious vanilla marshmallow fluff buttercream in this recipe for triple chocolate layer cake. It's a simple but effective concept.
This recipe was first published in March 2016 and updated in May 2020.
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March is my crazy month of birthday cake baking. My record is 4 cakes in the space of just 10 days. That’s a lot of eggs. A lot of icing. A lot of cake. It really is a cake-a-thon. In the midst of this baking madness, this fantastic triple chocolate layer cake with marshmallow buttercream was born for my younger daughter’s birthday a few years back.
We’re talking about three distinct layers of light & bouncy chocolate sponge cake:
- White chocolate & vanilla – sweet & fresh
- Malted milk chocolate - homely, comforting chocolate heaven
- Dark Chocolate – satisfyingly intense
What's not to love about this triple chocolate layer cake?
What Makes This Chocolate Cake So Special?
Yes, this triple chocolate layer cake is essentially a large chocolate cake. But the different layers that reveal themselves once the cake is cut into takes it over the edge. It is far more exciting than a typical chocolate cake.
I'd say this recipe for triple chocolate cake is ideal for any chocolate lover - child or adult. It was a hit with everybody around our tea-table.
One or two people picked out their favourite layers, but most, me included, just fell for the entire bundle.
Then of, course, there's the marshmallow fluff buttercream.
What is Marshmallow Fluff Buttercream?
It's a regular buttercream with the addition of Marshmallow Fluff & vanilla bean paste.
Marshmallow Fluff, if you've not come across it before, is a spreadable marshmallow creme, hugely popular in the US. It is now commonly available in UK supermarkets too - try looking for it in the chocolate spread area.
This marshmallow fluff buttercream is my absolute favourite – you may remember it from my Pumpkin Pie Whoopie Pies. It is everything you could wish for in an icing: sweet, light, fluffy, easy to spread and, without a doubt, a step up from standard vanilla buttercream.
And this marshmallow frosting makes a welcome deviation from the cocoa theme in this decadent recipe for triple chocolate cake.
How do you Make This Cake?
There are three stages to making this fantastic recipe:
- Baking the sponge cakes
- Making the buttercream
- Assembling and decorating the layers
Before we get to the instructions, I'd like to talk about working with melted chocolate. It can be a tricky beast to master.
How to successfully Mix Melted Chocolate into Cake Batter
Each layer of this extravagant triple chocolate cake contains real chocolate. When melted chocolate is added to cake batter, it can have a tendency to cool too quickly and end up seizing before it is fully mixed in.
Occasionally readers write in to tell me that although they enjoyed the cake, they experienced this problem. So I'd like to share a few tips to help you avoid this issue too:
- Use room temperature ingredients - melted chocolate will start to reset if it comes into contact with other colder ingredients, so never use chilled ingredients for this recipe. This is perhaps the main reason chocolate seizes when mixed into cake batter
- Work quickly - chocolate that has cooled too much after melting is the second most likely reason that the chocolate does not mix smoothly into the cake batter, so if you are a slower baker, keep this in mind. I'm a relatively quick baker, so I melt the chocolate before I begin to mix the cake batter. This is so that it can cool for around 5 minutes
- Stir a tablespoon of cake batter directly into the chocolate and then blend it all back into the remaining cake batter. This step really does help reduce the risk of the chocolate seizing when incorporating it into the cake batter since it helps even-out the differences in temperature between the chocolate and the cake batter
Keep these 3 points in mind as you make this recipe for triple chocolate cake and you'll be rewarded with 3 perfectly blended batters.
Making the Cakes
Now we've covered the basics of working with chocolate in cake batter, follow these instructions to make this fantastic recipe for triple chocolate layer cake:
- Grease and line 3 x 6-inch circular baking tins and preheat the oven
- Melt the 3 types of chocolate in separate bowls. Set aside
- Now remember to work quickly
- In a bowl beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, using electric beaters. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition
- Add 3 tbsp of milk and beat again. Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl and mix well
- Divide the cake batter equally into 3 small mixing bowls - you can weigh it out for precise division if desired
- For the White Chocolate & Vanilla Sponge:
- Take one of the 3 bowls of the cake batter
- From this bowl, take a tablespoon of the cake batter and quickly mix it into the melted white chocolate
- Gently fold this white chocolate mixture and the vanilla extract back into the bowl containing the rest of the cake batter - remember, this double-action will stop the chocolate from seizing when it is mixed into the cake batter
- Spoon the batter into one of the baking tins and spread it out with a blunt knife
- For the Malted Milk Chocolate Sponge:
- stir an extra tablespoon of milk and the Ovaltine powder into the second bowl of cake batter
- From this bowl, take a tablespoon of the cake batter and stir it quickly into the melted milk chocolate
- Fold this chocolate mixture back into the rest of the cake batter then spoon the batter into another of the baking tins & spread it out
- For the Dark Chocolate Sponge:
- stir an extra tablespoon of milk and the cocoa powder (sifted) into the remaining bowl of cake batter
- Quickly mix a tablespoon of this cake batter into the melted dark chocolate
- Fold this chocolate mixture back into the rest of the cake batter, spread the batter into the last of the baking tins
- Bake all three cakes for 20-25 minutes until the cake springs back when lightly pressed or a skewer comes out clean. Let cool completely on a baking rack
See the recipe card for full instructions.
Please note: the recipe listed is for a three-layer chocolate cake made in 6-inch cake pans. This cake is ideal for serving 8-10 people.
These cake pans are smaller than typical ones, which tend to measure 8-inches. I have included some instructions in my recipe notes for scaling up to large pans.
Make the Marshmallow Fluff Buttercream
These is absolutely nothing complicated in making this buttercream. Simply beat the icing sugar, butter & vanilla paste together until smooth, follwed by the cream cheese. Finally, mix in the marshmallow fluff.
Since this buttercream contains cream cheese, it does need to be refrigerated if it will not be consumed in a few hours.
Either make it in advance, chill and allow to come back to room temperature before using it or use to decorate the cake and refrigerate, again remembering to let it come to room temperature before serving.
Assembling the Cake
Spread a heaped tablespoon of frosting over the white chocolate cake layer, smooth with a blunt knife and top with the malted milk chocolate layer. Repeat to add the final layer of dark chocolate cake.
Once the final layer of cake has been added, carefully spread a thin layer of icing all over the top and sides of the cake - a palette knife is good for this. I find that coating the cake in a thin layer all over helps to seal in the crumbs, especially if you can chill the cake for 20 minutes or so at this point too.
Use the remaining icing to create a thicker layer that covers the cake entirely, then carefully move your cake onto a serving plate and touch up the icing if necessary.
Once you are satisfied, you can add a pattern if you want to. I used the back of a dessert spoon to lift the icing in places to give a rugged appearance.
Decorate with crushed or chopped chocolate if desired.
I knew I was onto a winner for my girl with this recipe for triple chocolate cake. She adores chocolate & marshmallows so to have a multitude of chocolate all stacked up into a birthday cake and then include marshmallow in the icing was like a dream come true for her.
And me, let's be honest.
Have you seen my other triple layer cakes?
- Chocolate & Vanilla Malted Milkshake Cake with Italian Buttercream
- Triple Layer Coffee Cake
- Cinnamon Apple Cake with Salted Maple Buttercream
- Turkish Delight Cake
If you tried this recipe please give it a rating below. Don’t forget to share your creations with me on Instagram too - I love to hear how you've got along. Use #littlesugarsnaps and tag me @jane_littlesugarsnaps.
Triple Chocolate Layer Cake
Ingredients
For the Cakes
- 180 g/ 6 ½oz softened butter
- 180 g/ 6 ½oz caster sugar
- 3 eggs
- 5 tbsp milk
- 180 g/ 6 ½oz plain (all purpose) flour (sifted)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 50 g/ 2oz white chocolate - finely chopped
- 50 g/ 2oz milk chocolate - finely chopped
- 50 g/ 2oz dark chocolate - finely chopped
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 ½ tbsp Ovaltine (chocolate malt powder)
- 1 ½ tbsp cocoa powder
For the buttercream
- 125 g/ 4 ½oz softened butter
- 250 g/ 9oz icing (confectioner's) sugar
- 125 g/ 4 ½oz cream cheese
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
- 150 g vanilla Marshmallow Fluff
Decoration - 1 Cadbury's flake (or 40g chopped/ grated milk chocolate)
Instructions
Bake the cakes
- Preheat the oven 170°/ 325°F/ GM3
- Grease and line 3 x 6-inch circular baking tins (note these are smaller than average tins - if you are using 8-inch tins see my notes on how to scale up the recipe)
- Melt the 3 types of chocolate in separate bowls. Set aside
- In a bowl beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, using electric beaters. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition
- Add 3 tbsp of milk and beat again. Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl and mix well
- Divide the cake batter equally into 3 small mixing bowls
- For the White Chocolate & Vanilla Sponge: from the first mixing bowl take a tablespoon of the cake batter and stir it quickly into the melted white chocolate. Then gently fold this white chocolate mixture and the vanilla extract back into the bowl containing the rest of the cake batter. This double-action will stop the chocolate from seizing when it is mixed into the cake batter. Gently spoon the batter into one of the baking tins and spread it out with a blunt knife
- For the Malted Milk Chocolate Sponge: stir an extra tablespoon of milk and the Ovaltine powder into the second bowl of cake batter. From this bowl, take a tablespoon of the cake batter and stir it quickly into the melted milk chocolate. Then fold this chocolate mixture back into the rest of the cake batter. Spoon the batter into another of the baking tins & spread it out
- For the Dark Chocolate Sponge: stir an extra tablespoon of milk and the cocoa powder (sifted) into the remaining bowl of cake batter. Quickly mix a tablespoon of this cake batter into the melted dark chocolate, then fold this chocolate mixture back into the rest of the cake batter. Spread the batter into the last of the baking tins
- Bake all three cakes for 20-25 minutes until the cake springs back when lightly pressed or a skewer comes out clean
- Let cool in the tins for 2 minutes, then remove from the tins, peal off the baking parchment from the bottom of each sponge cake and let cool completely on a wire rack
Make the Marshmallow buttercream
- Put the icing sugar, butter & vanilla paste into a large bowl and beat until smooth
- Beat in the cream cheese until smooth, then mix in the marshmallow fluff
Assemble the cake
- Lay the white chocolate sponge cake onto a board and spread a heaped tablespoon of the icing on top, then place the malted milk chocolate cake carefully on top of the layer of icing
- Top with another spoonful of icing, spread it out and add the dark chocolate layer of cake
- Once the final layer of cake has been added, carefully spread a thin layer of icing all over the top and sides of the cake - a palette knife is good for this. I find that coating the cake in a thin layer all over helps to seal in the crumbs. Once you have done this, use the remaining icing to create a thicker layer that covers the cake entirely.
- Carefully move your cake onto a serving plate and touch up the icing if necessary. Once you are satisfied, you can add a pattern if you want to. I used the back of a dessert spoon to lift the icing in places to give a rugged appearance
- Decorate with crushed or chopped chocolate if desired
The cake looks divine ! Question for you, my soon to be 15 year old son's birthday is coming up and being a soon to be 15 year old he has little preference to his cake or anything else. But he's requested marble cakes before and chocolate so I think he would love the layers on this one . Here's my question do you think a chocolate malt frosting would compliment this cake? I have a recipe I want to try and would love to try it with this one , or do you think you could add the malt to your frosting with success? Thanks so much!
Hi there Denise. I'm so pleased you like the cake and I'm sure it will hit the spot with your chocolate loving son for his birthday. I have to say, I think that the flavours of the chocolate malt frosting would match deliciously. Since my frosting is based on marshmallow, I'd go with your own frosting recipe to avoid confusing the two flavours this time around. You can always make it again for another occasion with the marshmallow frosting, just to see which you prefer 😉
Thanks! I'm looking forward to making it this week!
Anytime - enjoy....
This cake looks and sounds delicious!
I'm hoping to make it for my daughters birthday coming but will need to increase the size. I have square tins 27.5cm - I was going to make the batter base for each layer on its own rather than splitting into thirds. Do you think this would work and if so what would your recommended increase of the chocolate additions be - simply tripling?
Thank you - it is an inspiration.
Hi Nikki, I'm so thrilled you like my cake. Pleeeease send me a photo when you've made it. Wow 27.5cm cake tins, that's going to be a deliciously large layer cake (I whole-heartedly approve). Allow me to get technical....
My measurements are for 3 x 6inch (aka 16cm) circular tins. Each tin has an area to fill of approx 200cm squared or 600cm squared in total (3x200cm).
Your square tin of 27.5 cm has an area of 756cm to fill, which is a little larger than the total for my 3 circular tins.
So... yes, you'll definitely need at least the entire base for each layer - I'd expect slightly thinner layers though. And yes, I'd recommend just scaling up the flavour measurements by tripling them.
If you wanted to ensure thicker layers, I'd add a third extra of everything for each layer as well. So 60g butter & sugar, 1 egg, 1.5 tbsp milk, 60g flour, 3/4 tsp baking powder plus an extra third of each flavouring. If the mixture looks too much for the tin you can always convert the leftover batter into cupcakes.
When you bake the cake you may also need to cover it loosely with baking parchment for the last 10 minutes of baking or so if the edges look as if they are done but the centre is not. And in terms of length of bake - I'd guess anywhere between 35-50 minutes, but I'm assuming you're not a novice when it comes to baking large cakes 😉
Best of luck. Awaiting your photo eagerly....
Thank you so much for responding - I will definitely post a pic for you, her birthday isn't until 4th June which gives me some time to play.
I'm a little hesitant to play with your cake as it looks perfect as it is - but having a large family 10-12 serves doesn't cut it! and omg thank you for the baking parchment tip - I quite often increase recipes and crunchy edges ensue - I had never thought of something so obvious!
Thanks again...now fingers crossed!
A pleasure to help you Nikki. I really hope it works out well.
Hi Jane, I'm excited to try this out for my Nieces birthday this weekend, but I have 9 Inch round pans. I'm assuming I can add a third again the ingredients as you described in Nikki's thread? Would you please let me know? We have a large family, so 6 inch cakes (layered or not) is simply not enough anyways lol!
Hi Amanda, lucky niece. For cake pans that size I would suggest doubling the cake recipe. Ensure you don't overfill the tins (2/3 full is plenty) and use any extra cake batter to make a few cupcakes. You may need to extend the baking time slightly (around 25-28mins at a guess) and you may find that 1 1/2 times the buttercream is sufficient, but there's no harm in making double either - pile it on thick or keep any excess in the fridge for a few weeks. Hope it works out well.
Beautiful cake. Sounds delicious.
Thanks Jeff
Every time I see this cake pop up on my screen I have to stop and admire how pretty it is - you're a star!
ah, thankyou Sarah
Ha! Ha! Let me take a moment and compose myself.
Chica. . .you sure are brave to attempt to make that darn dome a third time. After the first explosion, I definitely would have be done with it. . .like for the rest of my life. But such is a mother's love. Only one question remains. . .are you still finding bits of chocolate here and there?
As for next year. . .well. . .my vote is for the ombre cake. Sure. . . a youngster might not find it as fun because it doesn't spew candy after being beaten to death with a rolling pin. . .but it is equally beautiful. In the even you do decide to make another. . .I have a robotic mop that you can borrow. 😉
Oh gosh, Lynn. You are so funny. And yes, I am still finding bits of chocolate in random places. Pleeeease can I borrow your mop? And truth be told, I did not have time to get the chocolate off the ceiling for another week after the event. It became a bit of conversation feature whenever a visitor came. If I ever see another then I will be the one beating it to death with a rolling pin 🙂
Oh my goodness Jane! The chocolate explosion! I have to say that I am SO GLAD that did not happen to me, I would have lost it! But it was a tiny bit funny hearing the story 😉 I agree with Demeter, your girls are so lucky to have a mother that works so hard to make them the perfect cake! They will always remember that. And I am doubly impressed that you finished the pinata cake despite the disaster. Also THIS cake - I am in love! 3 kinds of chocolate and MARSHMALLOW frosting! Will you make this for me for my birthday? 😉
Ha Ha - it was more than a little funny, even at the time. It's not going to be long before I make this cake again so I'll mail you a slice 😉
This cake is incredible, I can't stop looking at it! It's beautiful and just looks so yummy. That frosting - *droooool!*
Sharing!
I had a crazy month of cake baking too, think I need a break for a while before my next cake!
Thanks so much, Michelle. The trouble with life is so many cakes to bake and not enough time to eat them all - this is one of my new favourites though.
Wow this cake looks amazing & I love the ombre layers!
thanks so much, Thalia
Hi Jane,
Do you think this cake would with stand fondant?
A beautiful cake by the way. It looks so impressive. A real labour of love. Thank you for sharing it.
Hi Mary. Thanks for getting in touch. I see no reason why not - I'm appalling at fondant icing, but let me know how you get along.
Woah, Jane! 4 cakes in 10 days? Color me incredibly impressed. Cake's a bit tricky for me too, so consider me doubly impressed! Your Triple Chocolate Layer Cake with Marshmallow (!!) Buttercream looks heavenly. Just heavenly.
Hannah and Milly sound like the luckiest girls in the world. They're so fortunate to have a mom that would so thoughtfully plan out and bake a cake that suits their personalities. 🙂
Wow. The 2nd version of the piñata cake... just wow. So was the chocolate too hot for the balloon? Goodness, the whole scene sounds like such a nightmare! Okay, major props to you for having finished that cake anyway. Consider the rest of us legitimately forewarned. Btw, Jane, I was completely gripped during that entire tale!
Thanks for sharing this amazing cake. I now have the wisdom to appreciate that it is not a piñata cake. Haha. Have a great weekend!
Hi Demeter, thankyou. They are lucky little things, but they so deserve it! I much prefer regular cakes like this one to themed cakes, but while they are young, I'll indulge them for their parties. So far I've done numbers, the piñata (once too many times - yes the chocolate was far too hot), teddy bears, roller skates, a treasure island, a love heart and a great one this year for the number 10 - a glass of cola and a pizza. I can't help but wonder/ worry what's in store for next March!