Jodi Picoult
Jodi Picoult chose a Mississippi Mud Cake to pair with a book club discussion of her novel A Spark of Light, set in Mississippi.
Mississippi mud cakes and pies are thought to be named for the rich dark mud lining the banks of the Mississippi River.
This cake recipe, adapted from Down Home: Treasured Recipes from Our House to Yours from the West Point Mississippi Junior Auxiliary (2004), yields a rich dense chocolate sheet cake topped with marshmallow creme and chocolate frosting.
Also see Jodi Picoult’s recipe for Firehouse Marinara inspired by My Sister’s Keeper in The Book Club Cookbook
Jodi Picoult's book club recipe for Mississippi Mud Cake paired with her novel A SPARK OF LIGHT.
Ingredients
For the cake:
1 cup (16 tablespoons) salted butter, melted
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup hot water
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup pecans, chopped, plus extra for sprinkling
1/3 cup plain yogurt
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
7 ounces marshmallow creme, such as Fluff
Chocolate Frosting (recipe below)
For the Chocolate Frosting:
¼ cup (4 tablespoons) butter
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
5 ounces evaporated milk
1 pound confectioners’ sugar
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 13 x 9 x 2 inch baking pan.
Melt the butter in microwave or on stovetop and stir in the cocoa powder and hot water. Combine the granulated sugar, flour, baking soda, salt and pecans in a large mixing bowl and mix well. Add yogurt, eggs and vanilla and mix well.
Pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.
While cake is baking, make the chocolate frosting: Melt the butter in microwave or on stovetop. Stir in the cocoa powder. Pour into a mixing bowl and add the evaporated milk and confectioners’ sugar. Beat until smooth.
Remove the cake from the oven. Allow to cool for a minute. Spoon marshmallow creme on surface of warm cake. When marshmallow creme begins to melt , spread over entire cake with a spatula. Pour warm Chocolate Frosting over the top and spread evenly. Sprinkle with nuts.
Allow to cool to room temperature before serving.