Cooking Up the Magic: EPCOT Festival Recipe – Rocky Road Cake

Originally published at Disney Parks News

The EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival presented by CORKCICLE is in full gear! There are so many amazing foods to try. This year’s festival menus were filled with recipes I wanted to test and share with the home cook. One dessert that really stood out was the Rocky Road Cake at the Flavors from Fire Global Marketplace. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to test this recipe!

When I came home from the store with marshmallows and chocolate, the taste testers in my house were excited. After having a chance to taste the final product, they were not disappointed. One of the taste testers revealed that reheated leftover cake made an excellent breakfast the next morning.

Some of my favorite desserts to bake are ones that look time-consuming and difficult but are secretly easy to make. This Rocky Road Cake is a perfect example of that. The cake is delicious and does not take much more time than a standard chocolate cake. The individual cakes topped with marshmallows, almonds, and ganache really set this apart from an everyday chocolate cake. Rocky Road Cake is going on my list of desserts to make again.

Now that I’ve talked it up – it’s time to share the recipe!

ROCKY ROAD CAKE – EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival
Serves 8

SPICY SUGARED ALMONDS

• 1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar, divided
• 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cayenne
• 3 tablespoons water
• 3/4 cup unsalted almonds

CHOCOLATE GANACHE

• 6 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
• 2/3 cup heavy cream

CHOCOLATE-BUTTERMILK CAKE

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup of hot water

TOPPINGS

• 1 cup mini marshmallows
• Sea salt
• Reserved chocolate ganache

FOR SPICY SUGARED ALMONDS:

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.
2. Combine 1 teaspoon sugar with the cinnamon and cayenne in a small bowl; set aside.
3. Stir remaining 1/3 cup sugar and water in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until boiling. Carefully add almonds and stir frequently for 8-10 minutes, until water evaporates. Continue stirring for 2-3 minutes, until sugar begins to caramelize. Sprinkle cinnamon reserved mixture over almonds and stir to mix.
4. Carefully pour almonds onto a prepared baking sheet, separating with a spatula.
5. Cool completely, then coarsely chop. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

CHOCOLATE GANACHE:

1. Spray eight 6-ounce ramekins with non-stick cooking spray; set aside.
2. Place chopped chocolate in a medium glass bowl.
3. Bring heavy cream to simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Pour over chocolate. Let the chocolate sit for 5 minutes, then stir until smooth.
4. Place 1 1/2 tablespoons of ganache in each ramekin and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
5. Keep remaining ganache at room temperature until ready to serve.

FOR CHOCOLATE-BUTTERMILK CAKE:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add egg, oil, and buttermilk. Whisk to combine. Carefully add boiling water and whisk until the batter is smooth.
3. Remove ramekins filled with ganache from the refrigerator and fill each with 1/3 cup of cake batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
4. Cool 5-10 minutes before serving.

TO SERVE:

Carefully remove cakes from ramekins. Top each rock road cake with 2 tablespoons of mini marshmallows and 1 tablespoon of spicy-sweet almonds. Warm chocolate ganache in the microwave for 30 seconds on 50% power. Drizzle ganache over each cake and sprinkle with sea salt.

Note: Always use caution when handling sharp objects and hot contents. Please supervise children who are helping or nearby. This recipe has been converted from a larger quantity in restaurant kitchens. The flavor profile may vary from the restaurant’s version. 

Click here for a print-at-home version of this recipe!

Since it’s World Princess Week, we want to celebrate with Tiana- the princess who loves to cook.  The EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival Princess Tiana Collection recently debuted with an assortment of Tiana-themed kitchenware and apparel. To add a little extra magic, pick up some of the Tiana-inspired merchandise and enjoy using it while baking or displaying your Rocky Road Cakes.