Rocky Road Cake

Summer has arrived and that means, to most people, that it is ice cream season. But, to me, every season is cake season. I'm the type of person that has a craving for some ice cream, buys a carton, eats it once, and then sticks it in the freezer, only to be found months later, completely inedible and laden with freezer burn.

When I do eat ice cream, however, I LOVE rocky road. So, instead of wasting perfectly good rocky road ice cream, I made something that I knew would not be wasted: rocky road cake.

When planning for this recipe, only one frosting idea came to mind: swiss meringue. It has the exact flavor of marshmallows with out the weirdness of gelatin. It is pillowed atop a simple chocolate cake (I used a mix-get over it) and sprinkled with hearty bits of roasted almonds and dark chocolate. It's everything you've ever wanted rocky road to be . . . without the freezer burn!

Rocky Road Cake
Makes one 1-layer 9" cake

one 9" chocolate cake (I used Betty Crocker GF Cake Mix, or you can use 1/2 this recipe)
one recipe swiss meringue (recipe follows)
1/2 cup chopped roasted almonds
1/3 cup chopped/shaved dark chocolate

Swiss Meringue:
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup liquid egg whites

Set a stainless steel bowl over a pot of simmering water (about an inch worth-make sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water).

Pour the sugar and egg whites, into the bowl and whisk constantly. Check the temperature every few minutes, while whisking, until it reaches 160 degrees F.

Pour hot sugar-mixture into a bowl of a mixture fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high until stiff peaks form and the mixture is cool.


Spoon the meringue onto the cooled chocolate cake and use your spatula to make small peaks. Sprinkle with chopped almonds and chocolate.