This Sno Ball Cake is what we’re discussing today because it’s delicious! And cute.
When I’m recipe testing, I like to prop up my computer on a cutting board and watch trashy television. It helps cake and pie and cookie failures go down a bit easier.
Oh and my standards for trashy tv are SO low. It has been everything from Say Yes to the Dress (the Atlanta season is my favorite) to Rich Kids of Beverly Hills (oof!) to what I’m currently watching, Teen Mom.
Hostess Sno Ball Cakes
This cake, inspired by my childhood favorite (the sno ball!) was created thinking of those afternoons when I’d ride my bike to the corner store and buy sno balls in those plastic packets.
I’d usually get an iced cold coke and consume those two together. I’d go home and my mom would always ask me, “Did you ruin your dinner?” And I’d shake my head and hope my teeth weren’t brown from all the chocolate. Those were the best of times. Everything was so simple!
The Breakdown of a Hostess Sno Ball
In case you’re unfamiliar with a sno ball, allow me to elaborate. They’re a fist-sized chocolate cake round filled with marshmallow fluff. On the outside they are rolled tightly in electric pink coconut flakes.
The bright pink color pops out at you while you’re scanning the sugar for what type of sugar to consume. It really draws you in!
This cake is inspired by that treat. So here’s how it’s made up:
– The cake is a three layer (6-inch) cake. We have options though. If you don’t have 6-inch cake pans (no worries), make this in two (8-inch) cake pans.
– This super quick chocolate cake is covered in marshmallow frosting.
– This frosting is so fluffy and delicious.
– Coconut flakes are mixed and rubbed together with a teeny amount of red food coloring.
– And then they’re all on the sides and tops of the cake making it look like a gigantic Sno Ball!
This cake would make a great birthday cake, shower cake, “it’s just Saturday” cake. If you try it, give me a shout on Instagram.
Sno Ball Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons white granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tsp instant espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 egg, plus 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 cup buttermilk shaken
- 1/2 cup warm water
- 2 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
7-Minute Frosting:
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 cup white granulated
- 3 large egg whites
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- Pinch kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Coconut Topping:
- 1 1/2 cups sweetened or unsweetened coconut flakes
- 2 drops red food coloring
Instructions
To Make the Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour three 6-inch cake pans or two 8-inch cake pans. This batter is sticky so I also lined the bottoms with parchment. I highly recommend this. You don’t want to bake the whole thing up and have it stick. Set the pans aside. See below for link as to how to bake cake layers flat. I do this every single time and it’s SO helpful. Also, I own only two 6-inch cake pans and I baked up the first two layers first and then the third last. The batter was a-ok to do this!
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand-up mixer (with the paddle attachment), add the all-purpose flour, sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix until combined. Next, crack in the egg and egg yolk, pour in the buttermilk, warm water, olive oil and vanilla. Mix until thoroughly combined and the batter is smooth, about 1 minute. The batter will be thinner than cake batter that you’re probably used to—that’s ok!
- Divide the cake batter amongst the cake pans and transfer to the oven to bake for 27 to 30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Clean out the bowl you used to make the cake and dry it thoroughly. While the cakes are cooling, make the frosting.
To Make the Frosting:
- In large metal bowl, whisk together the water, sugar, egg whites, cream of tartar, and salt. Set bowl over pan of barely simmering water and mix with handheld electric mixer at low speed. Gradually increase speed to high, beating until mixture holds stiff peaks, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer bowl from pan to folded kitchen towel on counter and continue beating until mixture is cool and billowy, about 2 minutes more. Beat in vanilla. (Frosting can be made 4 hours ahead and chilled, covered.)
To Make the Coconut Topping:
- Add the coconut flakes and red food coloring to a bowl. (I ended up covering my hands with a ziplock bag so I wouldn’t get food coloring all over my hands.) Mix the coconut flakes and red food coloring together until evenly distributed. I liked mine to be baby pink. If you want bright pink, you may need to buy neon food coloring.
To Assemble the Cake:
- Add a few tablespoons of frosting to the center of one of the rounds of cake. Smooth it around, until it reaches the edges. Place the second layer on top. And then place another few tablespoons of frosting to the center of the second round of cake. Smooth it around. Add the third layer. Add more frosting the top and the sides, smoothing it out the best you can. (Since we’re adding coconut flakes, it doesn’t have to be perfect.)
- Press the coconut flakes to the sides, going all the way around. And add coconut flakes to the top of the cake. Slice and serve.
Awesome cake! My only question is can you make this all a day ahead and place in the fridge till ready?
yes! i would actually just leave it out on the counter at room temp. if you have a cake cover that’s awesome. if not, i like to use a colander. 🙂
I made this cake yesterday for my mother’s birthday. She loves snowballs! I made the three 6″ layers. The only adjustment I made was I replaced two tablespoons of the 1/2 cup cocoa with Hershey’s dark cocoa. I have found it lends a deeper flavor to chocolate cakes but is too much if you replace all of the regular cocoa with it. The cake was incredibly moist if you carefully monitor the baking time. I always set my timer for about 5 minutes less than the recipe calls for and start checking it. The frosting was so good! It was light and fluffy and had marshmallowy flavor that I hadn’t been expecting. It’s absolutely delightful with the coconut on top of it. I did sprinkle a bit of the coconut within the layers as well. My one suggestion is make sure you beat the egg white/sugar mixture to get strong stiff peaks. I thought I had stiff peaks but I think I needed to go about two minutes more. My frosting had a tendency to settle down the sides. I popped it into the fridge which seemed to set it, and with the coconut, you couldn’t even tell. I was just aware of it cause I was seeing it happen while I was frosting it. I will absolutely make this again!
Can i make this gluten free?
I’m making this today for my nephew’s birthday, and the batter tastes amazing. but I’m noticing that my cakes didn’t come out as dark as yours. Did you use something other than regular baking cocoa? Dutched maybe? The recipe didn’t specify so I used Hershey’s regular unsweetened baking cocoa. I’m not unhappy with the cake, just want to make sure I’m not missing out on anything for future reference.
If you want to save a ziplock, put your coconut in a jar, add the colour and the put on the lid and shake the daylights out of it. Then if you have more than you need, you can save it for another project!
This cake looks fantastic and I can’t wait to make it! I do have one suggestion for you when it comes to coloring the coconut. Put the coconut and the food coloring in a resealable plastic bag, close it up well, and shake and/or squish it all together until your coconut is thoroughly colored.
I allow myself the guilty pleasure of a Snoball occasionaly. But, you are right they do not taste the same as when I was younger. Taste kinda fake. Soooo, I am so excited to make this one with ingredients I can pronounce
LOL I hope to give this a try soon. My hubby hates Snowballs so I will have to take it to a get together…maybe they won’t like it and I can eat the whole thing……wouldn’t wanna throw out good food ROFLMAO
My cake came out perfectly! I made my own birthday cake (but I didn’t have to clean up) and I chose this cake to make. Instead of 6 inch rounds I make two 9 inch cakes. I’m so excited to eat it tonight!
ahh i love this! so happy it worked out for you! 🙂
So when you are doing the frosting over the warm water, does it essentially cook the eggs? I want to make sure this is safe to eat, especially once left on the counter a couple days.
Yes it cooks the egg whites. So you should be all good. But if you’re feeding this to anyone pregnant, I would skip it (JUST IN CASE!).
Do I have to beat the egg whites over the water? Will it work to just beat till stiff peaks? Don’t really have a metal bowl that will go over a pot just my mixer bowl. And if not does the bowl touch the water? Making it today. Thanks
If definitely need to heat the egg whites with the sugar over the water until the sugar dissolves. Then you can transfer it to a mixer and beat it. The bowl should not touch the water.
another good spin to the frosting would be to mix in some marshmallow fluff (or jet puff creme if you’re on the west coast) i’ve used fluff to make marshmallow merengue and it’s awesome fun to cook with or even to blow with a torch on ice cream :-p
God this brought me back! I would bake this in a slope sided metal mixing bowl to create a half snowball shape to really take this one step further.
that would be awesome!
I made this beautiful cake today and have a mixed review. I have made other scratch cakes with no problem. Today the cake was very dry. Thankfully the 7 minute frosting turned out perfectly (even though this was my first time making it) and helped with the dryness of the cake. I used two 8 inch pans and the towel method (which worked fabulously ). What could have gone wrong? Or is this a less moist cake? Thanks for sharing. I’ll be making it again.
oh bummer! i make this cake a lot and have never had that problem. the only thing i can think of is that maybe it was over baked? sorry it gave you trouble!
Can you double this recipe to make a 4 layer cake.
yes, that should work out great!
Oh my goodness! I loooove snowballs! I yum, peel off the marshmallow … oh I want one. love the green ones for St. Patty day too! I am definitely going to make this.