Almond Joy Cake

Almond Joy Cake is one of the most popular searches on my site and it's no wonder really. Chocolate cake, topped with a layer of gooey marshmallow and coconut cream, that is topped with a creamy layer of chocolate and almonds, and more crunchy almonds on top - it's really rich and decadent I promise ya.  If you like Almond Joy candy bars, just like all the other namesake cakes of candy bar fame that are out there, you're gonna love this cake too. And yeah, y'all... it uses a mix!  Now that said, some mixes are much sweeter than others. Together with the sweetened coconut, the marshmallows, the sugar, the butter, the chocolate, this is quite a rich cake, so keep those serving sizes in mind. A ice cold glass of milk is a must with Almond Joy Cake.

Of course, this is not an original recipe of mine - it's been around awhile. It's just the way that I put it together. So let's get on with it! The cast of characters - A chocolate cake mix (and the eggs, oil & water for that - not pictured), evaporated milk, sugar, marshmallows, sweetened coconut, sliced almonds, butter, chocolate chips, vanilla extract. (See, I do use some generic products sometimes!)

In a mixing bowl, add the eggs, water and oil to the cake mix.

And prepare it according to the package directions. Pour into a 9 x 13 inch cake pan and bake.

When cake is done, set it aside to cool.

In a medium sized saucepan, add 1/2 of the can of evaporated milk and 1/2 cup of the sugar and bring to a boil. Don't continue to boil it, just bring it to a boil. Reduce the burner to low and remove pan from the heat.

Add the marshmallows and return pot to the burner.

Stirring the marshmallows in until they are thoroughly melted and smooth.

Add the coconut and mix together. Remove from the heat.

Mixture may be a bit sticky, but drop it in dollops spread out all over the top of the hot cake and use a spatula to gently & quickly push the mixture out over the entire surface of the cake, taking care not to tear into the cake. It doesn't have to cover perfectly but try to spread it the best you can.

In a separate small saucepan, add the remaining evaporated milk, 1/2 cup of the sugar and 4 tablespoons of butter.

Bring mixture to a boil. Again, you only want to bring it to a boil, not continue boiling it.

Turn the burner down to low, remove pan from the heat and add the chocolate chips. Stir to mix in well and melt the chocolate chips, placing the pan back on the burner to prevent mixture from thickening too quickly - only if needed.

Mix until fully melted and smooth. Add in the vanilla extract.

Stir in 3/4 cup of the sliced almonds.

And immediately pour onto the cake, carefully pushing the chocolate out to the edges ...

... until the cake is covered.

Take the remaining 1/4 cup of sliced almonds and scatter across the top of the cake. Let cool completely.

Slice, serve and totally enjoy ... yum!  Make it for your family this weekend, you'll love it. 

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Almond Joy Cake
From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish

1 box of chocolate cake mix
1 (12-ounce) can of evaporated milk, divided
1 cup of sugar, divided
3-1/2 cups of mini marshmallows
3 cups of sweetened coconut
1/2 stick of unsalted butter
1-1/2 cups of chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 cup of sliced almonds, divided

Quick Note: If you skipped the tutorial above and you've never made this cake before, it is rich! Some mixes are particularly sweet to begin with, but we're adding in sugar, marshmallows, coconut, butter and chocolate chips. Serve it up in modest portions and with an ice cold glass of milk!

Prepare the cake in a 9 x 13 inch baking pan according to the package direction. Set aside to cool.

In a small saucepan, stir together 1/2 of the can of evaporated milk and 1/2 cup of the sugar; bring the mixture just up to a boil, but do not allow the mixture to continue boiling. Remove from the heat and immediately stir in the marshmallows until they melt and are well incorporated. Add the coconut, stir well and then spread this on top of the warm cake. Mixture may be thick; drop in dollops and use a spatula to push the coconut layer out as evenly as possible.

Note:  You can leave the burner on low and move the pot on and off of the burner as needed, to either loosen or thicken the mixture.  Taking it off the burner will allow it to set a bit, if you need it to thicken slightly, while putting it back on the burner temporarily will allow it to warm and thin out to be more spreadable. This applies to the chocolate mixture below as well.

In a separate small saucepan, combine the remaining evaporated milk, 1/2 cup of the sugar and the 4 tablespoons of butter and bring mixture just up to a boil - but do not let it continue to boil. Remove from the heat, stir in the chocolate chips and stir until melted and smooth. Add vanilla. Add about 3/4 cup of the almonds, stir and pour that over the coconut layer. The mixture should be fairly thick, but if it gets too thick, return it to a low burner briefly, stirring until it returns to a spreadable consistency.

Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of almonds over the top and let cool completely before cutting.

Source: http://deepsouthdish.com

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Recipe Tips:

The chocolate layer should not melt off the under layer of the marshmallows and coconut - if it does that probably means the mixture was too hot. Remember that both times the mixtures are only brought up just to a boil, but not allowed to boil.  When you spread the chocolate on it (and it should be more of a spread, rather than a pour) it should be hot, but not scalding hot. You only want it hot enough to keep it pliable for spreading. By removing it from the burner to add in the chocolate chips, vanilla and almonds, it should cool down just enough to thicken and be read to spread.

That is what the purpose of moving the pot on and off of the heat in the tutorial is about - to let whichever mixture you are using either thicken or loosen up. Taking it off the burner will allow it to set a bit, if you need it to thicken slightly while putting it back on - such as if your marshmallow mixture gets too thick to spread. 

Keep in mind that depending on the brand of cake mix used, one might find this cake with the added ingredients to be sweet.  I used Betty Crocker brand here and don't recall it being too overly sweet, but generally speaking, I do find most cake mixes too sweet for my personal taste. You can of course do a homemade cake from scratch instead of using a mix.

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