Mississippi Mud Cake is a classic Southern sheet cake filled with marshmallows and chopped pecans and covered in a rich chocolate frosting. This particular recipe offers a cupcake variation as well as a shortcut version.

•  1 cup chopped pecans
•  1 cup butter
•  4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
•  2 cups sugar
•  1½ cups all-purpose flour
•  ½ cup unsweetened cocoa
•  4 large eggs
•  1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•  ¾ teaspoon salt
•  1 10.5-ounce bag miniature marshmallows
•  Chocolate Frosting

1. Place pecans in a single layer on a baking sheet.
2. Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until toasted.
3. Microwave 1 cup butter and semisweet chocolate in a large microwave-safe glass bowl at HIGH 1 minute or until melted and smooth, stirring every 30 seconds.
4. Whisk sugar and next 5 ingredients into chocolate mixture. Pour batter into a greased 15-inch-by-10-inchy-1-inch jelly-roll pan.
5. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, and sprinkle evenly with miniature marshmallows; bake 8 to 10 more minutes or until golden brown. Drizzle warm cake with Chocolate Frosting, and sprinkle evenly with toasted pecans.

Kitchen Express Mississippi Mud Cake: Prepare pecans as directed. Substitute 2 (17.6-oz.) packages fudge brownie mix for batter. Prepare mix according to package directions; pour batter into a greased 15-inch-by-10-inchy-1-inch jelly-roll pan. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, and top with marshmallows; bake 8 to 10 more minutes. Proceed with recipe as directed. Note: For testing purposes only, we used Duncan Hines Chocolate Lover’s Double Fudge Brownie Mix.

Caramel-Peanut Mississippi Mud Cake: Omit pecans. Prepare and bake Mississippi Mud Cake as directed. Microwave ½ cup bottled caramel sauce at HIGH 15 seconds. Drizzle over browned marshmallows. Drizzle with Chocolate Frosting, and sprinkle with 1 cup dry-roasted peanuts.

Mississippi Mud Cupcakes: Prepare pecans and Mississippi Mud Cake batter as directed. Spoon batter evenly into 24 paper-lined muffin cups. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until puffed. Sprinkle evenly with 2 cups miniature marshmallows, and bake 5 more minutes or until golden. Remove from oven, and cool cupcakes in muffin pans 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pans, and place on wire rack. Drizzle warm cakes evenly with 1¼ cups Chocolate Frosting, and sprinkle with toasted pecans. Reserve remaining ¾ cup frosting for another use. Note: To serve remaining Chocolate Frosting over pound cake or ice cream, microwave reserved ¾ cup Chocolate Frosting in a medium-size microwave-safe glass bowl at HIGH 15 seconds or until warm.