Updated October 2026.
Our Rocky Road Chocolate Cake is a two-layer chocolate cake made with coffee and buttermilk, covered in chocolate frosting and ganache, then piled high with marshmallows, chocolate-coated pretzels and Chocilo Rocky Road chocolate. It serves 16 and takes about 1 hour 15 minutes, plus time to cool and decorate.
The good news is that it's easy to make at home. You need some supermarket staples for the cake, plus a few of our bestselling chocolate treats for the top.
What is Rocky Road?
Rocky Road is a no-bake chocolate treat made by mixing chocolate with chewy and crunchy pieces, then setting it into a block and cutting it up. Classic versions often include marshmallows and nuts. Ours are made with marshmallow, Jersey caramel and lolly snakes, with no nuts in the recipe. It's chewy, crunchy and creamy all in one, which is exactly why it works so well on top of a cake.
[[ recipeID=recipe-2m8nqt7ar, title=Chocilo Rocky Road Chocolate Cake ]]
Where can I buy Rocky Road chocolate?
The blocks on top of this cake are our own Rocky Road chocolate, available as a Rocky Road Milk Chocolate Block or a Rocky Road Dark Chocolate Block ($9.95 each, 75g). Use them to decorate the cake, or just enjoy them on their own. We won't judge!
Does this cake contain nuts?
The cake recipe itself has no nuts, and our Rocky Road blocks have no nuts in their ingredients. However, the Rocky Road blocks, chocolate pretzels and chocolate buttons are all made where they may contain traces of peanuts and tree nuts. If you're baking for someone with a nut allergy, check every label before you start.
Is Rocky Road Chocolate Cake gluten free?
No. The cake is made with flour, and the chocolate pretzels and Rocky Road blocks both contain wheat. You could try a gluten-free flour and different toppings, but we haven't tested a gluten-free version.
Can I make this cake vegan?
Not as written. The cake uses eggs, butter, buttermilk and cream, and the toppings aren't vegan either: our Rocky Road blocks contain milk and gelatine, the marshmallows aren't vegan, and our couverture chocolate buttons contain milk.
A vegan version would need an egg replacer, vegan butter, a plant-based milk and cream, vegan chocolate, and different toppings. For the top, try our vegan-friendly range, which includes handmade jellies and Vegan Honeycomb in Mylk Chocolate. We haven't tested a vegan version, so treat it as an experiment.
How do you store Rocky Road Chocolate Cake?
Keep it covered in the fridge. With cream in the ganache and butter in the frosting, it shouldn't sit out on the bench, especially in an Australian summer. Food safety authorities advise keeping your fridge at or below 5°C, because bacteria grow quickly between 5°C and 60°C (NSW Food Authority). The cake will keep for a few days in the fridge.
How to make it a Christmas cake
Swap the pink frosting and toppings for Christmas chocolate, and this cake becomes a showstopper for the Christmas table. Try our Christmas Tree Rocky Road Milk Chocolate ($12.95, Melbourne Metro delivery only), foiled milk chocolate stars and foiled milk chocolate baubles, or browse the full Christmas range.
Want something quicker? See our no-bake Christmas chocolate cake or our Christmas mud cake hack.
More chocolate inspiration
Shop the Couverture Milk Chocolate Buttons and Salted Pretzels in Milk Chocolate used in this recipe, or read our guide to dark chocolate for tips on cooking with it.
