Chocolate Cake Layers:

Place the oven rack in the middle position, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 9" round pans with parchment paper (do not grease the parchment paper or the sides of the pan). Wet cake strips in cold water and place them around cake pans.

In a large bowl, sift together 2 cups of all-purpose flour, 2 cups of granulated sugar, 3/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder, 2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp baking powder, and 1 tsp of table salt.

In the bowl of your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add 2 eggs and beat on medium speed for 5 minutes, until thickened and lemon in color. While continuing to beat, slowly add in 1/2 cup of vegetable oil, 1 cup of buttermilk, 1 cup hot brewed coffee, and 1 tsp vanilla extract. Continue to mix until well combined.

While continuing to mix, slowly add in dry ingredients and beat on medium speed until just combined.

Divide the batter evenly between 2 pans and bake in the middle rack of the oven at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and the surface springs back when gently pressed.

Let the cakes cool in the pans for 5 minutes. When slightly cooled, carefully run a knife along the sides of the cake, and invert them onto wire racks, and pans should easily slip off. Peel off the parchment paper and let the cakes cool to room temperature.

Toasting Cashews:

Take 1 cup of cashews, and toast them in a skillet over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, until they are lightly browned and fragrant.

Transfer them onto a chopping board and chop them up into small pieces. Divide them equally between 2 separate bowls, and let them cool to room temperature.

Chocolate Filling:

Put the bowl of your stand mixer and whisk attachment in the freezer for 15 min before using them. Into the cold bowl of the stand mixer, add 2 cups of very cold heavy cream and mix with whisk attachment on medium-high speed until slightly thickened.

Slowly add in 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, 1/4 cup of cocoa powder (either natural or Dutch process works for chocolate filling), and 2 tsp of vanilla extract, and continue beating on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.

Detach the bowl from the stand mixer, and transfer to another large mixing bowl (to free up the stand mixer bowl). Add in 1 1/2 cups of mini marshmallows, and half of the toasted chopped cashews. Gently fold everything in till the mixture is uniform. Store this in the fridge till you're ready to use it.

White Outer Cream Frosting:

Put the clean bowl of your stand mixer and whisk attachment in the freezer 15 min before using them. Into the cold bowl of the stand mixer, add 3 cups of very cold heavy cream and mix with whisk attachment on high speed until slightly thickened.

Slowly add 3/4 cup of powdered sugar, 1 tbsp cornstarch, and 2 tsp of vanilla extract and continue beating on high speed until stiff peaks form.

Store this in the fridge till you're ready to use it.

Assembling the Cake:

When the cakes have cooled, slice the two cake layers in half (cross-sectionally) with a long-serrated knife to make 4 layers.

Place a cake board on a revolving cake stand. Place the first layer of cake in the center of the cake board. Then spread about 1/3 of the marshmallow chocolate filling mixture on top, creating an even and flat layer as much as possible.

Place the 2nd layer of cake on top, and spread another 1/3 of the marshmallow chocolate filling evenly on top. Place the 3rd cake layer, and the final 1/3 of the marshmallow chocolate cream filling evenly on top. Make sure to save one of the cake bottoms, flat side up, for the last cake layer, so that the top of the cake is as flat as possible.

Cover the sides of the cake with a thin layer of the plain white cream frosting, and then the same thing with the top of the cake. Use a bench scraper to smoothen out this thin crumb coat while rotating the revolving cake stand. This thin crumb coat should catch any crumbs as well as any of the chocolate cream filling in between the cake layers. Place this cake in the fridge for 20 minutes for the crumb coat to firm up a bit. Also place the unused white cream frosting in the fridge.

While the crumb coat is firming up, make a chocolate ganache by warming up 1/4 a cup of heavy cream in a small bowl in the microwave for 30 to 40 seconds. You can also heat in a saucepan on the stove. Add 1/2 cup of dark chocolate chips to the hot heavy cream, then whisk together to melt the chocolate until the mixture is smooth and uniform. Let this chocolate ganache cool to lukewarm - about 5 to 10 minutes.

When the crumb coat has hardened, apply a final layer of the plain white cream frosting around the sides of the cake, as well as the top. And again, use the bench scraper to smoothen out the surfaces as much as possible while rotating the revolving cake stand. Place the remaining white frosting in the fridge.

Dip the back of a spatula into the lukewarm chocolate ganache. Then using the back of the spatula, make strokes of chocolate
into the plain white cream frosting to create a brush-like pattern, starting at the bottom of the cake, with an upward diagonal stroke. Two levels of strokes up the sides of the cake. And then create the same chocolate brush strokes along the entire top surface of the cake. Place the cake in the fridge to firm up when you're not working on it. Let the remaining chocolate ganache rest at room temperature.

While the cake is firming up, take the remaining 1/2 cup of toasted chopped cashews, and, mix in 1/2 a cup of mini marshmallows and set this mixture aside.

Take the cake out of the fridge, and arrange the cashew mini marshmallow mixture in a circle in the middle of the cake, leaving about 1 inch of space from the edge.

Put the remaining white cream frosting into a piping bag with a large round tip. I'm using a #2A. And pipe 12 big white cream blobs around the top perimeter of the cake. I'm just squeezing while creating a spiral pattern, and lifting at the end to create a pointy tip.

Finally, attach a small round tip to another piping bag, I'm using a #2. Fill it with a little bit of the chocolate ganache, and outline the top of each of the white blob with a spiral swirl of chocolate.

Let the finished cake rest in the fridge overnight for the layers to set completely. Enjoy!