S’mores Cake Recipe

This dense chocolate cake has a baked-in graham cracker crust and is smothered in marshmallow frosting.  Add beautiful borders of rich, decadent ganache icing and it becomes a dream come true for all s’mores lovers.

Slice this into thin portions; it’s sinfully rich!

Cake

INGREDIENTS
3 cups finely crushed graham crackers
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 3/4 cup sugar, divided
3/4 cup oil
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 eggs
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2/3 cup hot coffee

1. Heat oven to 350 F.

2. Generously grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. A 9-inch round of parchment in the bottom of each pan, lightly greased or sprayed with an oil/flour spray, is recommended.

3. In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and brown sugar. Divide evenly between pans and press down firmly to cover the bottom of each pan completely. Set aside

4. In a large bowl sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Add 1 ½ cups sugar and stir to combine.

5. Add the oil, buttermilk, milk, and vanilla to the flour mixture and beat well.

6. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition.

7. In a small bowl whisk the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, unsweetened cocoa, and hot coffee together until well combined.  Add to the batter in the large bowl and mix until fully incorporated.

8. Divide the batter evenly between the pans, pouring directly over the graham cracker mixture.

9. Bake for approximately 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cakes comes out clean.

10. Cool on a rack for 10 minutes and then turn the cakes out onto the rack to cool completely.

Marshmallow Frosting

Note: A stand mixer is highly recommended for this frosting. For best results, make sure your bowl and utensils are very clean and the egg whites are at room temperature.

INGREDIENTS 
4 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 ½ cups light corn syrup

1. In a large bowl of a stand mixer, whip the egg whites, vanilla, and salt until foamy.

2. Add sugar one tablespoon at a time, mixing on medium-high until soft peaks form.

3. Heat corn syrup in a small pan until it comes to a boil.

4. Immediately pour hot syrup over the egg mixture very slowly, holding the pan high above the mixing bowl.

5. Beat on high speed until the frosting is stiff and holds its shape.

Assembly:

1. Place one cake layer, graham side down, on cake plate.  Level the top with a sharp knife. Spread thinly with marshmallow frosting. Only use enough to cover the layer.

2. Place the top layer, graham side down, on bottom layer and level the top.

3. Frost the entire cake generously with marshmallow frosting. Let the cake rest for an hour if possible to allow the frosting to set. Do not cover the cake!

4. Make ganache frosting and pipe around the top and bottom borders of the cake using a pastry bag and large star tip.

5. Decorate with grated chocolate, marshmallows and pieces of milk chocolate bar if desired. 

Chocolate Ganache Frosting

INGREDIENTS
8 ounces good dark chocolate, finely chopped (not chocolate chips)
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons softened butter
1 cup powdered sugar

1. Place chopped chocolate in a medium bowl.

2. In a small pan over medium heat, heat the cream to a simmer. It should have bubbles all around the outside edge, but don’t let it come to a full boil. Pour over chopped chocolate and let it sit (without stirring) for several minutes.

3. Stir gently until the cream and chocolate are combined.  Mixture should be smooth. If there are small chunks of chocolate and the bowl is still warm, let it sit a little longer and then stir again.

4. As soon as mixture has cooled, beat in the butter and powdered sugar until it is thick enough to decorate with.

Enjoy!

Check out my other recipes in the food section of Celeb Baby Laundry.