Chocolate Cake//Graham Cracker Crust Filling//Roasted Marshmallow Buttercream
Get ready to experience the most extraordinary cake you’ve ever tasted—my S’mores Cake has entered the chat, and it’s here to make all other desserts jealous! This cake starts with the moistest, richest chocolate cake you can imagine. Unlike most chocolate cakes that taste more like cocoa powder, mine is bursting with real, rich chocolate flavour. I use a combination of both dark chocolate and cocoa powder to achieve this, and the result is out of this world. The cake is incredibly soft, with a supremely delicate crumb that’s ridiculously hard to achieve in a chocolate cake that has such a deep, rich flavour, I feel. But—and I will say this unabashedly—I did it! Go. Freaking. Me. It’s based on my classic vanilla cake recipe, a recipe that took me years to perfect. To elevate the flavour even further, I add a touch of coffee and coconut oil, which bring a deep, unctuous richness without being individually perceivable.
But the magic doesn’t stop there. Nestled between the layers of this decadent chocolate wonder is the most buttery salted graham cracker crust you’ve ever had. It’s thick, indulgent, and so good that it’s hard to find the words to do it justice. Let’s just say, one bite of this crust will blow your mind.
And then comes the star of the show—my Roasted Marshmallow Buttercream. This is no ordinary frosting. If you’ve ever dreamed of capturing the taste of perfectly roasted marshmallows in a silky, delectable frosting, this is it. The buttercream starts with a base that’s a bit less sweet than your typical frosting, allowing the roasted marshmallows to take centre stage. We take two big skewers of marshmallows and roast them until they’re charred on the outside and gooey on the inside—whether over a gas stove, campfire, or with a strong kitchen blowtorch—and then whip them into the buttercream. It’s SO FUN to make. The result is a frosting that’s perfectly balanced, with just the right amount of sweetness, a healthy hit of salt, and that unmistakable roasted flavour that transports you straight to a summer campfire. The butter, heavy pour of vanilla, and bold saltiness balance out the marshmallows, making sure the frosting isn’t too sweet, and sings in perfect harmony. A silky, campfire-inspired buttercream that’s truly to die for.
This cake is incredibly special to me. It’s a creation I haven’t seen anywhere else—a one-of-a-kind, insanely delicious marvel that takes dessert to a whole new level. It’s truly a hit with both kids and adults alike. It’s a symphony of rich, earthy chocolate, buttery graham cracker, and that unforgettable roasted marshmallow magic. This cake is so special, even my mom—who usually avoids sweet treats—couldn’t resist. She usually just asks for a small bite when I’m recipe testing, but this time she shocked me by asking for (read: demanding) the entire cake after my last recipe test! And trust me, that never happens. Normally, I give away most of my test bakes to friends, coworkers, etcetera, but this cake was so good, it stayed in the family—by sheer force of its deliciousness.
If you’re looking to create a showstopper that will leave everyone speechless, this S’mores Cake is it. It’s a mind-blowing dessert experience that captures the essence of summer in every bite.
Recipe:
Makes one (3 layer) 6-inch cake
Notes
For the graham cracker crust, there are two choices in terms of what you bake it in. I personally bake it in two 5-inch pans, because I have them. This is the ideal option, as it yields two perfect disks to place in between the cake layers. If you don’t have two 5-inch pans, you can just bake the whole thing in a brownie pan, and then break it up and crumble it in between the layers, and press it down. Work with what you have!
The marshmallows called for are the usual sized ones that you would roast on a stick over the campfire.
When you’re charring the marshmallows, it’s vital that the outsides be charred and that the insides be warm and gooey (otherwise they won’t whip into the buttercream in a homogenous way—you don’t want big lumps of marshmallow! Little lumps can be nice though—if you’re after that, just under-do the marshmallows by a touch). I suggest keeping a plate and fork nearby during this process, as a couple of random ones sometimes melt more quickly than the others and start to fall off, so be ready for those.
Make sure that the chocolate that you use isn’t sickly sweet—otherwise the cake will be too sweet. And use any good quality dark chocolate. If it tastes good, the cake will be good! If it's crappy chocolate, the cake won't be nearly as good. I recommend a minimum of 70% cocoa, and for best results, closer to 80-90%. I like the extra bitterness to balance out the other flavours.
I specify the type of salt used, as different salts are more or less salty than others. If you don’t have the same kind of salt used, be mindful of this and adjust accordingly. Generally speaking, pink Himalayan salt is less salty than most others.
Video link to demonstrate how to fold egg whites into cake batter, for those who haven’t done this before: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfgz10xdq6k Skip to the 2 minute 45 second mark.
Make sure that the bowl used for the egg whites, as well as the beaters, are perfectly clean. Even trace amounts of a fat can hinder the whites from whipping into stiff peaks.
Top tip for room-temperature eggs: if ever you don’t have the time to take them out of the fridge early enough, or yet if you forget, you can place them in a bowl covered with hot water for 5 minutes, and they will become room-temperature just like that!
Similarly, if your cream is cold from the fridge at the time that you’re ready to bake, just lightly heat it in a saucepan until room-temperature.
I often place the melted coconut oil in the fridge to hurry up the process of it coming to room temperature.
If you were wondering, this is indeed the same Roasted Marshmallow Buttercream as my last post! However the numbers are a little higher because the graham cracker crust filling is quite thick, which causes this cake to be a little taller than most 3 layer 6-inch cakes. So I increased the quantity of buttercream by 20%.
Graham Cracker Crust
Ingredients
255 g graham cracker crumbs
200 g butter
1/2 + 1/8 tsp salt (pink Himalayan)
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and ensure that oven rack is positioned in the middle.
Butter 2 5-inch baking tins, or one brownie pan if you don’t have those. Line the tins with parchment paper (bottom and sides).
Melt the butter in a saucepan.
Combine the graham cracker crumbs, salt, and melted butter with a spatula (either in the saucepan, or a bowl).
Split the mixture into the 2 5-inch pans evenly, or pour it all into the single brownie pan if that’s what you’re using.
Firmly press the graham cracker mixture down with the back of a spoon, ensuring that the top is perfectly flat.
Bake for 15 minutes.
If you baked it in the 5-inch pans, wait 3 minutes, then using a spoon, re-flatten the top(s), so that it cools in a perfect disks. It’s likely that the outer part(s) will have puffed up higher than the centre, and it may be a darker colour. This is fine.
Allow to cool completely in tins, then turn them out.
Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
85 g dark chocolate
85 g coconut oil (measured before melting)
175 g cake flour
50 g cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt (pink Himalayan)
3 egg whites, room temperature
45 g butter, room temperature
245 g sugar
3/4 cup (190 g) full-fat cream, room temperature
1 tbsp (5 g) instant coffee
2 tbsp + 3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and ensure that oven rack is positioned in the middle.
Butter 3 6-inch baking tins. Then, in a small bowl, mix a few tbsp of flour with a little cocoa powder. Flour the tins with this mix. This is just an aesthetic thing, so that your chocolate cake doesn’t have a whiteish exterior.
Melt the chocolate in a Bain Marie (or a microwave would work too). Pour into a small bowl to cool at room temperature, while you go about the other steps.
Melt coconut oil in a small saucepan. Pour into a small bowl to cool completely—I recommend placing it in the fridge for speed.
In a small bowl, mix together the cream and instant coffee. Set aside.
Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl. Whisk to combine.
Place egg whites in a very clean medium bowl and set aside.
Place butter in a large bowl, and beat on high speed with an electric mixer for 30 seconds.
Add in the melted chocolate. Beat on high for 1 minute.
Add in sugar and cooled oil. Beat on high for 1 minute and 30 seconds.
Add in vanilla extract. Beat for 30 more seconds.
Add in dry ingredients and cream, alternating in additions—do 3 rounds of dry ingredients, and 2 rounds of cream (begin and end with dry ingredients). Each addition should be fully combined on low speed. Do not over mix.
With fresh, clean beaters, beat egg whites on high speed with an electric mixer until stiff, about 2-3 minutes. If you’re not sure if your whites are stiff enough, know that you should be able to turn the bowl completely upside-down without anything budging.
Gently incorporate whites into the cake batter, using a spatula, until fully combined. [For those new to baking—see notes for a link to a video showing how to do this. That is, there’s a specific technique to it to avoid bursting the air bubbles in the whites.]
Pour batter evenly into the 3 cake tins. If you feel like being very precise, you can use a kitchen scale.
Place cake tins in the oven, and bake for 24 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out cleanly.
Remove cake from oven, and let cool for 10 minutes.
Remove from tins, and transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
Roasted Marshmallow Buttercream
Ingredients
545 g unsalted butter, room-temperature
4 egg yolks, room-temperature
275 g powdered sugar
1/4 cup pure vanilla extract
1/4 + 1/8 tsp salt (pink Himalayan)
30 marshmallows
Instructions
Place butter and egg yolks in a large bowl, and beat on high speed with an electric mixer for 3 minutes.
Sift in powdered sugar, and beat on high for 3 more minutes.
Add in the vanilla, and salt. Beat until just combined (I do this on medium).
Slide the marshmallows onto 2 long metal skewers (I use barbecue ones).
Take the first one, and roast it over a gas stove set on high (this is what I did), a real campfire, or a strong kitchen blowtorch. They are done when the outsides are burned (yes, burned! Unless you hate that taste of course—but remember, there’s a lot of buttercream to mellow out the flavour, so I prefer to char them all), and the insides are warm and gooey (this is crucial, otherwise they won’t blend into the buttercream properly, so take your time and ensure that they get enough heat).
Use a fork to slide the marshmallows off of the first skewer, into the bowl of buttercream. Immediately whip them in on high for 1 minute.
Repeat steps 5 and 6 with the other skewer.
Assembly
Instructions
Level off the cake layers.
Put a dollop of the buttercream (about a teaspoon) in the centre of the cake stand, and then place the first cake layer on it.
Top with a few large dollops of icing—I used 150 g (I normally use 125 g, but I like a thicker amount for this cake). Using an offset spatula or butterknife, disperse icing into an even layer across the cake.
Then, place one of the graham cracker disks on top. [If you didn’t have the 5-inch pans, and baked the graham cracker crust in a single tray, then first do steps 5 and 6. Then, take half of the graham cracker crust and crumble it into each well, and press it down to make it as compact as possible. Then move on to step 7.]
Next, pipe a ring around the graham cracker crust/the outermost line of the cake.
Repeat these steps with your second layer of cake (just keep it on a plate for now). Refrigerate both of these cake layers for about 45 minutes, or until the “wells" have hardened fully. With the graham cracker filling, it’s a heavy cake, so you want these wells extra firm for when you stack the cake.
Remove the two cake layers from the fridge. For each, spread a thin layer of buttercream overtop of the graham cracker crust, all the way to the edge of the cake, essentially sealing off the top. [You are creating a glue for when you stack the cake—the graham cracker won’t stick well to the layer above it, but room-temperature buttercream will.]
Gently place the second cake layer on top of the first. Top with the third cake layer, flat side up (upside down).
Crumb-coat the cake. [Spread a thin layer of buttercream around the sides and top of the cake. I like to start with an offset spatula, and then take over with an icing smoother (also called a scraper).] Then refrigerate it for at least 20-30 minutes.
After that first layer is hardened, I then do a smooth round of icing the cake.
Refrigerate cake for another 30 minutes to solidify the buttercream.
Decorate as desired.
Enjoy at room temperature, or just barely chilled. If it has fully chilled in the fridge, the cake will be harder, so take it out of the fridge with enough time for it to soften before devouring!
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