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S’mores Cake has all the familiar flavors and textures of the campfire classic, but in cake form. Layers of toasted marshmallow buttercream and silky ganache make it irresistible!
Unless we’re taking a 40 minute road trip to Eric’s favorite pizza joint, or whipping up his beloved marinara sauce, he doesn’t get too pumped about food. I’m usually the one scouring the internet for new recipe ideas and restaurants for us to try. For the most part, the control-freak in me doesn’t mind taking the meal planning reins, but every once in a while, I like a little input.
When my friend Shelly’s gorgeous debut cookbook arrived on our doorstep, I flipped through, page by page, and mentally book marked several must-make immediately recipes. Then, I handed The Cookies and Cups Cookbook off to Eric.
With a pad of post-its in hand, I told him flag all of his favorites. I expected him to hand it back to me with 2 or 3 pages marked. But nope, the guy put some serious effort into the task and returned it to my desk with no less than 15 flags!
He even requested that I start with Shelly’s S’mores Cake and Garlic Bread Pasta! And let me tell you, both are amazing.
As you probably noticed from the photos, this cake is over-the-top, but in the best way possible. The toasted marshmallow buttercream might just be the best buttercream I’ve ever made, and the silky ganache just ties it all together. Shelly’s recommendation of topping the cake with pieces or graham crackers and toasted marshmallows make it a show stopping dessert for any celebration!
I’ve been looking forward to the The Cookies and Cups Cookbook for months and trust me, it’s everything I imagined it would be – AND more. This cookbook is loaded with delicious, approachable recipes that are perfect for any skill level. It’s truly an extension of Shelly’s blog and loaded with funny commentary, beautiful photos, and delicious recipes. This book is undoubtedly 100% Shelly and that’s what I love most about it.
The majority of the cookbook is filled with dessert recipes like this S’mores Cake and Billionaire Cookie Dough Cake, but also has several chapters dedicated to savory dishes like aforementioned Garlic Bread Pasta and Eric’s new favorite dinner – Frito Pie Sloppy Joes.
Shelly reminds you to always eat dessert first by placing the dessert recipes at the front of the book, and the savory ones at the back. It’s a clever reminder, and you know this dessert obsessed girl loves that the majority of the book is dedicated to my favorite mealtime.
There is truly something for everyone in this cookbook and I know I’ll be baking and cooking from it for years to come!
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S'mores Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup graham flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup 1 stick butter, room temperature
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole milk
For the Toasted Marshmallow Buttercream:
- 1 cup 2sticks butter, at room temperature
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons whole milk
- 10 ounces mini marshmallows
For the Milk Chocolate Ganache:
- 2 cups milk chocolate chopped
- ½ cup heavy cream
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat three, 8- inch cake pans with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pans with rounds of parchment paper coat with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl whisk together the all-purpose flour, graham flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment mix the butter, both sugars, oil and honey for 2 minutes on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
- Add in the eggs and vanilla, and continue mixing for 1 more minute.
- Reduce the speed to low and add one-third of the flour mixture, followed by half of the milk, beating after each addition. Repeat this step. End with a final addition of the flour mixture. Once all the ingredients are incorporated mix for an additional 30 seconds, until the batter is smooth.
- Divide the batter equally between the 3 prepared pans.
- Bake the cakes for 20-25 minutes, until center is set and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then invert them onto a wire rack to cool completely before frosting, peeling off the parchment paper.
For the toasted marshmallow buttercream:
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat the butter on one minute until smooth. Turn the speed to low and slowly mix in the powdered sugar. Add in the milk and continue mixing until smooth. Set aside.
- Turn the oven to broil. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and spread the marshmallows out in an even layer. Place the pan under the broiler for 30- 45 seconds until they are browned and puffed. Watch closely because they will burn very quickly. Immediately scrape the marshmallows into the butter mixture and beat until smooth. There will be bits of toasted marshmallows throughout the frosting; this is ok.
- The frosting will be warm due to the broiled marshmallows, so allow it to cool completely (15-20 minutes) before spreading on the cake.
For the milk chocolate ganache:
- Place the chocolate in a heat-proof medium bowl.In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream over medium heat until it starts to steam, stirring constantly. (Alternatively, you can heat the cream in the microwave until very hot) Immediately pour the hot cream over the chocolate and stir until the chocolate is melted. Allow this to cool for 10-15 minutes, until the chocolate is thickened slightly.
- To assemble the cake, frost the top of each cake layer with equal portions of the buttercream. Place the bottom layer onto a cake plate. Pour one-third of the ganache mixture on top of the frosting and spread it to the edge, using an off- set spatula or spoon. Place the next cake layer on top of the chocolate and repeat the process. Finally place the last cake layer on. If desired, garnish with graham cracker pieces and mini marshmallows. Drizzle the remaining ganache on top.
- Store airtight until ready to serve. Keep cake airtight at room temperature for up to 2 days.
Notes
Wow. A very nice recipe for cake. Wanna try out this one
I hope you love it, Roselyne!
Hi jamie,
Is it safe to double or triple this recipe at once? (Rather than start over various times)? I worry that any of the measures may work badly when multiplying. I made a test run of it with your measures and it was fantastic!! But need to make a large two tier. Pls advise asap
Glennys-
We have not tested doubling or tripling this recipe, so I am not sure how it will turn out. If you give it a try, let us know. Thanks so much for stopping by!
-Jamie
Hi … made a third of the batter today as a tester . Beautiful , moist cake … only problem ? My son does not like the honey flavor Wonder if Maple Syrup would be a good substitute ?
Anita-
I think you could definitely give it a try, but since I haven’t tried it myself, I’m unsure how it will taste. Thanks for stopping by!
-Jamie