S'mores. A summer and camping must have! Take it a step further and make a cake out of it! It will save you from the smell of smoke, can't guarantee you won't have sticky hands though!)
S'MORES CAKE
makes three 6 inch layers
GRAHAM CRACKER CAKE:
2 cups All-Purpose Flour
2/3 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs (store bought or crushed yourself)
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Salt
1/8 tsp Cinnamon
1 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
1/4 cup Unsalted Butter, room temperature
1/4 cup Vegetable oil
1/4 cup Plain Greek Yogurt or Sour Cream (even Mayo works)
3 Eggs, room temperature
1 cup Buttermilk (or 1 Tbsp Vinegar in a 1 cup measuring cup, fill the rest with milk.)
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
INSTRUCTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease and flour three 6-inch cake pans with shortening and flour.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
In an electric mixer with the whisk attachment, beat the butter, oil, yogurt, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract together on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at time, mixing well after each addition.
Alternate adding the dry ingredients and buttermilk into the batter, adding half at a time. Beat the mixture on medium speed, just until the flour is fully incorporated.
Distribute the batter evenly in the cake pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, until the cake until the crumb is dry when a toothpick is inserted.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes and remove the cakes from the pans.
CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM:
4 1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
1/2 cup Cocoa Powder
1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, softened
1/3 cup boiling Water
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
INSTRUCTIONS:
Combine powdered sugar, and cocoa powder.
Add butter, boiling water, and vanilla.
Beat with an electric mixer on low speed till well combined.
Beat for 1 minute on medium speed.
Cool for 20-30 minutes before frosting.
MARSHMALLOW FLUFF:
1/3 cup Water
3/4 cup Granulated sugar
3/4 cup Corn Syrup or Honey
3 large Egg Whites, room temperature
1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar
2 tsp Vanilla Extract
INSTRUCTIONS:
Place water, sugar, and corn syrup (or honey) in a medium saucepan. Stir to combine.
Insert a candy thermometer into the pot and heat over medium-high. Do not stir!
Place egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer.
When the sugar syrup reaches about 225°F, start whipping the egg whites to soft peaks, about 3-5 minutes.
When the whites are ready and the sugar syrup reaches 240°F. Remove from the heat, turn mixer to medium and very slowly and carefully pour the sugar syrup into the whites.
Once all of the syrup is in, set mixer to medium/high and continue whipping.
Continue to whip for 7-8 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and glossy.
Add in vanilla and whip until the fluff has cooled.
You can store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks at room temperature.
CHOCOLATE GANACHE:
8 oz Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips
4 oz Heavy Whipping Cream
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
INSTRUCTIONS:
Combine chocolate chips and whipping cream in a saucepan over medium low heat.
Mix and turn off the heat just right before all the chips are melted.
Continue to stir till completely melted.
Mix in vanilla.
Let cool for a bit and pour over cake.
TO ASSEMBLE CAKE:
Place the first layer of cake on a plate or cake stand and spread a decent layer of chocolate buttercream on top. Spread a layer of marshmallow fluff and a thin layer of chocolate ganache. Repeat with the second layer and then place the third layer of cake on top.
Put a thin coat of chocolate buttercream on the top and outside of the cake. Place in the freezer for 10 minutes or the fridge for 30 mins. Frost the cake with mainly the chocolate buttercream while adding in dabs of marshmallow fluff and chocolate ganache, lightly spreading them in like you are painting the cake. Top with extra graham cracker crumbs, ganache, or marshmallow fluff (you can even toast the fluff).