I’ve have made many a cakes. In fact, I have made a homemade, over-the-top cake for every one of my three children’s birthdays each year so far. From Rainbow Unicorn cakes to Batman Cake to Dark Chocolate Strawberry Cake to Ice Cream Cake, sometimes I feel like I have made them all. UNTIL THIS YEAR. While all my cakes have been delicious, I think this year’s 18th birthday cake for Savannah took the cake. It was the winner. It. Was. Amazing. I’m talking about the Best S’Mores Cake you can make!
It is three layers of delicious chocolate cake, graham cracker crust, chocolate ganache, and homemade marshmallow buttercream filling, and coated by the most amazing chocolate buttercream frosting. Seriously, I dream about this cake.
Before we get into it, if you like s’mores, check out these other s’mores recipes too: Peanut Butter Cup S’mores Cookie Skillet, Crumbl S’mores Cookies, S’mores Dessert Cups, and Oven Baked S’Mores.
Okay, back to the best S’Mores Cake you’ll ever make. This cake isn’t hard to make but it can be time consuming because of all the different delicious components. I made this cake the day before her birthday so that I wasn’t rushed because there was some chilling involved. Don’t be afraid because it is 1000% worth the trouble. Like I said, this is the best cake I’ve EVER eaten.
S’MORE CAKE VIDEO
S’MORES CAKE INSTRUCTIONS
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line three 6-inch baking pans with parchment paper circles.
2. With a food processor, crush graham crackers until you have 2 1/2 cups of crumbs. Mix in your sugar and melted butter. Divide the graham cracker crumb mixture evenly into the three prepared pans and lightly press down to create a base layer. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
3. In a large bowl using a stand mixer (or hand mixer), beat the sugar and oil for about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add in the dry ingredients and buttermilk alternately, into the sugar/oil/egg mixture. Mix until combined. Add the hot water, mixing again and scraping the sides of the bowl until combined. Divide the batter evenly between the three pans, pouring it right over the graham cracker crumb layer.
4. Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees and a toothpick comes out almost clean.
5. Cool cake layers completely.
CHOCOLATE GANACHE LAYER
6. Heat the heavy cream in the microwave for 45 seconds until hot. Place chocolate chips in a small bowl and pour heated cream over the chocolate chips and let sit for 5 minutes. (Do not stir before 5 minutes is up!). Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Let cool.
TOASTED MARSHMALLOW CREAM FILLING
7. Turn on oven broil. Spread out the large marshmallows in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
8. Toast the marshmallows in the oven on broil until the start to turn brown. This can happen quickly so be sure to watch carefully! Remove marshmallows from oven and flip over. Return to oven to toast the other side. Remove from oven and let cool for a couple minutes.
9. Beat the butter, powdered sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Add the cooled toasted marshmallows and 2/3 jar of marshmallow fluff, then mix well until combined.
CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
10. In a big bowl, beat the butter and cocoa until smooth. Slowly add in the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until combined.
11. Add in vanilla, heavy cream and pinch of salt and mix for 3-4 minutes until smooth. The frosting should be nice and thick.
CAKE ASSEMBLY
1. Level cooled cake layers with a sharp serrated knife. Place one cake layer, graham cracker crust side down, on a cake plate or cake disc.
2. Place some of the chocolate buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a wide tip and pipe a thick ring of frosting around the rim of the cake in a circle.
3. Spread half of the chocolate ganache on top of the cake inside the ring of frosting. Place in the freezer for 5 minutes to set.
4. Remove from freezer and spread a little less than half of the toasted marshmallow filling on top of the ganache layer. Carefully place the next layer of cake on top of the marshmallow filling, then repeat piping a ring of chocolate buttercream, filling with the remaining ganache, chill to set, then adding most of (but not ALL!) toasted marshmallow filling. You want to save a little marshmallow filling for the top.
5. Place the final cake layer on top and frost the outside of the entire cake with the remaining of the dark chocolate buttercream frosting.
6. Scoop the remaining marshmallow filling on the center of the top of the cake and add graham cracker halves, squares of Hershey’s Bar chocolate, and large marshmallows on top of the cake.
Leftover cake can be frozen wrapped in plastic wrap. Thaw at room temperature before serving.
The Best S’Mores Cake
Ingredients
GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST
- 2 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 1/2 cup butter melted
CHOCOLATE CAKE
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil
- 1 1/3 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/3 cups flour
- 2/3 cup cocoa powder
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2/3 cup buttermilk
- 2/3 cup hot water
CHOCOLATE GANACHE
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
TOASTED MARSHMALLOW CREAM FILLING
- 18 large marshmallows
- 2/3 cup butter
- 2/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2/3 jar marshmallow fluff
DARK CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
- 1 cup butter room temperature
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 3 TBSP heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
S'MORES CAKE INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line three 6-inch baking pans with parchment paper circles.
- With a food processor, crush graham crackers until you have 2 1/2 cups of crumbs. Mix in your sugar and melted butter. Divide the graham cracker crumb mixture evenly into the three prepared pans and lightly press down to create a base layer. Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl using a stand mixer (or hand mixer), beat the sugar and oil for about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add in the dry ingredients and buttermilk alternately, into the sugar/oil/egg mixture. Mix until combined. Add the hot water, mixing again and scraping the sides of the bowl until combined. Divide the batter evenly between the three pans, pouring it right over the graham cracker crumb layer.
- Bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees and a toothpick comes out almost clean. Cool cake layers completely.
CHOCOLATE GANACHE LAYER
- Heat the heavy cream in the microwave for 45 seconds until hot. Place chocolate chips in a small bowl and pour heated cream over the chocolate chips and let sit for 5 minutes. (Do not stir before 5 minutes is up!). Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Let cool.
TOASTED MARSHMALLOW CREAM FILLING
- Turn on oven broil. Spread out the large marshmallows in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Toast the marshmallows in the oven on broil until the start to turn brown. This can happen quickly so be sure to watch carefully! Remove marshmallows from oven and flip over. Return to oven to toast the other side. Remove from oven and let cool for a couple minutes.
- Beat the butter, powdered sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Add the cooled toasted marshmallows and 2/3 jar of marshmallow fluff, then mix well until combined.
CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
- In a big bowl, beat the butter and cocoa until smooth. Slowly add in the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until combined.
- Add in vanilla, heavy cream and pinch of salt and mix for 3-4 minutes until smooth. The frosting should be nice and thick.
CAKE ASSEMBLY
- Level cooled cake layers with a sharp serrated knife. Place one cake layer, graham cracker crust side down, on a cake plate or cake disc.
- Place some of the chocolate buttercream to a piping bag fitted with a wide tip and pipe a thick ring of frosting around the rim of the cake in a circle.
- Spread half of the chocolate ganache on top of the cake inside the ring of frosting. Place in the freezer for 5 minutes to set.
- Remove from freezer and spread a little less than half of the toasted marshmallow filling on top of the ganache layer. Carefully place the next layer of cake on top of the marshmallow filling, then repeat piping a ring of chocolate buttercream, filling with the remaining ganache, chill to set, then adding most of (but not ALL!) toasted marshmallow filling. You want to save a little marshmallow filling for the top.
- Place the final cake layer on top and frost the outside of the entire cake with the remaining of the dark chocolate buttercream frosting.
- Scoop the remaining marshmallow filling on the center of the top of the cake and add graham cracker halves, squares of Hershey's Bar chocolate, and large marshmallows on top of the cake.