All the flavors of a classic s’mores but in cupcake form! A classic chocolate cake with a graham cracker bottom, these cupcakes are filled with a soft and fluffy marshmallow middle. Oh, and they are topped with an amazingly thick and rich chocolate ganache!
Are you indoors or outdoors kind of person? Me? I’m definitely an
indoorsy girl. I attract mosquitoes and usually get bitten as soon as I
go outside and have also been known to get mosquito bites in the winter
(true story). My idea of camping is to pitch a tent inside a hotel.
Must. Have. Own. Bathroom.
But one thing I do like
about the outdoors is s’mores. Although I had never had a real one until
about 2 years ago (yes, you read that correctly), they are awesome. Our
neighbor invited us over for a s’mores party, and that is where I had
my first s’more. We grilled marshmallows over their fire pit and I
haven’t stopped thinking about that day.
Fast forward to today. When Joanna of Kosher Kitchen
decided to choose s’mores as this month’s What’s Baking challenge, I
jumped at the opportunity. I halved the original recipe because I didn’t need 20 cupcakes at the time.
These were a huge hit at the rink and at home. The cupcakes were the soft and springy Hershey’s cupcakes that I adore so much, and they filled with a fluffy marshmallow frosting. The best part, besides the crunchy graham cracker crust, was the thick and velvety chocolate ganache. I could have just eaten that part with a spoon and called it a day.
Addie and my husband both adored these cupcakes and were sad when these cupcakes were gone. My rink friends said that these cupcakes made their day, so that made me very happy. Do you know of any people who don’t like s’mores? I didn’t think so.
Check out Joanna’s blog to see what my friends made to this month’s What’s Baking challenge!
S'mores cupcakes
Ingredients
Crust
- 1 and 1/3 cups graham crackers crushed
- 5 Tablespoons sugar
- 5 Tablespoons unsalted butter melted
Cupcakes
- 3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup boiling water
Marshmallow filling
- 2 egg whites
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Chocolate ganache
- 10 ounces milk or dark chocolate chopped
- 1/2 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Line two standard cupcake pans with cupcake liners (you'll need about 18-20 liners). Set aside.
Make the crust
- In a small bowl, mix the crushed graham crackers, sugar and butter together. Put about 1 and 1/2 Tablespoons of the crust mixture on the bottom of each cupcake liner. Using the bottom of a cup, press down on the crust mixture. Bake in your preheated oven for 6 minutes and then set aside to cool (do not turn off the oven).
Make the cupcakes
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar with a spatula (mix this part by hand). Add the milk, oil, egg, and vanilla and turn the mixer on low until well incorporated. Slowly stream in the boiling water and mix until everything comes together. The batter will be very thin.
- Evenly distribute the batter into the muffin pan, filling each well about 3/4 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely.
Make the marshmallow filling
- In a large bowl set over a pot of simmering water, whisk the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar together. Heat the mixture up until the sugar has dissolved and the liquid is warm to the touch. Transfer to a spotlessly clean bowl (using the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or a large bowl if using a handheld mixer). Mix the liquid on high speed until peaks form. Slowly add in the vanilla and continue to whisk until you achieve stiff peaks. Set aside.
Make the ganache
- In a small saucepan set over low heat, melt the chopped chocolate with the oil. Stir constantly until it is smooth. Turn the stove off and add in the cold whipped cream. Keep stirring until the ganache is smooth and creamy. If it is a bit runny, place it in the refrigerator to firm up a little bit before using.
Assemble the cupcakes
- Once the cupcakes are cool, cut a cone out of the center of each one. Transfer the marshmallow frosting into a zip-top or piping bag with a hole cut out of the end. Pipe the filling into the center of the cupcake.
- Using either a spoon or zip-top/piping bag, spread the ganache on top of the cupcakes.