Introduction: Smore-Cakes Recipe - Best Cupcakes Ever!
Everyone I know loves smores, so this inspired me to make Smore-cakes! People devoured them! The methods to making such delicious smore-cakes are pretty simple.
In my recipe, however, I took things a step further by making the cupcakes from scratch. This is totally optional. I collect antique cookbooks - my oldest one is from 1904. I decided to get some use out of one of them, my Betty Crocker's Picture Cookbook from 1956 - which my good friend gave to me recently. The cake recipe I used is for Burnt Sugar Cake - I thought the flavors sounded perfect for the smore-cakes! I modified the recipe with added graham crackers which were pulverized in my blender, and I made some other changes to the recipe to taste more like smores! will include the full recipe in this instructable. I hope you enjoy these delicious smore-cakes - they are highly addictive!!!
Step 1: Make the Cupcakes
Syrup
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup boiling water
additional water, to make 1 cup liquid (see instructions)
Cake
2 cups of cake flour
1/4 cup of graham crackers (Pulverized in your blender or food processor) - blend 8-12 graham crackers as you will need more of it for later, when decorating the cupcakes
1 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup soft shortening (or, 1/2 cup of vegetable oil - either will work)
2 eggs (1/3-1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon vanilla, if desired
- To make syrup first caramelize the 1/2 cup sugar in a heavy skillet over low-medium heat until clear and medium brown, shaking pan gently to keep from burning.
- Remove from heat.
- Add slowly, stirring constantly, 1/2 cup boiling water.
- Stir over low heat until lumps are dissolved.
- Measure and add water to make 1 cup liquid.
- Set aside to allow it to cool.
Cake:
- Sift together into bowl, 2 cups sifted cake flour, 1/4 cup of pulverized ground up graham crackers and 1 cup sugar, 3 teaspoons baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt. (I used my ninja blender to pulverize graham crackers and I also put it through the sifter two times).
- Add 1/2 cup soft shortening (or replace with 1/2 cup vegetable oil) and 2/3 cup cooled caramel-water mixture.
- Beat 2 minutes.
- Add remaining 1/3 cup cooled caramel-water mixture, 2 eggs and 1 teaspoon vanilla.
- Beat 2 more minutes.
- Pour into greased cupcake pan.
- If making cupcakes - it should take 18-22 minutes approximately at 350 degrees F.
- Bake until cake tests done or toothpick inserted comes out dry.
Step 2: Cool, Cut and Place Chocolate Inside
- Hersheys mini chocolate bars
- marshmallows
- more of your pulverized graham crackers
See images for better explanation.
Step 3: Marshmallow Icing Trick for Smores Cupcakes
Marshmallow Frosting for Smore-Cakes
- Simply take your cupcake (with the chocolate in place from the previous step) and then take a small spoon full of your graham cracker crumble (pulverized earlier) and cover up that chocolate with the graham cracker crumble.
- Once covered, take a large marshmallow and place it on top of that.
- Place the entire thing on a microwave-safe plate. Put it in your microwave.
- My microwave is 1100 watt - and I put it in there for 15 seconds at the power level 6.
- Take the plate out and gently take your wooden spoon and try to flatten the marshmallow.
- If it doesn't budge - leave it alone and put it in for another 15 seconds at power level 6.
- Once smushed down - you can manipulate it and move it around a bit with your buttered spoon. That is up to you how much you move it around.
Last Step - put your oven on broil and take your cupcakes, put them on a cookie sheet. Quickly put it in the oven right on the top rack underneath the direct heat - please be careful not to burn yourself. I did not close the oven door and only did this for about 5-10 seconds max. If you put it in longer - you could start a fire or make a huge mess. You cannot take your eyes off of it. If you prefer to use a small blowtorch of some kind - that would work as well. I don't have one! Please do this at your own risk - and do not close the door or take your eyes off of it for even a second.
If you want your marshmallow topping to have more height and be more dramatic - then here is how you will add more layers of marshmallows.
- Take a plate and butter it
- Place a marshmallow on it (I found it worked best to heat one at a time)
- Put it in the microwave for 15 second increments at power level of 6-8 - depends on your microwave
- Remove it and do not flatten it yet!
- Take some type of flat spatula or similar kitchen tool - make sure it is greased with butter - and use it with your wooden spoon to carefully lift the marshmallow off the plate and right on top of the smore-cake which already has one layer of marshmallow on it.
- You can do this multiple times for more height - but too high and it will fall to one side
Don't forget to stick a graham cracker in the side of the finished smore-cake - or you can follow the final step to add a delicious chocolate and graham crumble dipped graham cracker into the top! It is very easy!
Step 4: Finishing Touches - Chocolate Dipped Graham Cracker
Chocolate-dipped Graham Cracker pieces
- Take out more of your hersheys chocolate mini bars and break them up into pieces in a glass measuring cup or coffee mug. Please note, the proper way of melting chocolate is usually in a double boiler on the stove - but I found this to work really well and it was much easier!
- Place in microwave and heat in 15 second increments, power level 6. Each time you take it out, mix it. If not melted, add a little more time. Do not overheat it.
- Take graham crackers out and cut into pieces - I did it in little triangular shapes.
- Dip into the chocolate and let excess drip off.
- Then you can dip the tip directly into your graham cracker crumble.
- Let these cool in the fridge and take out when ready to place on smore-cakes!
Participated in the
Cupcake Contest