S’mores Cake captures the familiar flavors and textures of the campfire treat in cake form. Layers of toasted marshmallow buttercream paired with silky milk chocolate ganache make this dessert irresistible.
When my friend Shelly’s debut cookbook arrived, I immediately flipped through and earmarked many recipes to try. I handed The Cookies and Cups Cookbook to Eric and asked him to flag his favorites. I expected a couple of pages marked, but he returned it with more than a dozen tabs — and his top requests included Shelly’s S’mores Cake and a Garlic Bread Pasta recipe. Both were outstanding, and the S’mores Cake in particular is a showstopper.
This cake is delightfully over-the-top in the best sense: the toasted marshmallow buttercream is luxuriously fluffy with pockets of toasted marshmallow, while the smooth milk chocolate ganache adds a rich, silky contrast. Shelly suggests finishing the cake with graham cracker pieces and toasted mini marshmallows, which elevates it into an impressive centerpiece for parties or special occasions.
The Cookies and Cups Cookbook lives up to the hype. It’s filled with approachable, creative recipes for a range of skill levels, and the cookbook keeps Shelly’s voice and humor intact. Most of the book focuses on desserts—like the S’mores Cake and a decadent Billionaire Cookie Dough Cake—yet it also includes savory recipes, which is how Eric discovered new favorites such as Garlic Bread Pasta and Frito Pie Sloppy Joes. Shelly organizes the book with desserts first (a clever reminder to “always eat dessert first”), making it especially appealing if, like me, you prefer to start with the sweet course.
This recipe combines classic s’mores flavors—graham, chocolate, toasted marshmallow—into a layered cake that balances texture and flavor. Below is the recipe content as presented, streamlined and easy to follow.
S’mores Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup graham flour (or substitute whole wheat 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 (2 sticks) 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 bottoms with parchment and coat the parchment with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, graham flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter, both sugars, oil, and honey on medium speed for 2 minutes, scraping the bowl as needed.
- Add the eggs and vanilla, mixing for another minute.
- Reduce speed to low and add one-third of the flour mixture, then half of the milk, beating after each addition. Repeat, ending with the final flour addition. Mix an additional 30 seconds until the batter is smooth.
- Divide the batter evenly among the three prepared pans.
- Bake 20–25 minutes, until the centers are set and a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely and remove parchment.
For the toasted marshmallow buttercream:
- In a stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle, beat the butter for 1 minute until smooth. Turn speed to low and gradually mix in the powdered sugar. Add the milk and continue mixing until smooth. Set aside.
- Turn the oven to broil. Line a large baking sheet with parchment and spread the mini marshmallows in an even layer. Broil 30–45 seconds until browned and puffed—watch closely to avoid burning. Immediately scrape the toasted marshmallows into the butter mixture and beat until smooth. Small bits of toasted marshmallow throughout the frosting are fine.
- Allow the frosting to cool completely (15–20 minutes) before spreading on the cake, as it will be warm from the marshmallows.
For the milk chocolate ganache:
- Place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the heavy cream until steaming (on the stove or in the microwave) and pour it over the chocolate. Stir until melted and smooth. Let cool 10–15 minutes until slightly thickened.
- To assemble: spread equal portions of buttercream on the top of each cake layer. Place the bottom layer on a cake plate, pour one-third of the ganache over the frosting and spread to the edge. Add the next layer and repeat. Place the final layer on top and, if desired, garnish with graham cracker pieces and mini marshmallows. Drizzle remaining ganache over the finished cake.
- Store airtight. Keep the cake at room temperature, covered, for up to 2 days.
Notes
