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This S’mores Cake is an amazing combination of moist chocolate cake, toasted marshmallow buttercream, graham cracker crunchies and chocolate ganache! If you’re a s’mores lover, this cake is definitely for you!
What makes up a S’mores Cake
When it comes to summer evenings, one of the best things is a s’more. The graham crackers, the chocolate, the toasty marshmallows – what’s not to love? In this S’mores Cake, all those components come together to make an amazing cake inspired by the tasty classic treat.
In this cake, you’ll find these yummy layers:
- Moist Chocolate Cake – Based on my Best Moist Chocolate Cake recipe, this cake is an all-time favorite and has dozens of amazing reviews. It’s moisture and intense chocolate flavor make it perfect for this cake.
- Toasted Marshmallow Frosting – The frosting uses both marshmallow fluff and toasted marshmallows. The toasted marshmallows are toasted right in the oven, cooled and then broken apart to be added to the frosting. So good!
- Graham Cracker Crunchies – Graham cracker crumbs are combined with some sugar and melted butter and then toasted to create little crunchies.
- Chocolate Ganache – With this cake being modeled after s’mores, some form of melty chocolate needed tone included and chocolate ganache is about close as you get!
How to make a S’mores Cake
To start, you’ll make the chocolate cake. It’s pretty much a one bowl chocolate cake that comes together super quickly. All you really need is a whisk – no need to pull out the mixer. And don’t be afraid by the thin batter. It’s absolutely correct and makes the most wonderful chocolate cake.
The next thing you’ll put together are the graham cracker crunchies. Just mix together the crumbs, sugar and butter and bake for 8-10 minutes and you’re ready to go.
Making the toasted marshmallow frosting is much like making any other buttercream, but perhaps even simpler. Combine butter with marshmallow fluff and powdered sugar, then add the toasted marshmallows. The marshmallows are toasted in the oven and added to the frosting. They add some authentic toasted marshmallow flavor and a little bit of chewiness to the frosting.
The chocolate ganache is next. Heat the cream and pour it over the chocolate chips and allow the heat from the cream to melt the chocolate. Whisk until smooth and you’ve got your ganache.
The final thing to make is the vanilla frosting. While the marshmallow buttercream is relatively thick, I wanted to be sure that everything stayed in place and that the cake remained stable. The best way to do this is to ensure you have a thick, stable frosting to create the dam with. I talk more about cake dams in this post on how to build a cake, if you’re interested in understanding that more. But once you’ve got your vanilla frosting ready, it’s finally time to build the cake!
There are two filling layers between the three cake layers. It starts with a layer of ganache, then the toasted marshmallow frosting and finally the graham cracker crumbs. All of that is held in place by the vanilla frosting dam.
Once all the layers are together, frost the outside of the cake with the rest of the marshmallow frosting, press some remaining graham cracker crunchies around the bottom, then add your chocolate drip with the remaining chocolate ganache. The finishing touch is to add the toasted marshmallows around the top of the cake and use a kitchen torch to toast them (I use this butane torch).
Best S’mores Cake
The final S’mores Cake is truly a thing to behold. It’s beautiful on the outside and FULL of flavor on the inside! You’ve got all the necessary s’mores components right inside the layers of the cake – it’s like eating a s’more right there!
Despite a lot of steps, each layer is really quite simple to put together and it comes together easily. It’s fun to make and will certainly impress a crowd. This is the perfect cake for summer and I hope you enjoy it!
More Great S’mores Treats
S’mores Cupcakes
S’mores Cheesecake
S’mores Ice Cream Cake
Mini S’mores Cheesecakes
S’mores Ice Cream Bars
Smores Chocolate Cake
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours 40 minutes
- Yield: 12-14 slices
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Description
This S’mores Cake is an amazing combination of moist chocolate cake, toasted marshmallow buttercream, graham cracker crunchies and chocolate ganache! If you’re a s’mores lover, this cake is definitely for you!
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 2 cups (260g) flour
- 2 cups (414g) sugar
- 3/4 cup (85g) natural unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 large eggs
- 1 cup (240ml) milk
- 1 cup (240ml) vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup (240ml) hot water
Graham Cracker Crunchies
- 3/4 cups (100g) graham cracker crumbs (about 6 full sheet graham crackers)
- 1 1/2 tbsp (20g) sugar
- 1/4 cup (56g) unsalted butter, melted
Toasted Marshmallow Frosting
- 1 3/4 cups (392g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 1/4 cups marshmallow fluff*
- 6 cups (690) powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
Chocolate Ganache
- 9 oz (1 1/2 cups) semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup (180ml) heavy whipping cream
Vanilla frosting
- 3/4 cup (168g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 cups (345g) powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp milk or cream
Instructions
1. Prepare three 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper circles in the bottom, and grease the sides. Preheat oven to 300°F (148°C).
2. Add all dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk together.
3. Add eggs, milk and vegetable oil to the dry ingredients and mix well.
4. Add vanilla to boiling water and add to mixture. Mix well. The batter will be very thin.
5. Divide batter evenly between cakes pans and bake for 30-33 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.
6. Remove cakes from oven and allow to cool for about 5 minutes, then remove to cooling racks to cool completely.
7. When the cakes are cooled and you’re ready to build the cake, preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
8. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter and stir until well combined. Spread the crumbs evenly onto the prepared cookie sheet.
9. Bake for 8-10 minutes, then allow to cool. Set aside.
10. To make the frosting, toast the marshmallows under the broiler for about 1 minute, or until toasted. Remove from the oven and set aside to allow them to cool completely.
11. Add the butter to a large mixer bowl and beat until smooth.
12. Add the marshmallow fluff to the butter and beat until well combined.
13. Add about half of the powdered sugar to the butter mixture and mix until well combined and smooth.
14. Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth.
15. Add the cooled toasted marshmallows and mix until well combined. If the marshmallows are quite sticky, break them apart into smaller pieces before adding them to the frosting. Set aside.
16. Add the chocolate chips to a medium sized bowl.
17. Heat the heavy whipping cream until it just begins to boil, then pour it over the chocolate chips.
18. Allow the chocolate and cream and to sit for 3-5 minutes, then whisk together until smooth. Set aside.
19. Add the butter to a large mixer bowl and beat until smooth.
20. Add about half of the powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth.
21. Add the vanilla extract and cream and mix until well combined.
22. Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix until well combined and smooth.
23. Remove cake domes from the tops of the cake with a large serrated knife. See my tips on how to level a cake and how to stack a cake.
24. Place the first layer of cake on a cake plate or cardboard cake circle. Pipe a dam of vanilla frosting around the outer edge of the cake. This dam will help keep all of the filling in place so that nothing seeps out or doesn’t stay in place.
25. Add about 6 tablespoons of chocolate ganache to the top of the cake and spread it into an even layer.
26. Add one cup of marshmallow frosting to the top of the ganache and spread into an even layer.
27. Add 1/2 a cup of graham cracker crunchies to the top of the frosting and spread evenly.
28. Add the second layer of cake, another dam of vanilla frosting, then another layer of ganache, marshmallow frosting and graham cracker crunchies.
29. Top the cake with the final layer of chocolate cake. Refrigerate the cake for about 30 minutes or so to make sure everything is stable.
30. Use the remainder of the marshmallow frosting to frost the outside of the cake. Feel free to use my tutorial for frosting a smooth cake.
31. Press the remaining graham cracker crunchies into the bottom part of the cake.
32. Use the remainder of the chocolate ganache to add the chocolate drip to the cake. See my tutorial for how to make a chocolate drip cake. It will have cooled off by now, so you’ll want to carefully heat it back up in the microwave.
33. Add some mini marshmallows to the top of the cake and use a kitchen torch to toast them.
34. Refrigerate cake until ready to serve. Cake is best when stored in an air tight container. Serve cool, but not cold and finish leftovers within 3-4 days.
Notes
*I used almost all of two 7 oz jars of marshmallow fluff
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 Slice
- Calories: 1193
- Sugar: 133.9 g
- Sodium: 412.5 mg
- Fat: 61 g
- Carbohydrates: 164.4 g
- Protein: 6.6 g
- Cholesterol: 130.1 mg
Categories
Enjoy!
Marshmallow buttercream modified from Cookies and Cups
This recipe halted any cake variety in my house for years in a row, my daughter loved it so much she refused suggestions for other birthday cakes. It’s amazing.
That’s so awesome to hear. Glad it’s a hit!
Can you use marshmallow crème instead of fluff?
It’s the same thing, I believe, just different brands. So yes.
Just made this cake for mine and my husbands bday and wow!
I got so many compliments on the actual chocolate cake being one of the best they’ve ever had and I loved this cake overall…it was amazing and stacked well!
Awesome! I’m so glad it was a hit!
Oh goodness, this cake looks AMAZING! I can’t wait to make it. I do have a quick question, though (and forgive me, I’m one of those people that likes to follow directions to the letter, which is why I like baking and not cooking 🤪) How do I toast the marshmallows under the broiler? Should I put them on tin foil or parchment? Do I have to grease it before putting them onto whatever I’m going to use? I’m just worried I’m going to have a melted mess 😱
I line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, which is already non-stick. You could spray it too, if you like. Just keep an eye on them. They’ll puff up and brown a bit, just be sure to remove them before they get melty. Take them out when they’re still puffy and just browned enough.
I haven’t made it yet but was curious if the vanilla butercream is just for the dam?
I just want to make sure i didn’t miss anything
Yes, that’s correct.
I do not have smaller round cake pans, could this chocolate cake be made in a large Angel food cake pan and sliced into layers afterwards ?
An angel food pan is quite a bit different. The cake doesn’t really bake the same and it would be kind of difficult to layer everything with a hole in the middle. Plus, it’s a very thin cake batter, so it could leak out of the opening in the bottom of the pan. But you can certainly give it a try.
Has any made the cakes in 9 inch pans? If so, what was the bake time?
Has anyone tried to make the toasted marshmallow frosting and graham cracker crunchies ahead of time? If so how long in advance did you make it?
Not that I know of, but that should be fine. The frosting would be fine in the fridge for up to a week. Just bring it back to room temperature before using it. You can make the crunchies and store them at room temperature in an airtight container.
I’ve made this recipe several times. Each time I have learned something new. First of all, when making the marshmallow icing, I have started to buy the 13oz jars as you use all of one with the exception of a tablespoon. Next, I recommend adding salt to the icings. Salt helps balance out the sweetness so when not used, it can make the icing taste extra sweet. Next, when toasting the marshmallows be sure to get a little butter on your fingertips go help pull the marshmallows apart. Also, DONT wait until the marshmallows are completely cooled or you’ll end up with a hard sticky mess. When doing a ganache drip on top, be sure to stick the cake in the fridge to get it nice and cold so your warm ganache doesn’t run to the bottom. I have made this mistake more than once. Also, this recipe ends up making too much vanilla icing. I haven’t done this yet, but I plan on using the extra icing to make cake balls with the leftover cake I sliced off the layers to level. Other than that, this recipe tastes delicious! It does take a while to make since you have to make the fillings (toasted graham crackers and ganache) and two different types of icing. When making this, be sure to have lots of people willing to eat it. It makes a fairly large three layers cake.
So helpful, thank you! Particular the marshmallow part!
Really excited to make this! Just wondering if the graham cracker crunchies will get soggy if the fully assembled cake sits in the fridge for a day?
The will definitely soften over time, but they shouldn’t be soggy.
This cake is soooooo good. I’ve made it twice. The first time I didn’t get to taste it, the second time I did and I was blown away. It was so much better than I was expecting. I am making it again tomorrow for my son’s birthday party. Can’t wait to have a piece!
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it!
I love how this tunred out. One question I had was should I toast the Marshmallows right before serving? Or can it be done hours in advance?
You can certainly do it hours in advance. If you do it right before serving, they will be warm. It just depends on your preference. I use a kitchen torch to toast them.
Made this cake for my son’s 8th birthday. So decadent and rich. Actually substituted Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 gluten free flour and it was delicious. I made in 9 in cake pans and wish I had used small so the cake layers were a little thicker. A winning recipe. Thanks!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Can I make the chocolate cake ahead of time and freeze it?
Yes, that’d be fine. Just wrap the layers well before freezing and thaw in the fridge before using.
I love this marshmallow frosting recipe. Wondering- if I wanted a smooth finish, could I just skip the toasted marshmallow step?
Yes, you could definitely skip the toasted marshmallows.
Any tips for doing this with 2 9” rounds
I think the main thing to keep in mind is that you’ll only need half the amount of filling so you won’t need to make as much.