One of my favorite summertime-only treats is a s'more. They are gooey, marshmallowey, chocolatey perfection. But not really office or party appropriate. Enter the cupcake version of a s'more!
I'm not gonna lie, these are crazy delicious. And dangerously fun to make. This recipe comes from the fabulous Annie's Eats, with just a few tweaks. The cupcake has a graham cracker crust, then chocolate cake topped with homemade marshmallow frosting. I've tried other s'mores cupcake recipes before, and this is my favorite way to incorporate the graham cracker.
*Note: you will need a thermometer to make the frosting. Don't let this stop you! I picked one up especially for this recipe and faced my fears of cooked frosting. It was definitely worth it.
Makes approximately 24 cupcakes
for the crust
1-1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
5-1/3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
for the cupcakes
2 cups and 2 tablespoons sugar
1-3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup hot, strong-brewed coffee
for the frosting
8 large egg whites, room temperature
2 cups sugar
1/2 teaspoon, cream of tartar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
to make the cupcakes
1. Preheat oven to 350°F and line 24 cupcake cups with liners.
2. In a small bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter. Mix well with a fork.
3. Drop approximately 1 tablespoon of graham cracker mixture into the bottom of each cupcake. Press to create a firm crust that evenly lines the bottom of the cupcake liner.
4. Sprinkle a small amount of chopped chocolate on top of the graham cracker crusts.
5. Bake for 5 minutes.
6. Remove from oven and set aside. Maintain the oven temperature.
7. In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, sift together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt; mix on low speed just to combine.
8. In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, milk, vegetable oil and vanilla extract; whisk together.
9. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients in the stand mixer; mix on low speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
10. Add the hot coffee and stir just to combine. Note, the batter will be very thin.
11. Fill the cupcake liners with the graham cracker crust, filling about 3/4 of the way full.
12. Bake for about 18-20 minutes. Rotate the pans halfway through baking. Take care not to overbake and remove from oven as soon as a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
13. Remove from oven and allow to cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
to make the frosting
1. Combine egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in the top of a double boiler on medium high heat. Alternatively, create your own double boiler by placing a mixing boil over a pot of boiling water.
2. Heat the mixture, whisking frequently until it reaches 160°F with an instant read thermometer.
3. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
4. Whisk starting at low speed, gradually increasing to medium high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form. (If this is your first time, be patient; it can take quite a while!)
5. Fold in the vanilla, just to combine.
6. Frost cupcakes as desired.
7. If desired, brown frosting with a kitchen torch, taking care not to brown the cupcake liners. Garnish with graham cracker and chocolate pieces.
hugs, sharyn
