This S’mores Cake is better than the real thing! A graham cracker cake filled with a whipped milk chocolate ganache and topped with toasted marshmallow fluff.
This is not what this cake was supposed to look like.
Ryan requested another S’mores Cake because he loved my S’mores Bundt Cake so much. I was happy to make it again, but I wanted to try something different. My plan was to make a naked cake with milk chocolate ganache and marshmallow fluff between each layer.
Except my store-bought marshmallow fluff was an epic fail.
I had a little homemade marshmallow fluff left over in the freezer from the S’mores Bundt Cake, but was too lazy to make more, so I decided to top it up with some store-bought stuff.
I’m not exactly sure what happened. I mixed the two together, and maybe I beat too much air out of it, or maybe the stuff I had in the freezer was too thin. No idea, but it was basically marshmallow soup. In hindsight, I don’t know why I decided to go ahead with it anyhow.
Plenty of cursing, as usual — par for the course with my baking. It’s rare that something works out on the first go. It’s a wonder I keep doing it! I actually took pics of my fails this time, which I almost never do because I’m too frustrated at the time. The pics are crappy and unedited, but I thought you’d appreciate them.
Here’s the lovely first layer that actually got entirely scrapped. It was still eaten, of course, but did not make it into the final cake.
Like, what is even going ON there? Marshmallow. Soup.
The next attempt wasn’t much better. I decided to take the remaining two layers, put the whipped ganache in between, and then top it with a marshmallow glaze…
It’s comical really, in hindsight. I could NOT take pics of this cake….it was destined to end up on Cake Wrecks.
So I scraped the whole mess off, MADE new marshmallow fluff from scratch, and covered the entire thing.
It’s not the look I was going for, but I think it turned out even better. I actually love that it’s almost the perfect shape of a marshmallow!
And, of course, the most important part is that it tastes amazing!
The graham cracker cake has a unique and delicious texture. The cake itself isn’t too sweet and the marshmallow is light, but if you’d like to tone it down, you could always swap the milk chocolate for dark chocolate.
Either way, this S’mores Cake is delicious and so perfect for summer. I hope you try it!
Tips for making this S’mores Cake:
- NOTE: The photos show a 4 layer cake — it’s actually two layers cut in half since I scrapped one of the (see post). The recipe makes a three-layer 6″ cake. If you’d like to replicate what I have in the photos use 2/3 of the recipe (change the Servings to 8 to get the amounts).
- The recipe as-is will also work in two 8″ pans. For three 8″ pans, 1.5x the recipe.
- To make cupcakes, all you need to do is reduce the baking time — start checking at 15mins or so.
- The cooled cake layers can be baked ahead of time, double wrapped in plastic wrap, and frozen for up to 3 months. Take out 2-3 hours before assembly.
- You could use dark chocolate ganache if you prefer, or a chocolate buttercream.
- If there are still some chunks of unmelted chocolate, microwave in 10-second bursts until all chocolate has melted.
- You can make the ganache a day ahead and leave it on the counter overnight, then whip.
- Do NOT use store-bought marshmallow fluff. It’s too thin/runny.
- Make sure there is no trace of egg yolk in your whites and that your tools are completely grease-free before making the fluff. If it isn’t stiff, don’t use it. See my Homemade Marshmallow Fluff post for details.
- You will need a thermometer for the marshmallow fluff. My favorite is from Thermapen.
- I used a kitchen torch to toast the outside once it was frosted.
- Learn how to keep your cakes moist using Simple Syrup.
- To help ensure your cake layers bake up nice and flat, check out my How to Bake Flat Cake Layers post!
S’mores Cake
Ingredients
Graham Cracker Cake:
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Milk Chocolate Ganache:*
- 12 oz milk chocolate finely chopped
- 6 oz heavy whipping cream
- 2 Tbsp Baileys Irish Cream optional
Marshmallow Fluff:
- 4 cups homemade marshmallow fluff
Instructions
Graham Cracker Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F and grease and flour three 6″ cake rounds, line with parchment.
- In a medium bowl, whisk flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth.
- Add sugars and beat on med-high until pale and fluffy (2-3mins).
- Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla.
- Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk). Fully incorporating after each addition. Do not overmix.
- Spread batter evenly into prepared pans. Smooth the top with a spatula and whack the pans against the counter to evenly distribute.
- Bake for approx. 40mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
- Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins. Whack the pans on the counter to loosen the cakes and turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.
Milk Chocolate Ganache:
- Finely chop chocolate and place into a bowl. Bring cream just barely to a simmer and pour over chopped chocolate. Cover with plastic wrap and let stand 2 mins. Stir with a spatula until combined and smooth. **
- Cool in the refrigerator until thickened, but still soft (stirring occasionally). ***
- Transfer to bowl of stand mixer and whip using the whisk attachment until the ganache is fluffy and has lightened in color (approx. 1 or 2 minutes).
Marshmallow Fluff:
- Prepare as per recipe.
Assembly:
- Once the cakes have cooled completely, frost the layers with the whipped ganache. Place in fridge to set.
- Spread marshmallow fluff roughly all over cake and torch to toast.
- Serve at room temperature.
Notes
Originally published November 2015
Chris says
Hi. Made this cake. Pretty sure you DID NOT use store bought. Total fail. You could be more specific in your recipe. As in “store bought WILL NOT give the pictured effect” so make your own. Although, having seen your ‘baked Alaska’ photo I am pretty sure you decorated the s’more cake with MERINGUE and then torched it. Will not be following your site. 😔
With many regrets,
Chris
Olivia says
Hi Chris, I’m sorry the cake didn’t work out for you. If you’d read my post you’d know that I had issues with the store-bought and ended up making my own. I couldn’t be sure that the store-bought caused the issue though, so didn’t want to discount it. I decorated the s’mores cake with the homemade marshmallow fluff that I linked in the recipe. The baked Alaska was made with simple meringue — they are not the same thing. Thanks for your feedback. I’ll remove the store-bought from the recipe.
Mary says
I made this cake and the homemade fluff, and it turned out beautifully!!
Maybe try again, Chris? The result was so worth it. YUM!
Olivia says
Hi Mary! I’m so glad it worked out for you and that you liked it! 😊
Sarah Parks says
Firstly, I LOVE this cake idea. It’s my mission to make this at the nearest holiday/event/get together possible. I am an armature baker, however, so I have a little (multi level) question:
What is the value of lining the pan with parchment paper? If I’m grease and flowering, how do I properly apply the paper? Is the paper supposed to be smooth or creased? Dose that effect the surface of the cake?
I’m obviously caught up about the parchment paper…
Thanks for your help!! And being available with your great recipes 🙂
-Sarah
Olivia says
Hi Sarah!! Lining the pan with parchment helps ensure the cake releases properly and doesn’t stick to the bottom. It’s another safety measure to get the cakes out perfectly :).
I use either Pam for Baking or Homemade Cake release to grease/flour the pans, and the parchment sticks quite well to those. If you’re having trouble getting the parchment to stick, I might recommend greasing the pan sticking on the parchment, greasing the parchment and then flouring the whole thing. The parchment should be as smooth as possible, though some small crinkle here and there won’t make a difference to a layered cake :).
Nila @ The Tough Cookie says
Hi Liv, you’re on a roll! I keep happily stumbling over your gorgeous cakes on Pinterest. You’re everywhere 😀
Olivia says
Haha thanks Nila!! 🙂
Colette Pollitt says
I made this for my fiancé’s birthday today and it was a hit! I used two 8 inch cake pans and baked for 30 minutes and it was perfect!
Olivia says
Yay! I’m so glad you liked it Colette :).
Jessica Burk says
Glad to hear this worked well for you! I’m planning to double the recipe and do four 9-inch layers (because I only have 9-inch pans). Did you happen to make it the day before? I’m hoping to make it tomorrow (Thursday) for a Friday birthday. Thanks in advance for any tips!
Olivia says
Hi Jessica! You can totally do it the day before. All elements can be made in advance and you can assemble it day before or day of. I would maybe keep it in the fridge overnight and take it out 2-3 hours before you plan to serve it :). Let me know how it goes!
Tricia says
👍
Anna Hodges says
How does it taste? I’m making it for a friend and I’m worried the effort will be wasted…
Olivia says
Hi Anna, it tastes delicious! You can read more details about the flavour in the post itself.
Mary says
Hi! I’m making this cake for a birthday party, do you think it would hold up in the fridge overnight? Or should I wait to frost and torch on the day of? Just trying to save some time. Thanks
Olivia says
Hi Mary! It *should* hold up overnight, but might look better same day. You could always frost it, stick it in the fridge, then torch it the next day?
Tricia says
Good info
Kelly says
Can this be modified to make cupcakes? If so, any suggestions on what to change?
Olivia says
Hi Kelly! Yes, you can make this into cupcakes but you would need to reduce the baking time. Start with 20mins and see how they are. I would then recommend spreading the ganache on top of the cupcakes and topping with marshmallow. Let me know how they turn out!
Brittan says
Hi, it says it will make a six inch 3 layer cake…but there are four layers in your picture?
Olivia says
Hi! One of my layers didn’t work out when I was decorating it, so I took the remaining two and cut them in half horizontally. You can find specific details in the post above.
Heather says
I just made this with store bought marshmallows fluff. It wasn’t you, it was the fluff. Had to scrape it off my cake and improvise with roasted marshmallows to cover it up. Hope it tastes as good as it looks!
The cake recipe worked so well though, I never have good luck with white cakes but this has been the exception.
Olivia says
Hi Heather! Glad to know it wasn’t just me. I’ll definitely be making my own fluff from now on. I hope you loved it!
Amy says
I just had the same problem. Used store bought fluff and it settled and started sliding off the cake, had to scrape it off and make the homemade.
Olivia says
Hi Amy! So glad it wasn’t just me. I’m sticking with the homemade stuff for sure!
Tricia says
I’m scared to make the fluff. I have to though. This is the cake our granddaughter wants for her 15th birthday.
Olivia says
Hi Tricia! I understand your fear with the fluff — boiling sugar is not fun to work with! It is worth it though. Maybe do a test run first? If that doesn’t work out I can give you an alternative :).
Maureen says
Olivia, my niece showed me your site and I love it! You are quite talented in many creative endeavors. I am interested in your S’mores Cake. How many would your recipe feed? Have you ever made it in larger cake pans? My niece would like me to make this cake for her son’s 2nd birthday party so I am wondering if I should make a few of the 6″ or make increase the recipe. What do you think? Thanks for any help you can give me.
Olivia says
Hi Maureen, thank you!! Do you have three 8″ round cake pans? If so, you can double the recipe and it would work just fine :). A 6″ three-layer cake would feed 8-12 people depending on how generous the pieces are :).
Maureen says
Thanks. I was reading the other comments and I wanted to also thank you for showing your fails. I am an amateur baker and am always my harshest critic. It can get very discouraging! I have to agree with Lori, it is comforting to see the “mistakes” . If all we saw was the gorgeous end result some of us might think twice before attempting it on our own. I also want to thank you for sharing sources, websites, etc. Not everyone is as generous. I had to laugh when I read about how you cry at the drop of a hat. Amen to that. I like to think creative people are passionate…about a lot things 🙂 I can remember I was watching a show on Animal Planet, “Meerkat Manor” and, better grab your tissues…one of the family unit was injured and wasn’t going to survive. His sibling stayed by his side until he passed and then one by one all the others came by as to say goodbye. Oh my God, I need the tissues!!! Anyway my point is I cannot watch anything involving animals, it rips my heart out. I also wanted to say while looking thru the comments I was amazed at how fast you reply, that is awesome! So now that I have rambled on and your are saying “Whoa lady way too much information” , it’s nice to know that there are others of us there who are just as crazy, passionate, emotional, whatever, lol. Can’t wait to try out the recipe. Thanks Olivia 🙂
Olivia says
Ok, I was getting teary-eyed just PICTURING that scene with the meerkats, omg :'(. I’m a sucker for animals too, so always have to have tissues nearby when watching stuff like that!
I’m so glad to hear that people like to see the fails! I wasn’t sure if I was going to include them at all, because they are SO bad, but I figured, why the heck not. I’m far from perfect and fail (a lot) in the kitchen, so people should know that it’s not always a pretty picture. Most often, it’s not :).
Thank you so much for this message!! And lol, it was not too much info at all :). It was such a nice thing to read first thing in the morning, especially after a less than stellar week. I hope the S’mores Cake works out for you and is 100% fail-free!! Let me know how it goes :). xo
Amanda says
I’m also planning to make this for a larger crowd. If I double the recipe and use three 8″-pans, how long would you recommend baking it?
Olivia says
Hi Amanda! You *shouldn’t* need to adjust the baking time too much as you’re increasing the volume and the pan size. I would start checking them at 30mins and see how they’re doing.
Tricia says
This is good to know. Thank you. 😊
Lori says
This looks amazing! I really want to thank you for posting the “fails”. I completely understand the cursing, pissed off moments in the kitchen. I often thought to myself “why do none of people I get these recipes from have trouble like this?” in a weird way, your post comforted me. I think somehow my husband secretly hopes I have the fails so he can take advantage of the scraps. Can’t wait to try this cake!
Olivia says
Thank you so much for this, Lori! Glad to know people appreciate the fails ;). I have SO many fails, it’s hard to not include them. This one really took the “cake” though. And yes, my husband has benefited from many of the fails as well!!
Dani says
Love the idea of the graham flavored cake! Your fridge pics brought a smile to my face because I have totally been there. Great post!
Olivia says
Thanks so much Dani! 🙂
jacquee | i sugar coat it! says
It’s stunning and I am loving the sound of that graham cracker cake. The marshmallow drip version ain’t so bad, either. 😉
Olivia says
Haha, thanks Jacquee! The graham cracker cake is mega-delicious! I plan to combine it with other flavours in the coming months :).
Jessica @ Sweetest Menu says
It is absolutely stunning Liv! I love the jagged layer of marshmallow fluff! Pinned!
Olivia says
Thanks so much Jess! <3
Oana says
I think it;’s stunning. We all have little failures in the kitchen, but I once read that a great pastry chef is not the one who knows how to make the recipes from scratch perfect every single time, but the one who stands the pressure and is able to find solutions without ever giving up. I have to say I find strenght in that sometimes 😀
Well done!
P.S. – I need to buy a blow torch asap, that marbling/burnt effect is beautiful.
Olivia says
Ahh thank you for that! What a great quote, it’s so appropriate! And yes, you need a torch! It’s the best thing ever :).
Lizzie says
You were VERY gutsy to take pix of the, uh, ones who didn’t, uh, make the grade. Got a couple of giggles from them, thanks! The acacia serving piece is gorgeous too. Pray for Paris.
Olivia says
Haha thanks Lizzie! I often have fails, but am too annoyed to take pictures of them. Glad you got a kick out of it!
Michelle | The Secret Ingredient Is says
Beautiful pictures! i am a huge s’mores lover and this looks heavenly!
Olivia says
Thanks Michelle! 🙂
Elizabeth says
Oh my gosh what an amazing cake and I LOVE that cake stand?! Did you make it yourself?
Olivia says
Thanks Elizabeth!! It’s actually a wood serving plate that I stacked on some rustic coasters. I got the plate here:
https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/house-and-home/gifts/acacia-wood-server-medium/882709046714-item.html?ikwid=wood+server+small&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=1
They actually have ones that are proper cake stands (https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/house-and-home/gifts/acacia-wood-pedestal-medium/882709172031-item.html?ikwid=wood&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=4), but they weren’t round enough so I went with the serving plate :).
Kim - Liv Life says
Oh my goodness, Olivia, you made marshmallow fluff?? You are my total hero!! This cake is beyond divine!
Olivia says
Thank you Kim!! It’s actually really easy to do, I just don’t love working with molten hot sugar :).
June @ How to Philosophize with Cake says
Yessss this looks amazing! All that toasty marshmallow topping, plus chocolate filling…sounds like my kind of s’mores! 😀
Olivia says
You would LOVE it June. It’s definitely a favourite over here :).