S’mores Cake

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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!
A slice of S'mores Cake with a fork on a white plate and the remaining S'mores Cake on a cake stand

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.

A slice of S'mores Cake with a bite removed and a fork on a white plate

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!

A full S'mores Cake topped with marshmallows and chocolate drip on a cake stand

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).

A slice of S'mores Cake with a fork on a white plate

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!

A full S'mores Cake topped with marshmallows and chocolate drip on a cake stand
A slice of S'mores Cake with a fork on a white plate

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

Print
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A full S'mores Cake topped with marshmallows and chocolate drip on a cake stand
Recipe

Smores Chocolate Cake

  • Author: Life, Love and Sugar
  • 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

To make the chocolate cake:

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.

To make the graham cracker crunchies:

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.

To make the toasted marshmallow frosting:

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.

To make the chocolate ganache:

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.

To make the vanilla frosting:

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.

To build the cake:

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

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137 Comments
  1. Lori

    Can I make this in advance? I have a baby shower on Saturday, but want to have it completed by Thursday. Would the graham crackers still stay crunchy?

    1. Lindsay

      You can, but you’d need to make sure it’s plenty stiff or it won’t stay in place. You have a little more control with the vanilla buttercream.

  2. Katie

    Is it possible to make a 6″ cake (using 3 pans) and the rest as cupcakes? Would you adjust the ingredients and/or baking time?

    1. Lindsay

      Sure. I would bake half the recipe as the 6 inch cake, similar to this 6 inch chocolate cake. Then you can use the other half of the batter to get about 12 cupcakes. Bake time for the smaller cake would be about 15-20 minutes, if using 3 layers. The cupcakes would bake for about 18-23 minutes, similar to these chocolate cupcakes. I’m not sure if you’d need to adjust the frostings and such. If you’re using all the batter for cake and cupcakes, you may use it all.

  3. Kelly

    Something is not right with the cake ingredients and marshmallow frosting! I followed everything as instructed and when I went to frost the cake the frosting was pulling the cake apart!!! This took so long to put together and I am SO upset, it looks like crap (cake pieces all over in the frosting as it was impossible to smooth the frosting over the cake!!). I have never ever experienced this before in all my baking! And yes, I refrigerated the assembled cake prior to frosting. Horrible recipe!!!

    1. Lindsay

      It really just sounds like your frosting was too thick. I don’t know if you weigh your ingredients or not, but if you don’t, it’s possible you over measured the powdered sugar. You can always thin it back out a little bit with some heavy cream. When it’s too thick, it won’t stick properly to the cake and then you have the issue that you had. Here is a blog post on how to get the right frosting consistency, which may be helpful.

  4. Christina cherian

    Hello
    Just curious- isn’t 6 cups of powdered sugar too much and way too sweet to add to the marshmallow frosting? Given that it already has marshmallows added in it?
    Also for vanilla frosting it calls for 3 cups of powdered sugar- again too sweet?
    -Can I change the powdered sugar amount in either ?
    -Will it alter the texture of either of the frostings?

    1. Lindsay

      Whether or not, it’s too sweet or too much might be a little bit subjective. The main thing here is actually the answer to your second question, which is whether or not it alters the texture of the frosting. And decreasing the amount of powdered sugar will absolutely do that. The powdered sugar helps to thicken the frosting, so reducing it will make them much softer. I know people don’t love using tons of powdered sugar, but if you want a stable cake, you need a thick buttercream. If you want to reduce it, I would recommend reducing the overall buttercream recipe so that everything is reduced in the same proportion. But then you also have less filling in your cake and less buttercream to work with to frost the outside, because reducing the amount of powdered sugar also reduces the overall volume of frosting you end up with. I hope that helps!

Lindsay
About Lindsay

I’m the baker, recipe developer and photographer behind Life, Love and Sugar. I love sharing trusted recipes with helpful tips to give you great results.

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“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29