The Ultimate S’mores Cupcake

S’mores are the pinnacle of summertime treats. But seriously, who has a campfire on hands at all times to cure those cravings at any given moment? These s’more cupcakes are the answer!

No fire is needed to make these babies. Using a variation of a classic Swiss Meringue Buttercream to give that quintessential marshmallow texture on top, these s’mores cupcakes hit all the right summer notes. Go crazy and top them with a little extra Homemade Chocolate Syrup to really take things to the next level.

Ingredients for S’mores Cupcakes

S’mores are pretty simple on their own: graham crackers, chocolate bar, and marshmallow. We will need a few extra for our s’mores cupcakes, but the end result is so much better than the original. And my motto is – don’t bother reinventing it if it’s not better. These are better.

Cupcakes

• Graham cracker crumbs. You can buy these already crumbled, but if you have a food processor available, I think blitzing down the original crackers into a flour is better – both texture and flavor-wise.
• Cake flour. If you used only graham crackers, you’d end up with a hockey puck of a cupcake. The light and airiness cake flour provides balances out the crumbs nicely.
• Unsalted butter and vegetable oil. Using butter and oil is the best of both words. You get all the flavor of butter, but the extra moisture oil brings to the party.
• Baking Powder. For the rise! Baking powder helps baked goods pop up, so you get that classic lightly domed top of a cupcake.
• Granulated Sugar.
• Eggs. Eggs help to add richness to the cake, but also structure.
• Salt, cinnamon, vanilla extract. Our flavors! I don’t know why, but I always want to add a pinch of cinnamon to graham crackers. so I added it here. You can omit it if you are normal and don’t have these urges.
• Whole milk and sour cream. These guys bring the moisture and moisture brings a soft and fluffy cupcake.

Filling

A ganache makes for a great cupcake filling. Ganache is made with just heavy cream and chocolate. We are going to use a 1:1 ratio of the two for a softer cooled filling (you don’t want to bite into a cupcake and hit a block of hardened chocolate!)

• Chocolate bars. Classic s’mores are made with milk chocolate candy bars. I opted for a semi-sweet chocolate, but you can use a dark chocolate if you prefer the more bitter varieties. The most important thing is to get a quality baking chocolate bar – not chocolate chips or a candy bar. These are made with emulsifiers that are meant to prevent melting and we want a nicely melted chocolate.

Buttercream

S’mores have marshmallows. Marshmallows are meringue with a gelatin added so they become stable. Instead, we’re using a Swiss meringue buttercream, which has the same meringue base, but with butter added to make it A) slightly more like a typical icing and B) more stable so they last longer.

Meringue on its own can start to break down pretty quickly, especially if you live in a warm and humid area. This recipe has less than a typical Swiss meringue buttercream so the meringue can shine a bit more.

• Egg white and granulated sugar. The basis of all meringues.
• Unsalted butter.
• Salt and vanilla extract. For flavor!

Making Cupcakes

To Make the Cupcakes

The process to make these cupcakes follow my standard cake recipe, but some of the flour is swapped for graham cracker flour. So easy! Start by whisking together all your dry ingredients and set aside. In the bowl of a mixer, whip together the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.

Add the oil, then the eggs and vanilla until thoroughly mixed. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk, starting and ending with the dry ingredients. Stir in the sour cream by hand with a rubber spatula. This process of alternating dry and wet ingredients ensures the mixture doesn’t split and the flour doesn’t overwork and become tough.

Mixing the last few stirs by hand not only ensures you get all the doodle off the bottom of the bowl, but again prevents overmixing.

To Make the Filling

While your cupcakes are baking, make the ganache. Warm the heavy cream until just simmering and pour over the finely chopped chocolate. Let sit for 2-3 minutes minutes to allow the chocolate to melt.

With a whisk, start in the center with very small concentric circles, gradually getting larger as you see the chocolate and heavy cream come together in a silky chocolatey ribbon. Set aside to cool completely.

To Make the Buttercream

Next, make the buttercream! You can find a more thorough discussion on my Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe page, but here are the highlights! Place your egg whites and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer.

Set the mixture over a small pot of simmering water, making sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. Whisk the egg whites constantly and gently until the mixture reads 165°F on an instant thermometer.

This process will gently warm the eggs to a safe level to consume without making scrambled eggs.

Transfer the bowl to the stand mixer and let whip until room temperature and egg whites are light and airy, about 10 minutes. Slowly add one tablespoon of softened butter at a time.

Whip until the mixture comes together, do not fret if it looks curdled! This is normal! Once the butter has fully incorporated and you have a silky buttercream, add the vanilla and salt.

Assembly

Once the ganache is cooled to room temperature. Whisk together to create a pipeable chocolate. Using a sharp knife, cut the center of the cupcake out, going only about halfway down. Using a small spoon, or place the ganache in a Ziploc or piping bag, fill the center of the cupcake.

Pipe or spread the icing on the cupcakes as desired (I used an offset spatula) covering the ganache. Top with chocolate squares, graham crackers, mini marshmallows or chocolate syrup as you choose!

Storage

Cupcakes are always best enjoyed the day off. Store any extra cupcakes covered in the fridge for up to 3 days and allow to come to room temperature before enjoying.

Un-filled and un-iced cupcakes can be stored in the freezer, tightly wrapped for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw overnight in the fridge before filling and icing.