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Toasted S'mores Cupcake with a bite taken out
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Toasted S'mores Cupcakes

Graham cracker base, chocolate cupcakes, chocolate ganache filling, and toasted marshmallow Italian meringue buttercream!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Birthday, Chocolate, Cupcakes, Frosting, Ganache
Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 40 minutes
Servings 18 cupcakes
Calories 356kcal
Author Colleen

Ingredients

Chocolate Ganache

  • 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate chopped
  • 4 oz heavy cream
  • 1 Tbsp corn syrup

Graham Cracker Base

  • 3 oz graham crackers plus extra for topping
  • 2 oz unsalted butter melted
  • 3 Tbsps sugar

Chocolate Cupcakes

  • 8 fl oz hot coffee or boiling water
  • 1.25 oz cocoa powder
  • 7 oz sugar
  • 2 oz all- purpose flour
  • 2 oz cake flour
  • 2 Tbsps dried buttermilk
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 egg
  • 2 fl oz canola oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Toasted Marshmallow Italian Meringue Buttercream

  • 9 oz sugar
  • 3 fl oz water
  • 4 egg whites room temperature
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
  • 12 oz unsalted butter softened, but still cool
  • 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

Instructions

Chocolate Ganache

  • Place the chopped chocolate in a heat proof bowl and set aside. Meanwhile, heat the heavy cream on the stove top or in the microwave until steaming.
  • Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and cover the bowl for 1- 2 minutes. Then stir until well combined and there are no lumps. If necessary, pop the bowl in the microwave for 5 sec bursts if there are lumps than won't melt.
  • Add the corn syrup to the ganache and stir until well combined.
  • Press cling wrap onto the surface of the ganache and cool to room temperature. If not using the same, day you can cover and place in the fridge. Allow the ganache to come to room temperature before using.

Graham Cracker Crust

  • Preheat the oven to 350℉. Add a teaspoon of dried rice to each cavity in your cupcake pan. Add the cupcake liners and set aside.
  • Crush the graham crackers in a food processor or with a rolling pin. In a small bowl, combine with the butter and sugar. It should have the consistency of wet sand.
  • Place a scant tablespoon of the mixture into each of the 18 cupcake liners. Press down firmly with a small glass or measuring spoon to form a crust.
  • Bake for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool while you prepare the chocolate cupcake batter.

Chocolate Cupcakes

  • In a small heatproof bowl, combine the boiling water and cocoa powder. Stir until the cocoa powder is completely dissolved. Set aside.
  • Sift together the sugar, flours, dried buttermilk, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk to make sure the ingredients are evenly distributed.
  • Add the egg, oil, and vanilla to the warm chocolate mixture and whisk until well combined.
  • Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Beat with a hand mixer on low speed for 1- 2 minutes. Scrape the bowl down as needed.
  • Use a scoop to distribute the batter in the cupcake pans. Do not overfill! I slightly under-filledfilled my scoop.
  • Bake for 20- 22 minutes or until the tops spring back when poked. Let them cool in the cupcake pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.

Toasted Marshmallow Italian Meringue Buttercream

  • Place the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cover the pot for the first 2 minutes to help prevent crystallization. You will heat the sugar syrup to 240°F.
  • While the sugar heats, place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. When the sugar syrup hits 200°F, begin whipping the egg whites on low. Once they start to foam, add the salt and cream of tartar.
  • Bump the speed up to medium (4 on a KitchenAid) and beat until you reach soft peaks. The whites should be ready right when your sugar syrup is ready. If you hit soft peaks too soon, turn the mixer to the lowest speed and allow it to mix until the sugar syrup is ready.
  • Once the sugar is 240°F, turn the mixer to a medium speed. Slowly and carefully drizzle the syrup into the bowl, being careful to avoid the whisk. Continue to beat the meringue on a medium speed until it is thick, glossy, and forms stiff peaks (about 10 minutes).
  • Stop the machine and remove the whisk. Use a kitchen torch to toast the meringue so that it is a deep golden brown color. Replace the whisk attachment and whisk to combine. Repeat this process until the meringue is toasted to your liking, about 5- 8 times or so.
  • Begin adding the butter one tablespoon at a time. Wait about 10 seconds between additions. The mixture will deflate and look loose, but it will thicken up again.
  • Once the butter has been added, scrape down the bowl and whip on a medium high speed for 3 minutes. Scrape the bowl down, add vanilla, and whip to combine.

Cupcake Assembly

  • Use an apple corer or a small pairing knife to remove a small portion of the cupcake. Don't go down too deep! Use a piping bag to fill the cavity with chocolate ganache.
  • Fill a large piping bag with the toasted marshmallow Italian meringue buttercream and pipe a swirl onto each cupcake. Finish with a drizzle of any leftover ganache and sprinkle with crushed graham crackers.

Notes

  • I like to use one stick (4 oz) of cold, cubed butter to bring down the temperature of the meringue. The remaining 8 oz of butter are room temperature.
  • This buttercream makes enough to lightly frost 24 cupcakes.