S'mores Cake

I've been in the mood for something rich and decadent lately, but I've also really wanted to go camping. The weather has been perfect! (Like I have time for that right now.. ☹️).. So, in the spirit of camping, I have decided to share with you all one of my favorites! The S'MORES cake! It's rich, easy, and most of all, FUN!

This cake has it all! It's a double chocolate cake with marshmallow and graham cracker buttercream, a chocolate ganache drip, and adorned with toasted marshmallows, graham crackers and more chocolate! This is a chocolate lover's dream!

A fair warning, this cake is so rich, it's almost like, brownie rich. I don't see why you would want to, but if you want to take it down a notch, you can nix the hand-full of chocolate chips at the end, and even cut the melted chocolate down. But, I wouldn't put any less than 1/4 cup of melted chips. On the other hand, I don't recommend adding anymore chocolate. (I can't believe I actually said that).

There's nothing I would say is overly technical or difficult about this cake. All I would say is, be sure not to over mix the cake batter after the addition of the melted chocolate. Make sure you fold the graham cracker crumbs into the frosting. Too many cakes have been ruined by soupy frosting (although the marshmallow makes this frosting particularly resilient). And, don't be discouraged by the chocolate ganache! It sounds all fancy and difficult, but it is really a cinch to make! Here's a quick video to learn how...

And, of course, I had my lovely little helper assisting me! I hope you all enjoy her messy face as much as I do!

I just made a podcast, where I talk about this cake and what to expect next week! Come check it out!!!  https://soundcloud.com/felicia-maerz/welcome-smores-cake S'mores Cake Yield: SERVES 12-15  Prep time: 20-35 minutes  Bake time: 30-40 minutes Total time:  4 hours 15 minutes (includes cooling time)

Ingredients: Chocolate Cake: 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder 3 cups cake flour 3 cups sugar 3 tsp baking powder 3/4 tsp baking soda 1 1/2 tsp salt 3 cups buttermilk 3/4 cup vegetable oil 6 eggs 1/4 cup (heaping) semisweet chocolate chips, melted hand-full of semisweet chocolate chips

Marshmallow and Graham Cracker Frosting: 14 oz marshmallow fluff 1 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 4-6 cups confectioners sugar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 Tbl heavy whipping cream* 1 cup graham cracker crumbs

Chocolate Ganache : 1/2 cup chocolate chips 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream Garnish: Large marshmallows Graham crackers Mini chocolate chips Snack size Hershey Bars

Directions: For the cake: 1.  Preheat oven to 350℉, and grease and flour 3 8-inch round cake pans. Set aside. 2.  In a large mixing bowl** combine the cocoa powder, sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir with hand whisk. 3.  In a separate bowl**, whisk together the buttermilk, eggs and oil. 4.  Gradually mix the wet ingredients INTO the dry ingredients. 5.  Add the melted chocolate, and mix until just blended. 6.  Pour into prepared cake pans. Evenly distribute the hand-full of chocolate chips into the pans. Bake about 30 minutes, or until toothpick comes out nearly clean. 7.  Let cool in pan 10 minutes before turning onto cooling racks.

For the Frosting: 1.   In the bowl of stand mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat the marshmallow fluff and butter until combined. 2.  Mix in the vanilla extract. 3.  Add confectioners sugar a cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.  4.  Add heavy whipping cream.Whisk on high for about 2 minutes. 5.  Stir in the graham cracker crumbs

For the Chocolate Ganache: 1.  Place chocolate chips in a bowl. Set aside.  2.  In a small saucepan, heat the heavy whipping cream over medium heat, stirring frequently.  3.  When the whipping cream begins to form small bubbles around the outer rim of the saucepan, remove from heat, and immediately pour over chocolate chips. Stir until the chocolate is melted. Allow to cool a little bit before adding to cake.

To Assemble: 1.       After the cakes have completely cooled, begin by leveling the top of the cakes. 2.       Place the first layer on your platter of choice, and top with frosting. Place the second cake layer on top of the first, covering with more frosting. Place the last cake layer, bottom up, on top.  3.       Use the frosting to apply a crumb coat. Refrigerate for at least 15-20 minutes. 4.       Apply your outer layer of frosting. Decorate the sides of the cake as desired.***  5.   Starting in the middle, carefully pour the chocolate ganache over the top of the cake, allowing it to spread until it begins to drip.**** 6.   Garnish as desired.*****

Recipe Notes *Use up to 1 Tbl of heavy whip, or more as needed. You may not need that much. **I have two bowls for my stand mixer, so I use one of them for dry ingredients, and one of them for wet ingredients, that way, when I mix them together, I can use my mixer. I use the paddle attachment ***When decorating the sides, keep in mind there will be a drip, so I wouldn't get to intricate. ****If you have a squeeze bottle, it can make this step extremely easy, and it allows you to pick and choose exactly where you want the drip to go. ***** I used a culinary torch to melt my marshmallows, it takes some practice,and you definitely need to do it before you add the rest of the garnishes.