I’ve been waiting for a free evening to try out this recipe for toasted marshmallow s’mores cupcakes..and low and behold, I got to leave work at six thirty yesterday.
This recipe has four components: the graham cracker crust, the chocolate cupcake, the chocolate glaze, and the toasted marshmallow frosting.
When these elements combine, you get an amazing variety of texture, and flavor. And despite the lengthy recipe, I bet that you can find most of the ingredients in your pantry.
Making These Toasted Marshmallow S’mores Cupcakes
To make these cupcakes you’ll need to the following ingredients.
Graham Cracker Base:
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
Chocolate Cupcakes:
- 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup strong black coffee (or 1 T espresso powder dissolved in 1 cup water)
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
Chocolate Glaze:
- 6 ounces semisweet chocolate
- 5 tablespoons butter
- 2 tsp. light corn syrup
Marshmallow Meringue:
- 4 egg whites
- 1 cup granulated sugar
I used half the batter to make mini cupcakes, and the other half to make regular sized cupcakes. The recipe yields about 24 regular sized cupcakes and 24 mini cupcakes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and line the cupcake tins with baking cups. Crush a sleeve of graham crackers into fine crumbs.
You can use a food processor if you have one, or simply place the crackers in a ziplock bag and crush them with a flat object.
I used the bottom of a metal mug. Pour the crumbs into a medium sized bowl, and add the melted butter and sugar.
Mix until the crumbs are evenly coated in butter, the spoon a tablespoon of the mixture into each cupcake liner (1 teaspoon for the mini cupcakes).
Using a shot glass (or other flat bottomed object), press down on the graham cracker crumbs to form a crust in each liner.
Let these bake for 5 minutes, then cool them completely to allow the crust to harden.
As the graham cracker crusts are baking, begin to make the batter. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Add the eggs, coffee, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract and beat for 2-3 minutes on medium speed, until the ingredients are fully incorporated.
The batter will be a bit runnier than regular cupcake batter.
Fill each cupcake liner 2/3 of the way full, and bake for 15-18 minutes (about 10 minutes for the mini cupcakes), or until a toothpick comes out clean with a few crumbs. Let the cupcakes cool before frosting.
In a saucepan, melt together the chocolate, butter, and corn syrup over medium low heat, and stir until completely combined.
Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. The glaze should thicken to a spreadable consistency.
In a double boiler, whisk together the egg whites and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved and the egg whites are warm to the touch, about 2-3 minutes.
Remove from the heat, and continue to beat until the egg whites form stiff, shiny peaks (about 5 minutes).
Using a knife or off-set spatula, spread a thick layer of chocolate glaze on top of each cupcake, extending the chocolate to the edge of the cupcake.
Let this set for a few minutes. Fill a large, sealable, plastic bag with the meringue, snip off the corner, and pipe it on top of the cupcakes.
Turn the oven onto broil and place the cupcakes on a cookie sheet in the top shelf of the oven. Leave the broiler door slightly ajar, and keep an eye on the cupcakes as they toast. Leave the cupcakes in the broiler for 1-2 minutes, and remove immediently once you see the meringue browning.
I packed these up and brought them all the way to Iselin, NJ. My work team and client contacts really enjoyed them, and so did I 😀