Chocolate cake layers with a graham cracker-marshmallow filling, then finished with a chocolate buttercream frosting and topped with toasted marshmallows! This S’mores Cake is fun, easy, and delicious!
Birthday Cakes
I love making birthday cakes. It’s such a fun way for me to say, “I love you!” So, when it comes to my kids, I tend to go a little overboard. This year I made them each a cake for their school birthday party, a cake for each of their family dinners, and a cake for each of them for their friend birthday party.
Since my children’s birthdays are only 3 weeks apart, and my husband’s birthday is between theirs, that means I made 7 cakes for my family in a 3 week time span.
I wanted each cake to be unique, and different. And that was hard. I gave my son a few choices for his family birthday dinner cake, and he picked a s’mores version.
S’mores Cake
This cake was a fun one to make! I ended up making and modifying it four or five times to get it just right!
Boxed Cake
I love making homemade cakes, but sometimes when you have a lot of cakes to make, or a lot going on, a boxed cake is just what you need. Spruce up the mix a bit and it’s soft cake perfection.
For this cake I used a Devil’s Cake Mix and added:
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 3.4 ounce box instant vanilla pudding
- 1 cup buttermilk
Graham Cracker Filling
The toughest part of this was getting the right consistency and taste for the graham cracker filling. The first time it was too crumbly and dry, the second time too buttery, etc, etc. Finally I got it just right!
For the filling I used 3/4 cup plain graham cracker crumbs, 4 tablespoons of melted butter, and 1 tablespoon of light brown butter.
Marshmallows
The best part of a s’more is the roasted marshmallow, so I wanted to make sure that it was included in every bite of this cake. To do this, I roasted the marshmallows in the oven. Here’s how:
First, on a large piece of parchment paper, trace the bottom of your baking pan.
Next, spray the outline of the pan with baking spray, or rub it with vegetable oil.
Third, in a single layer spread 1 cup of mini marshmallows in outline of the pan. Leave about 1/2 to 1 inch between the edge of the outline and the marshmallows.
Finally, put your oven on high broil, and place the marshmallows in. Watch very, very closely until the marshmallows are nice and browned. Seriously, don’t look away or you’ll likely to burn them.
Frosting and Decor
I finished this cake with chocolate buttercream frosting, and decorated it with graham cracker crumbs and large roasted marshmallows. That way it has all of your s’more ingredients on the inside and outside. Delish!
This S’mores Cake is not difficult to make, so it’s great for beginning bakers. Especially since it has such a tasty, beautiful result!
S’mores Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 15.25 ounce box Devil’s Food Cake mix chocolate cake mix works too, and if the box is not exactly 15.25 ounces, it is okay
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 1 3.4 ounce box instant vanilla pudding French vanilla pudding also works
- 1 cup buttermilk *see below
Chocolate Buttercream
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter softened
- 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- pinch salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 3-4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
Filling
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
- 2 cups mini marshmallows divided
- Decoration
- 18 regular sized marshmallows
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 3, 8" round baking pans with parchment paper. Grease and flour sides of pans (I use Baking PAM to do this).
- In a mixing bowl, stir mix together cake mix, eggs, vegetable oil, pudding, and buttermilk until all ingredients are just combined. Then, use electric mixer to beat on medium speed for about 2 minutes, or until batter is smooth.
- Divide batter evenly among the 3 prepared pans. Bake for 28-30 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out with just a few crumbs. Let cakes cool in pans for 10 minutes, then transfer to cooling rack. Let cool completely before decorating. NOTE: If you use a 9″ pan, check the center of the cake after 25-26 minutes.
Chocolate Buttercream
- Use electric mixer to beat together butter and shortening until lightened and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla extract and beat until well combined.
- Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time. Beat until well combined and then beat in 1/2 tablespoon cream. Repeat adding powdered sugar and cream until desired consistency and taste are reached.
Graham Cracker Filling
- Stir together graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, and brown sugar until well combined.
Assembly and Marshmallows
- Level cakes with a serrated knife or cake leveler. On the top of TWO of the cake layers, use a piping bag to pipe frosting around the outside of the cake layers**. Fill the inside of each of the piped rings with 1/3 of the graham cracker mixture.
- Turn oven to high broil. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Place one of your 8″ round baking pans on the parchment paper. Trace the bottom of the pan on the paper. Spray paper with cooking spray. In a single layer, spread 1 cup of mini marshmallows in the traced ring (leave about 1 inch between the outer marshmallows and the traced ring).
- Place in oven and cook until marshmallows are golden brown. This takes about 2 to 3 minutes. Watch very closely as this happens quickly!
- Place the browned marshmallows on top of the graham cracker crumbs on one of the cake layers. The sticky side of the marshmallows should be toward the graham crackers, and the browned side should be facing upward.
- Repeat process with a clean piece of parchment paper and the remaining cup of mini marshmallows.
- Stack the two filled cake layers on top of each other. Place the final cake layer, leveled side down, on top. Use frosting to frost outside and top of cake as desired (I use just a little so that the sides of the cake still peak through; see photos).
- Again, turn oven to high broil. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray. Place large marshmallows on paper, an inch or two apart. Cook until marshmallows are golden brown. Again, this will take 2-3 minutes and you need to watch very closely.
- Stack marshmallows on top of cake as desired.
- Use remaining graham cracker crumbs to press into the sides of the bottom of the cake and sprinkle over the top of cake.
Notes
Disclaimer: All nutritional information provided on this website is an estimate only and is not guaranteed.
If you enjoyed this S’mores Cake, you might enjoy these other SugarSpicesLife recipes:
Triple Chocolate Cake
Flourless Chocolate Torte
Skillet S’mores Brownie
S’mores Refrigerator Dessert
Instant Pot Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake
Links to items used to make this recipe:
