Double Chocolate S’mores Cupcakes
These Double Chocolate S’mores Cupcakes have all the flavor— no campfire required.
This dessert boasts all the S’mores flavor, but in cupcake form. They are multilayered, starting with a graham cracker bottom, chocolate cake middle, and topped with a chocolate buttercream, and my favorite part, homemade toasted meringue (aka basically homemade marshmallow).
Equipment and Ingredients Needed
This cake can be made using a stand or handheld electric mixer. The meringue will require a stand mixer.
The cake is made by creaming butter and sugar together, beating in eggs and then mixing in flour, vanilla, cocoa powder, hot coffee and Lifeway’s Plain Organic Whole Milk Kefir.
Tips and Tricks
1.) Process the graham cracker into fine crumbs. This is best done using a food processor.
2.) Follow the mixing times and directions to make the chocolate cake carefully. Part of what makes these S’mores Cupcakes so successful is the delicious crumb—it’s the main star so we want to get it right.
3.) The chocolate frosting is made with melted chocolate which, I think, makes it extra special. Make sure to add the chocolate when the butter and sugar have been creamed until very fluffy, and more importantly, make sure the chocolate has been cooled to room temperature before adding. Drizzle it in slowly, keeping the mixer on medium speed.
4.) Don’t top the baked cupcakes with buttercream until they are completely cooled. This will melt the toppings.
5.) If wanting to make these cupcakes for a party, make them the day before and decorate up until the chocolate frosting, but NOT adding the meringue. The meringue should be made day off, and not piped onto the cupcakes until a couple of hours, or ideally, right before serving. The meringue isn’t stable like buttercream, and the consistency will change if left in the fridge or on the counter too long. .
Substitutions and Variations
The possibilities are endless! For example, Pumpkin S’mores Cupcakes can be found here. Keep this dessert in mind for early fall—such a fun flavor combo.
If you don’t like the graham cracker bottom, feel free to omit it, and instead, process a few crackers with a drizzle of butter to crumble on top of the decorated cupcakes.
These cupcakes can also be filled, if desired. Add some chocolate buttercream inside or pipe in fresh meringue. Both would be delicious!
Final Tip
Before starting, make sure to have a working kitchen torch to toast the meringue, and a few piping tips and piping bags for decorating the cupcakes. For the chocolate buttercream, I use a Wilton 1M tip and for the dollop of meringue, I use a large round piping tip.
Double Chocolate S'mores Cupcakes
Ingredients
- 2 graham cracker sleeves
- 1/2 cup butter, melted
- 3/4 cup butter, softened
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2/3 cup hot coffee
- 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ cup Lifeway Organic Plain Whole Milk Kefir
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
- heavy cream
- 5 egg whites
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven 350 degrees F. Line two 12 count cupcake tins with liners. Set aside.
- To make the crust, using a food processor, pulse the graham cracker into fine crumbs. Stir in the melted butter and mix until combined. Press 2 tablespoons of graham cracker crumbs into each cupcake tin.
- To make the cake, in a mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugars on medium-high speed for 3 minutes. Drizzle the oil into the bowl on low speed. Once incorporated, turn the mixer back to medium-high speed for another 1-2 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time, mixing batter until smooth and scraping the bowl after each egg addition. Add vanilla and briefly mix one more time.
- In a separate bowl, using a fine mesh sieve, sift the flour, baking soda and salt. Spoon and level the flour for an accurate measurement.
- Into a glass measuring cup, whisk together the cocoa powder and hot coffee. Add the kefir and whisk until incorporated.
- Alternating in thirds, rotate between the flour and kefir, starting and ending with the flour. The mixer should be kept on low speed. Scrape the bowl, making sure any dry ingredients trapped at the bottom are brought to the top. After scraping, turn the mixer up to medium speed briefly to complete the batter.
- On top of the graham cracker crust, fill each cupcake tin with 1/4 cup of cake batter. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from the cupcake tins promptly. Allow to cool on a wire wrack.
- To make the chocolate buttercream, using a whisk attachment, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add 1/4 cup powdered sugar at a time, mixing throughly before each addition. Once all the powder sugar has been added, slowly pour in the cooled melted chocolate on medium speed. Add heavy cream one tablespoon at a time until desired consistency is achieved. I usually use about 1/4 cup.
- To make the meringue, add five egg whites and 1 cup sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer. Place the mixing bowl over a saucepan filled with two inches of simmering water. Stirring constantly, heat the eggs and sugar until there are no granules present, or until 160 degrees F, for food safety concerns.
- Attach the bowl to the stand mixer using the whisk attachment, and mix on high speed for 10 minutes, or until the bowl is room temperature and the meringue has reached stiff peaks. Add the vanilla and mix briefly mix one more time.
- Using a large star tip, pipe a ring of chocolate buttercream on the edge of the cupcake.Using a large round piping tip, fill the center with a dollop of meringue. Toast each top of meringue with a kitchen torch. Enjoy immediately.
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