Tuesday, July 7, 2009

S'mores Cake




My first blog post, yippee! Not the most appetizing picture, especially with the cat's anti-seizure meds in the background, but I promise this cake tasted good! I've gotten in the habit of bringing treats to work as often as I can, and I wanted to make something semi-festive for the 4th of July, so when I saw this cake I knew it had to be made. I found the recipe here. The comments in red are things I changed or had trouble with. This cake was definitely very sweet and should be consumed with a beverage of your choice. Also, as you can tell from the picture, my marshmallow creme pretty much melted out of the cake, and since I don't have two 9in pans I used a 9in and a 10in, resulting in cakes that were too flat.
S’mores Cake
Graham Cracker Cake
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla extract (I used about 1 1/2)
2 cups graham cracker crumbs*
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup milk (I used skim)
3 large egg whites, room temperature


Preheat oven to 375F. Lightly grease two 9-inch cake pans (see opening paragraph) with cooking spray or oil and line with parchment paper (turn the pan upside down to trace the right size, cut out and line pan).In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg yolks and vanilla extract.In a small bowl, whisk together graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, salt. Working in two or three additions, alternate stirring the graham cracker mixture and the milk into the butter mixture.Beat egg whites to soft peaks in a clean, medium-sized bowl. Working in 2 or three additions, fold egg whites into graham cracker mixture, mixing until no streaks of white remain.Divide evenly into prepared pans.Bake for about 20 minutes, or until cake springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.Let cakes cool in pans for 3 minutes, then invert onto wire racks (remove parchment paper) to cool completely before filling and frosting.

To assemble: Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving platter. Spread about 1/2 cup of the chocolate frosting onto the cake, then spread the marshmallow creme into an even layer.Top marshmallow layer with second cake round, then pour remaining frosting over the top, spreading it into an even layer with an offset spatula and allowing it to drip slightly down the sides of the cake.Cake will set up quickly, and should be stored in the refrigerator if not being served shortly after being assembled.

Makes 1 9-inch cake, Serves 8-10

Marshmallow Filling and Milk Chocolate Frosting
1 7-oz jar marshmallow creme
8-oz milk chocolate, chopped
1/4 cup half and half/cream (half and half)
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp corn syrup

In a medium, microwave-safe bowl, heat chocolate, half and half, butter and corn syrup until melted. Stir with a fork or small whisk to ensure that everything comes together smoothly. Proceed to assemble cake (above) once the frosting is prepared.
*If you grind your own grahams in the food processor, you’ll need about 20 graham cracker squares. I used a regular store brand, nothing fancy. Grind a little extra, so you don’t have to go try and process one by itself if you’re short.