Chocolate S'mores Cake
Turned my FAVORITE black cocoa cake into a s’mores cake with a layer of graham cracker butter between the cakes and topped with a GIANT pile of vanilla bean meringue on top. Don’t forget to toast that gorgeous meringue!
Equipment
- 1 large bowl
- 1 Whisk
- 1 stand mixer or hand mixer
- 1 8x3 inch or 9 inch cake pan see blog post for other size options
- 1 offset spatula
- 1 large knife
Ingredients
Black Cocoa Cake
- 240 grams (2 cups) cake flour
- 80 grams (1 cup) black cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 14 grams (1 Tbsp) baking powder
- 350 grams (1 3/4 cup) granulated sugar
- 160 mL (2/3 cup) canola oil or any neutral oil
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 150 grams (2/3 cup) sour cream
- 240 mL (1 cup) hot coffee I use Americano
- 60 mL (2oz/1/4 cup) espresso (cooled) double shot *optional as a soak
Honey Syrup
- 42 grams (2 Tbsp honey)
- 60 mL (1/4 cup/2oz) hot water
Graham Cracker Butter
- 113 grams (1/2 cup/1 stick) salted butter softened
- 1 package graham crackers (8-9 full sheets) ground up
- 42 grams (2 Tbsp) honey
Toasted Meringue
- 4 large eggs room temperature
- 200 grams (1 cup) granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or beans from 1 pod
- Tiny pinch of fine sea salt
Instructions
Black Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350F (I use convection cuz my oven runs really hot at the bottom - conventional is also fine) and grease and line an 8x3 inch or two 8x2 inch baking pans with baking spray and parchment paper (I did one cake pan and sliced them in half).
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt until they’re evenly distributed.240 grams (2 cups) cake flour, 80 grams (1 cup) black cocoa powder, 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, 14 grams (1 Tbsp) baking powder
- In a separate large bowl, whisk the sugar, oil, eggs and sour cream until they’re well combined and smooth.350 grams (1 3/4 cup) granulated sugar, 160 mL (2/3 cup) canola oil, 2 large eggs, 150 grams (2/3 cup) sour cream
- Sift the dry ingredients over the wet and whisk them together, just a little - about halfway or so.
- Pour in the hot coffee and whisk until the batter is completely smooth and all the dry ingredients are combined.240 mL (1 cup) hot coffee
- Scrape the edge of the bowl and give it a good mix. Pour into prepared cake tin(s).
- Bake for 40ish minutes (if baking in one pan - 20-25 if baking in two separate pans), until the tallest part of the cake, in the center, springs back when you press on it. If you’re hesitant, give it another minute or so.
- Let the cake rest for 10 minutes in the pan, then flip over onto a tea towel and let the cake cool upside down for 30 minutes or so before flipping back over.
- Once it's cooled, slice the cake in half.60 mL (2oz/1/4 cup) espresso (cooled)
Honey Syrup
- Mix together the honey with the hot water to thin it out a bit. Let it cool for a few minutes. Brush half of the syrup onto each cake (on the sliced side).42 grams (2 Tbsp honey), 60 mL (1/4 cup/2oz) hot water
Graham Cracker Butter
- Place the graham crackers in a food processor and pulse until they’re completely ground. Move to a bowl.1 package graham crackers (8-9 full sheets)
- Add the butter and honey and use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon mix until it’s completely combined. It should be a thick but spreadable consistency.113 grams (1/2 cup/1 stick) salted butter, 42 grams (2 Tbsp) honey
- Spread the graham cracker butter on top of the bottom cake and then place the other layer of cake on top. It's quite thick so just be gentle with it so you don't squish the cake.
Toasted Meringue*
- Begin by thoroughly cleaning the aluminum bowl and the whisk attachment of the stand mixer (they can’t have any fat residue when making meringue). Once they’re clean and dry, place the egg whites, granulated sugar and cream of tartar in the bowl.4 large eggs, 200 grams (1 cup) granulated sugar, 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup (118mL) of water to a simmer. Keep the water simmering on low heat and place the bowl with the egg whites and sugar on top of the saucepan, creating a double boiler.
- Whisk the egg whites and sugar over low heat for 5 to 10 minutes, until the sugar granules are dissolved. You can feel it between your fingers if the sugar is fully dissolved but I HIGHLY recommend using a digital thermometer and bringing the mixture to 170°F (77°C) so the meringue is stable and doesn't weep.**
- When the sugar granules are fully dissolved in the egg whites and it reaches temperature, remove the bowl from the heat and place it on the stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the mixture on medium-high speed, until stiff peaks form.
- Add the vanilla and salt and continue beating the mixture until it's no longer warm. This usually takes about 10-15 minutes.1 tsp vanilla bean paste, Tiny pinch of fine sea salt
- Spread over the cake and use a culinary torch to toast the meringue.
Notes
This makes one tall 8 inch cake or two shorter ones. I made the one tall and sliced it in half.
*I like to make the meringue fresh before serving because that's when it tastes the best but you can also make it all at once and store it in the fridge for a few days.
If you need the meringue to be SUPER stable you can add gelatin to it.
- I just dissolve a ¼ tsp of gelatin in 1 tsp of cold water. Let it set for a few minutes and then microwave it for 5 seconds. Add it in with the vanilla and salt, mixing just until it’s well combined. It’ll set once it’s refrigerated.
Nutrition
Calories: 417kcalCarbohydrates: 57gProtein: 6gFat: 20gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 82mgSodium: 291mgPotassium: 143mgFiber: 2gSugar: 39gVitamin A: 324IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 87mgIron: 2mg
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!