S’mores Layer Cake with Homemade Fluff
This s’mores layer cake is made up of graham cracker flavored cake layers, frosted with chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream and homemade heavenly marshmallow fluff.
Several years ago when I first published this post, the photos were…let’s just not talk about it. This s’mores cake though, definitely worth updating. If I recall correctly, someone who tasted this cake said:
“Is this girl married? Cuz if not, then all she needs to do to get married is bake this cake!”
LOL…I am married, and not because of this cake.
If you love a good s’mores treat, I also have marbled s’mores cupcakes, peanut butter s’mores cupcakes, the BEST s’mores donuts, s’mores cookies, s’mores cinnamon rolls, s’mores brownie ice cream, homemade s’mores frap,
How To Make S’mores Cake, Step-By-Step Photos
Graham Cracker Cake
- Cream the butter with the sugar and the oil.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
- Alternate adding the dry and wet ingredients, in 3-4 increments.
- Bake in three round 6-inch pans.
Chocolate Ganache
- Melt the chocolate with the heavy cream, let it cool completely. Set aside.
Swiss Meringue/Marshmallow Fluff
- Whisk sugar, cream of tartar and egg whites over a double boiler.
- Sugar has to be fully dissolved in the egg whites before whipping & reaches 170F (77C).
- Egg whites and sugar fully whipped into a fluffy meringue, about 10 minutes. Remove half of the meringue and set it aside.
Chocolate Buttercream
- Add the butter to half of the marshmallow fluff, beating until it fully comes together.
- Add HALF of the chocolate ganache to the finished buttercream.
- Add the cocoa powder and vanilla to the buttercream and mix until they’re well combined.
How To Store This S’mores Cake?
You can store the cake at room temperature for 1 day (if it’s not too warm making the frosting too soft). If it’s any longer, I recommend storing it in the refrigerator for up to a week.
If any slices have been cut out, cover the open side of the cake with plastic wrap and store slices in an airtight container.
To freeze, either wrap the whole cake in plastic wrap and then foil (or a cake container) or place the slices in an airtight container and freeze for a few weeks/months. Bring back to room temperature before serving!
That’s all today, I hope you love this s’mores cake as much as I do!
If you have any questions, please comment down below – those will get answered much quicker than email or through social media.
If you’ve tried this, I would very much appreciate a star rating or review as well.
As always, have a blessed day and happy baking!
Love, B
S’mores Layer Cake
This s’mores layer cake consists of graham cracker flavored cake layers, frosted with chocolate Swiss meringue buttercream and homemade heavenly marshmallow fluff.
Equipment
- 1 stand mixer with whisk attachment
- 1 medium bowl
- 3 6 inch cake pans
Ingredients
Cake
- 65 grams (1/2 cup or 4-5 sheets) graham cracker crumbs
- 240 grams (2 cups) all-purpose flour spooned and leveled
- 10 grams (1 Tbsp) baking powder
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/4 tsp cinnamon *optional
- 56 grams (1/4 cup) unsalted butter room temperature
- 120 mL (1/2 cup) canola oil
- 100 grams (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
- 200 grams (1 cup) light brown sugar lightly packed
- 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 240 mL (1 cup) buttermilk* room temperature
- 113 grams (1/2 cup/4 oz) dark chocolate chips
- 120 mL (1/2 cup/4 oz) heavy cream
Meringue Frosting/Marshmallow Frosting
- 6 (200g) large egg whites room temperature
- 300 grams (1 1/2) granulated sugar
- 1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste
Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- 1/2 of Meringue frosting
- 227 grams (1 cup/2 sticks) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1/2 of Chocolate Ganache
- 1/2 cup (40g) Dutch-process cocoa powder spooned and leveled
- pinch of fine sea salt
Instructions
Graham Cracker Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350F/177C convection (or 325F/162C conventional) and grease and line three 6-inch (15.24 cm) cake pans with cooking spray and parchment paper.
- Place 1 sleeve of graham crackers in a food processor and turn it on high until there are no more large chunks. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set the dry ingredients aside.65 grams (1/2 cup or 4-5 sheets) graham cracker crumbs, 240 grams (2 cups) all-purpose flour, 10 grams (1 Tbsp) baking powder, 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, 1/4 tsp cinnamon
- In an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter, oil, granulated sugar, light brown sugar and vanilla extract together, on medium speed, until they’re light and fluffy. This should take 2 to 3 minutes.56 grams (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, 120 mL (1/2 cup) canola oil, 100 grams (1/2 cup) granulated sugar, 200 grams (1 cup) light brown sugar, 1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract
- Add the eggs, one at time, beating well after each addition. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl as needed.3 large eggs
- In five increments, alternate adding the dry ingredients and buttermilk into the batter, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Beat the mixture on medium speed, just until the flour is fully incorporated, making sure to scrape the edge of the bowl as needed.240 mL (1 cup) buttermilk*
- Distribute the batter evenly among the prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes, until the cake springs back when it’s poked. Remove the cakes from the pans and allow them to cool completely before frosting.
Chocolate Ganache
- Place the dark chocolate in a medium bowl and in a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream until it's simmering. Pour the heavy cream over the chocolate and let it melt for 1-2 minutes. Stir until the chocolate is completely smooth. Set it aside to cool completely.113 grams (1/2 cup/4 oz) dark chocolate chips, 120 mL (1/2 cup/4 oz) heavy cream
Meringue Frosting/Marshmallow Frosting
- 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 and the granulated sugar in the bowl.6 (200g) large egg whites, 300 grams (1 1/2) granulated sugar
- 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 continue beating the mixture until it's no longer warm. This usually takes about 10-15 minutes. Remove half of the meringue into a separate bowl and set aside.1 Tbsp vanilla bean paste
Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream
- Place half of the meringue back on the stand mixer and lower the speed to medium. Slowly add in the softened butter, 2 to 3 tablespoons at a time.1/2 of Meringue frosting, 227 grams (1 cup/2 sticks) unsalted butter
- Once the butter is all incorporated, continue beating on medium speed for a few minutes until it emulsifies into a buttercream (it may go through phases of looking soupy and/or curdled before it emulsifies but it should come together within 5-10 minutes).
- Once the buttercream comes together, add in the cocoa powder, salt and only HALF of the melted chocolate. Mix well until it's completely smooth.1/2 cup (40g) Dutch-process cocoa powder, pinch of fine sea salt
Assemble the Cake
- Place the first layer of cake on a cake board and spread a thin layer of chocolate buttercream on top. Then spread a layer of meringue frosting and a swirl of chocolate ganache (you can reheat the chocolate in the microwave for 5-10 seconds if necessary).
- Repeat with the second layer and then place the third layer of cake on top. If the buttercream is feeling too soft, refrigerate the cake for 15-30 minutes between stacking each layer.
- Smooth out any buttercream that squished out between the layers and refrigerate for at least 60 minutes. Place the rest of the chocolate buttercream on top of the cake and use an offset spatula to work it’s way down the sides.
- Add in dabs of meringue frosting and chocolate ganache, lightly spreading them in. Top with extra graham cracker crumbs, or even toasted marshmallows.
Notes
- If the chocolate buttercream or the meringue frosting is too soft, refrigerate them for 20 minutes before frosting the cake. It’s better for them to be slightly too firm instead of too soft.
- *You can use a homemade buttermilk by mixing 1 cup of milk with 1 Tbsp of lemon juice or vinegar. **S’mores generally uses milk chocolate so I made this more nostalgic but if you’re like me and you like an elevated, less sweet s’mores treat, use dark chocolate instead of milk. I recommend adding an extra 1-2 Tbsp of heavy cream if using dark chocolate.
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**If you’re worried about the meringue weeping, make sure to get a thermometer and take the eggs to 175C – I promise it makes all the difference and don’t skip the cream of tartar.
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Alternatively if you need the meringue to last a long time, you may add in 1/4 tsp gelatin. Dissolve it in 1-2 tsp of cold water, let it set and then microwave it for 5 seconds before adding it into the fully whipped cream. Mix just until it’s well combined. Then when you refrigerate it, the meringue will set a bit and last a long time without weeping – can even be frozen like this.
Nutrition
Serving: 1gCalories: 858kcalCarbohydrates: 105gProtein: 10gFat: 45gSaturated Fat: 21gPolyunsaturated Fat: 22gCholesterol: 132mgSodium: 361mgFiber: 2gSugar: 79g
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
Thank you for this recipe, it turned out great in 2, 8 inch pans. I loved the marshmallow frosting! Thank you for a listing of why you chose specific ingredients as well. For people asking about buttermilk, I find the vinegar /milk substitute odd. King Arther Flour tested some substitutes and found that sour cream or greek yogurt thinned with milk is a great sub. It’s what I used and worked out great!
Thank you for posting about the 8 inch pans. I was hoping that would be the case! I will be trying it.
Would this cake lend itself to baking in a bowl to form a dome cake? (BB-8’s head 😉)
Also, would it freeze well?
Hi KC, I have not tried that so I’m not entirely sure how it would dome
The cake freezes ok, the meringue might lose some structure so I don’t recommend it.
This cake is delicious!!! I made it with a 3 year old and it came out fantastic. We followed the recipe (as closely as I could with the help of a toddler lol) and it was very easy to bake and assemble. I’m already getting more requests for us to make this cake!
Ahh so glad you liked it, it’s one of my favs!
Loved this cake, and had a blast making it too! One issue that I did encounter was getting granulated sugar to melt completely for the meringue. I heated it up to 150 degrees and for longer that the approximate time and it was still gritty!! After trying this two times I decided to scrap the granulated sugar and go with confectioners. Much easier! Not sure why granulated sugar is suggested- any tips to get this to work properly??
Hi Steph, thanks for let me know! I’m sorry that was such a struggle for you. If the sugar didn’t dissolve at that temperature then that means there wasn’t enough liquid from the egg whites to dissolve the amount of sugar. I apologize, I should have written large or x-large egg whites.
Also if you measure with a measuring cup instead of a scale there’s a really high chance for most people to over measure dry ingredients like flour/sugar, etc.
I will update the recipe to say large eggs and I will probably lower the amount of sugar just to stay safe. Again, I’m sorry you had to make that multiple times but I’m glad you still enjoyed the cake!
I only have 9inch pans, can I still make this recipe using two 9inch pans?
Hi yes you can bake two layers in 9 inch pans!
Can you substitute vanilla extract for vanilla paste in the meringue?
Hi yes you can!
I’m pretty comfortable making a 2-layer 6” cake, but worry about my ability to handle 3. Also, this is just for my daughter—who found your recipe and asked me to make the cake—and her husband—and 3-layer cake for two is a whole lotta cake. Would you suggest baking all three and using two or could I cut the recipe somehow so as not to end up with an extra cake layer. Looking forward to baking it, regardless.
Hi Laurie, because there are 3 eggs, I would cut the cake in thirds. You could either make 1/3 of the recipe or 2/3.
So for 2 (6-inch) layers it would be:
1 1/3 cups (160g) all-purpose flour
about 2/3 sleeve or 6 sheets of graham cracker (crumbs)
2 tsp (7g) baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
pinch of cinnamon *optional
2/3 cup (127g) brown sugar
1/3 cup (60g) granulated sugar
3 Tbsp (37g) unsalted butter, room temperature
2.5 oz (78mL) oil
2 large eggs, room temperature
2/3 cup (156mL) buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Thank you so much!
Every ingredient doesn’t need a comment, and I’m embarrassed for you
I don’t understand why this needed to be said. What was your goal in making this comment? Because it certainly wasn’t anything with a good intention and certainly doesn’t add anything, so maybe next time don’t make it….
Hello, me and my roommates are trying to make this cake, but it is super hard to find buttermilk nowadays… does this recipe have to have buttermilk? Or can we just use regular milk?
Hi Cortny, buttermilk makes the cake just a tiny bit more tender but it should work just fine with milk! I would use whole milk if possible 🙂
Thank you so much!! Sorry for the late response! We are going to try the recipe today!!
Cortny, I never buy buttermilk because don’t ever end up using the whole container. Did you know that you can add a Tbsp. of white vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of milk, let it sit for five minutes, and that can be substituted for buttermilk? I saw it on the Pioneer Woman, did some digging, and found that this is a common substitute when buttermilk isn’t handy. Hope that comes in handy someday; it certainly has for us!
Would this cake lend itself to baking in a bowl to form a dome cake? (BB-8’s head 😉)
Also, would it freeze well?
Hey there!
I may have missed it but, does the cake freeze well? I’m thinking about making the cakes, freezing overnight and finish the next day.
Thanks!
Hi yes you can definitely freeze it and frost it later!
Does this cake do well being made the day before and stored in the fridge? I would like to make it for a party but won’t have the time the day of to make it.
Hi Lacey, I kept the cake in the fridge for about a week without any problems 🙂
I feel dumb for asking but what is a “sleeve” of graham crackers?
Hi Amanda, Graham crackers come in a box with about three sets of 9 crackers wrapped together, one of those is a “sleeve”. 🙂
I made this cake for my birthday yesterday and it was delicious! Each piece was amazingly delicious on its own, and when put together, the cake is heavenly. However, my three cake layers came out very thin and a bit dense, so I ended up making a fourth layer to make the cake taller.
Hi Ellen, some things that can make the cake thin and dense is not beating the butter and sugar long enough in the beginning and after each egg or baking powder being expired. I’m glad it still tasted good and you enjoyed it though 🙂
This looks delightful! I’m thinking of trying it with cupcakes. Scoop out the centers, fill with marshmallow and top with chocolate. If it comes out like I like, I’ll post pictures on Pinterest
That sounds so good Donna, I hope it turns out!
Ok, so I will have to be that person. I am so inspired to make this. I only have 9″ pans. Do you happen to know the conversion? I saw that you could do 2 8″ layers, so I assume they would be too flat with 9″. If I multiplied the recipe by 1.25? Help- hoping to make it for a birthday next week. Thanks!
Hi Becca! If you want to make a three layer 9″ cake you can simply double the whole recipe 🙂 You will need to also double the “frosting” and the “buttercream”, however I would make them separately. So in the recipe, I made one meringue and split that in half to make the fluff and the buttercream but for a larger amount, I would make them separate. So instead of using “half of meringue frosting” in the buttercream, just make a whole new meringue. Let me know if that doesn’t make sense LOL
How long would meringue keep? In my experience in the past, they usually start deflating and weeping after a day.
Hi Ally, this meringue is made using the Swiss method (where the egg whites and sugar are cooked over the double boiler) so it lasts longer than the uncooked, French method. I kept this cake in the fridge for over a week without any problems. It’s generally not recommended to freeze meringues, but to be honest I tested it once and didn’t not have any problems with that either. I believe heating the eggs, the higher sugar content and storing it in an airtight container will keep it from separating/weeping for longer. Hope that helps!
Super curious, what is the importance of room temperature eggs and butter. How do they affect the bake?
Hi Brie, room temperature eggs incorporate into the batter more evenly and room temperature butter allows for the proper aeration of the butter. When you cream butter and sugar together in the beginning, you are incorporating air into the butter which makes fluffier cake. If the butter is too soft or too cold, it won’t get the air it needs to make a fluffy/tender cake! Room temperature should be about 70 degrees, it should be soft and you should be able to press into it with your finger but not to soft that it looks greasy 🙂
Wow I had no idea. I’ll definitely be trying that because who doesn’t love fluffier cakes?? Thanks for sharing!
I have to ask, would you know if gluten free flour would work in place of all purpose flour? I already have gluten free graham crackers, so that works! This just looks too yummy!
Hi Alene, I haven’t tested it on this cake but I have on some of my other ones. If you use a gluten-free 1:1 baking flour, such as Bob’s Red Mill, you shouldn’t have any problems 🙂
This cake is amazing! Didn’t have normal graham crackers so I crushed up a graham cracker pie crust I had sitting around and it worked fine. Love this recipe.
Stacy, so glad that worked and you loved it! Thanks for trying one of my favvvv cakes!!
I am so excited to make this cake! Thank you for explaining your ingredients list. This looks amazing. So happy I found you!!
Tracy, so glad you’re going to try this cake, it truly is one of my favorites! Let me know if you have any questions 🙂
If you use two 8 in pans what would be baking time?
Hi May, I would start with 40 minutes and once the cake doesn’t look wet anymore, poke the center and if it springs back it’s done baking. Just check it every couple minutes after the top doesn’t look wet anymore. 🙂
This sounds great but I have 8 inch pans. Do you by any chance have the recipe conversion for using 8 inch pans?
Hi Brooke, you can make this exact recipe in two 8-inch cake pans instead of the three 6-inch. 🙂
Hi! Super excited to try! I’d like to make this a couple of days in advance. Would there be a good way to store this? Or ideas on making parts of it advance and some the day of? Thanks!
Hi Bailey, I would make the cake layers in advance, wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze them. Then unfreeze them while you make the meringue/buttercream. It’ll be easier to frost if they’re frozen as well 🙂