Pâtisserie / Recipe

S’more cupcakes

I came across S’mores quite late in life. A Michael Recchiuti book. A tiny note at the bottom of a page.
S’mores.
A piece of chocolate and a marshmallow, sandwiched together in crisp graham crackers. After a quick moment in the oven, the chocolate and marshmallow melt into each others, making for the most delicious sandwich ever.

Yet, I’ve never had the chance to taste S’mores – let alone graham crackers. And that’s perhaps why they kept haunting me.

I thought of making a S’more tart. Picture a crust of crushed homemade graham crackers, topped with a thin layer of dark ganache, and covered with a pile of fluffy Italian meringue. And then Deb did it. And it looked wonderful.

But well, I eventually forgot about it. The tart, that is. S’mores still had their place in my dreams.And when I started thinking about all the cupcakes I could put together for this month’s SHF, you can guess what came first.

S’more cupcake. A graham cracker inspired cake – or at least one that taste like I imagine graham crackers do. A thick dome of meringue. A dark chocolate ganache coating.

S’more cupcakes

With a healthy dose of chocolate and fluffy meringue, these cupcakes will please almost everyone.

The cake is fragrant with brown sugar, cinnamon and vanilla; and has that slight saltiness I suspect graham crackers have.
The marshmallow cream is sweet but not overly so. Also, the seeds from one vanilla pod would work wonders here.
And well, the ganache… Deep, dark and smooth. You definitely don’t want the chocolate flavour to be overwhelming here, so aim for a thin coating.

You’ll have more ganache than needed but it is necessary to be able to dip the cupcakes. The leftover ganache can be frozen in an ice-cube tray and is amazing in a cup of milk for an almost instant hot chocolate.

Just a quick note on the flour: although I havent tried, I’d be tempted to substitute the plain flour for 100 g plain flour and 60 g wholewheat or graham flour. Let me know if you do 🙂

s’more cupcakes

Makes 9 small cupcakes.

For the cupcakes
160 g plain flour (read note above)
3/4 tsp flaky sea salt
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
60 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
85 g light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
160 g whole milk

For the meringue
75g caster sugar
2 tbsp water
1 egg white
a pinch of salt

For the ganache
150 g whipping cream 35%
150 g dark chocolate, chopped

Preheat over to 190°C/fan 170°C.

Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a bowl.
Cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the egg, until fully incorporated; and the vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the milk.
Divide the batter evenly among paper cups lined on a baking tray, and bake for 20 minutes or until cake tester inserted into centre of the cupcakes comes out clean.
Allow to cool on wire rack before frosting.

Make the meringue. Place the sugar and water in a small pan and cook over medium heat to 115°C.
When the syrup reaches 110°C, start whisking the egg white and salt on low speed until stiff peaks form.
Wait for the syrup to stop bubbling – around 30 seconds or so – and pour over your meringue, whisking as you do so, along the sides of the bowl to avoid splashes. Once all the syrup as been incorporated, increase the speed to medium and keep on whisking until the meringue is around 50°C.
Pipe the meringue onto the cupcakes and smooth it with a spatula to form a neat dome. Chill while you get on with the ganache.

Make the ganache. Bring the cream to a rolling boil. Pour onto the chocolate in three times, emulsifying well to create a glossy core.
Transfer to a small bowl and dip the cupcake tops.

And don’t forget. Sugar High Friday is running until the 26th of September. So put your aprons on. Get your wooden spoon and whisk. And make cupcakes!

97 Comments

  • ilaria
    September 10, 2008 at 11:10 AM

    they are so cute and you are so inspiring! When you open your shop can i come and work/learn form you?

    Reply
    • fanny
      March 23, 2019 at 7:49 PM

      Haha, most certainly. You’ll be very welcome (if only I had a shop!). X

      Reply
  • Manue
    September 10, 2008 at 1:14 PM

    Magnifique !!!

    Reply
  • marion
    September 10, 2008 at 12:25 PM

    OMG !!!!! so cuuuuuuuuuute !!!!
    I have to imagine gorgeous cupcakes very quick 🙂

    Reply
    • fanny
      March 23, 2019 at 7:49 PM

      Yes yes yes. Please!

      Reply
  • Sarah
    September 10, 2008 at 1:34 PM

    Ils sont si mignons!
    xox Sarah

    Reply
  • Sara, Ms. Adventures in Italy
    September 10, 2008 at 1:59 PM

    Get one of your fans in the US to send you graham crackers! I would, but I’m in Italy 🙁 They are a bit different from English digestives but I bet your cupcake is delicious!!! I definitely want one. 🙂

    Reply
  • veron
    September 10, 2008 at 2:47 PM

    love the crumb on your cupcake. Don’t worry, I did not come to smores till late in life either like 30 :)…

    Reply
  • Judith
    September 10, 2008 at 2:01 PM

    Haha, I must admit, I never much like s’mores. I don’t like marshmallows, so when I was a kid I always wanted just the chocolate and graham cracker, but I wanted my chocolate to be melty like everyone else’s, so I’d try to hold it near the flame for as long as I could stand and then drop it on the graham cracker. Sometimes it fell in the fire, though.

    Reply
    • fanny
      March 23, 2019 at 7:50 PM

      Hmmm, melted chocolate… It sounds almost divine. X

      Reply
  • Miri
    September 10, 2008 at 3:49 PM

    Wow, these are some great looking cupcakes, and the photos are simply stunning! Never tasted S’mores before, but they sound delicious.

    Reply
  • Rachel
    September 10, 2008 at 3:59 PM

    Those look fantastic. Graham crackers aren’t salty at all (you know how we love our sugar here) but I bet the salt in yours was the perfect balance for all the chocolate and meringue. And they’re so pretty!
    I’d love to participate in SHF. I’ll get a post up and send you all the details before the deadline. Thanks!

    Reply
  • Annies!
    September 10, 2008 at 4:05 PM

    Great idea,a sort of double-frosting!They seems like chocolate faeries’houses..beautiful!

    Reply
  • Allie
    September 10, 2008 at 3:12 PM

    They look beautiful! Can you tell me how many the recipe makes? Also, the recipe says to add the eggs one at a time, but there’s only 1 egg in the recipe?

    Reply
    • fanny
      March 23, 2019 at 7:51 PM

      Ahah good call Allie. Now this is fixed. The recipe will make six big cupcakes or nine smaller ones.
      And yep, only one egg (I’m just so used to writing ‘beat in the eggs, one at a time’, that I sort of got over-enthusiastic here).

      Reply
  • Anita
    September 10, 2008 at 4:41 PM

    Mmm, I love S’mores! And so brilliant to turn them into cupcakes!!

    Reply
  • Mari
    September 10, 2008 at 4:42 PM

    Fanny—you have me wanting to lick my monitor, as per usual! What a fabulous take on S’mores!

    Reply
  • Jingle
    September 10, 2008 at 4:56 PM

    Those look wonderful!

    Reply
  • kristin
    September 10, 2008 at 9:03 PM

    These look fabulous!! However, I urge all those who haven’t tried a traditional s’more to give it a go (assuming you can find graham crackers). And for the classic s’more experience, heat the marshmallow over a flame. It really makes a difference in taste.

    Reply
  • Michael Natkin
    September 10, 2008 at 10:35 PM

    Oh Fanny, the cupcakes look awesome, but I’m feeling so very sad at the mention of real s’mores in the oven!!! That’s would be a kissing-your-sister moment for sure. The whole key is that you toast the marshmallow in the campfire, hopefully slightly charred on the outside, and then the hot, smoky, gooey marshmallow center melts the Hershey’s chocolate bar. It can be no other brand. And I can’t even have them anymore since marshmallows aren’t vegetarian.

    Reply
  • Elodie
    September 10, 2008 at 10:40 PM

    My goodness ! Is it real ???!!!

    Reply
  • Anna
    September 10, 2008 at 9:43 PM

    Hey Fanny! -I have grown up loving S’mores. Being from Kansas, USA it’s been a normal thing to have around the camp fire. I was shocked to find out a few years ago that other countries don’t know the joy of making s’mores. I would be more than happy to send you a box of graham crackers, if you would like to have some. I think these cupcakes are a great idea, and will have to try them out this weekend. Thanks!

    Reply
    • fanny
      March 23, 2019 at 7:58 PM

      Anna you’re too sweet. Luckily, we do eat grilled marshmallows in France. I think life wouldn’t be complete without a bit of melted marshmallow goodness!

      Reply
  • Ingrid
    September 10, 2008 at 11:18 PM

    MMMMMMMMMMMM, I LOVE S’mores! Okay, well, actually I’ve never eaten a real one. I LOVE all the S’mores wannabes! Your cupakes looks DELISH!
    ~ingrid

    Reply
  • Leonor
    September 10, 2008 at 11:39 PM

    This is the most yummi picture at foodgawker!! I couldn’t resist to stop by…
    This little “mushrooms” must be divine!!!

    Reply
  • Michael Natkin
    September 10, 2008 at 11:57 PM

    As excagonizing as this video is, it shows precisely what s’mores are in the imagination of generations of American children.

    Reply
  • Catherine
    September 11, 2008 at 1:50 AM

    These are f***ing brilliant!

    Reply
  • Y
    September 11, 2008 at 4:18 AM

    …. (I’m speechless!)… 🙂

    Reply
  • Sara Angel
    September 11, 2008 at 5:35 AM

    Oh my goodness. I think I love you.

    Reply
  • karen
    September 11, 2008 at 5:43 AM

    Amazing!!!! Seriously, the best thing I’ve seen all day!

    Reply
  • Babette@bakespace
    September 11, 2008 at 11:28 AM

    Hi! WOW. These are really something. You may notice a bump in traffic from us.. I am dying to share these with our members. I just discovered your blog from a twitter post – great job! 🙂

    Reply
  • thibaud baladier
    September 11, 2008 at 1:48 PM

    mmmmm

    Reply
  • Patricia Scarpin
    September 11, 2008 at 3:48 PM

    These are just adorable, Fanny!
    S’mores are not part of our food culture here, so I got to them late in life too, like you said.

    Reply
  • My Sweet & Saucy
    September 11, 2008 at 7:15 PM

    I LOVE these! They look fantastic!

    Reply
  • arfi
    September 11, 2008 at 8:08 PM

    Fanny, these are cute!! and I love the chocolate top to cover the cream.

    Reply
  • Aran
    September 11, 2008 at 11:27 PM

    oh my… fluffy, fluffy, fluffy!

    Reply
  • Gemma
    September 12, 2008 at 3:28 PM

    Oh these look incredible, I could eat one (or two) right now. I’m hoping to bake my cupcakes this weekend so fingers crossed that they work out.

    Reply
  • Myriam
    September 12, 2008 at 5:35 PM

    Oh mon dieu. C’est malin, il est l’heure du goûter et cette décadence de chocolat et de meringue me donne envie de croquer vite fait dans un cupcake. Tu m’as convertie. Il faut vraiment que je planche sur une recette. Ta recette est une fois de plus merveilleuse.

    Reply
  • Aimee
    September 12, 2008 at 8:14 PM

    Can I send you some graham crackers, please? They are pretty ghastly, I must say, though. Here I thought I just updated the s’more on a recent camping trip we took, but this cupcake is like the s’more of the future. The future looks friendly!
    Working on my cupcake entry, keep an eye out for it.

    Reply
  • scotti
    September 12, 2008 at 9:26 PM

    You’ve never tasted a Graham Cracker? How is that possible?

    Reply
  • Vera
    September 13, 2008 at 1:57 AM

    Fanny, these are so pretty!

    Reply
  • gattina
    September 13, 2008 at 7:48 AM

    what a lovely food review… and your s’more cupcakes are soooo adorable!

    Reply
  • celine
    September 13, 2008 at 1:53 PM

    j’adore-dore-dore la déco, Fanny!

    Reply
  • Aïda
    September 13, 2008 at 4:28 PM

    ces cupcakes sont les plus beaux et sweet du mooonde !!
    Ca toi être tellement bon ce mélange marshmalow-chocolat…
    J’ai hâte d’y goûter !!

    Reply
  • Christy
    September 14, 2008 at 3:28 AM

    Oh they remind me of fairy mushrooms!! I think it’s the domed tops….they look soooo adorable!!

    Reply
  • Jaime
    September 14, 2008 at 4:54 AM

    I really like these. They just look gooey and amazing. Cool graphic design. Very cool. I’m going to go poke around your site now. Thanks!

    Reply
  • Karen in San DIego
    September 14, 2008 at 9:22 AM

    Yuummm! I love S’mores and these are the perfect winter version or any time!

    Reply
  • Ashley
    September 14, 2008 at 6:18 PM

    Wow, I really like these, they are so cool! I will have to give them a try! Great idea!

    Reply
  • delphine
    September 14, 2008 at 7:39 PM

    These look awesome. I’ve wanted to try making s’mores cupcakes for awhile but I have no kitchen at college so that poses a problem.
    I’ll have to bring you some graham crackers, marshmallows and hershey’s chocolate when I come to France for study abroad next semester 🙂

    Reply
  • Jude
    September 14, 2008 at 8:09 PM

    So creative… Such a cook way to make cupcakes with the ganache on top.

    Reply
  • Mae
    September 14, 2008 at 9:31 PM

    That look so cute. Love the chocolate covered dome. Perfect!

    Reply
  • Sujin
    September 15, 2008 at 6:28 AM

    I would love to send you a box of graham crackers. There’s a shop that makes the BEST graham crackers I’ve ever tasted and it would make an out of this world s’mores. I bet it would be great with a passion fruit marshmallow like this.
    http://www.bonbonbar.com/passion-fruit-marshmallows.html

    Reply
  • Diane
    September 16, 2008 at 10:58 AM

    Yum! They look absolutely lovely! I don’t know how you managed not to eat them all before taking the pictures.
    I’ve not had smores but love toasted marshmellow and marshmellow dipped in chocolate.

    Reply
  • Jeannette in Brussels
    September 16, 2008 at 12:35 PM

    Fanny, these look fabulous, and I will make them for my girls asap. I love that you’re doing cupcakes. Can you do one (or two) that would be suitable to send along to school for a snack? I have to provide something for the “le gouter” and “la collation”!

    Reply
  • Helena
    September 16, 2008 at 4:52 PM

    I have never tried S’mores either, but I read about them in other blogs, like Deb’s as you’ve mentioned, and Chockylit. Your S’more cupcakes take the prize for ‘looking real cool’, like James Bond’s Thunderball-kind-of cool. Now I think I’d make S’mores!

    Reply
  • Joe
    September 16, 2008 at 9:57 PM

    Just finished icing a batch of these now, and they look fantastic. Mine had significantly more oven spring then yours, probably simply because I overloaded the tin a bit. I stole a bite out of one of the pre-frosted cupcakes, and darn close to a grahm cracker!
    Thanks a lot for the recipe

    Reply
    • fanny
      March 23, 2019 at 7:59 PM

      You’re welcome! I’m so glad it does actually taste a little like graham crackers! X

      Reply
  • TIm
    September 17, 2008 at 12:47 AM

    They looked great, but why the hell would you waste fleur de sel on a cupcake recipe??!!??

    Reply
    • fanny
      March 23, 2019 at 8:00 PM

      I don’t consider this a waste of fleur de sel. But well, what can I say, that’s the only kind of salt I keep handy.
      Are you going to bury me in fine sea salt now?

      Reply
  • Shay
    September 17, 2008 at 1:49 AM

    These look good… but honestly, I’m a bit… weirded out, that there are no graham crackers across the pond o.O Being from the states, I couldn’t imagine never having had a smore… I actually checked your ‘about’ page to see if you had some sort of allergy before I figured out that they just aren’t availible to you. Hmm.. the odd little things in life.

    Reply
  • Grace
    September 17, 2008 at 2:05 AM

    Never had smores? that’s terrible.
    These are adorable, I am making them tomorrow.
    A gourmet ice cream shop in my town makes graham cracker ice cream, and it you put cold marshmallow topping on and then dip it it chocolate so that the chocolate freezes all over the ice cream (we call it a chocolate dip here but I’m not so sure they have them in France) it tastes just like a frozen smore, delish.

    Reply
  • joey
    September 18, 2008 at 11:48 AM

    These are adorable! And genius…I think I would like these cupcakes more than the original s’mores!

    Reply
  • rebekka
    September 18, 2008 at 2:41 PM

    Okay…I LOVE these! The shape of them are perfect…little round domes. They look like they belong among the secret things of the enchanted forest floor, which is the setting for all of my s’more making/eating experiences growing up. Huddled around a campfire in a damp forest, roasting marshmallows on a coat hanger. If you ever come to Tennessee, you must have this experience with me!!
    xoxo
    Rebekka

    Reply
  • Claire
    September 19, 2008 at 7:30 AM

    Cute cakes.
    Can you tell me where you get your white cup cake cases from please. Thanks.

    Reply
    • fanny
      March 23, 2019 at 8:00 PM

      Hi Claire, I got the cupcake liners from a French online shop (mora.fr). However, I’m pretty sure you can now find them anywhere around the world.

      Reply
  • Kham Tran
    September 22, 2008 at 1:39 AM

    Wow, those look amazing! I’ve got to try making these.

    Reply
  • Amanda Jane
    September 22, 2008 at 5:34 AM

    Are you kidding me…YOU HAVEN’T HAD SMORES?! I guess it is a totally American thing. The last time I had them was on a cool summer night in the mountains in Pennsylvania around a campfire. How splendid! I will send you a box with all the fixin’s if you would like! Let me know where to send them to! 🙂
    LOVE LOVE…LOVE your recipe!!!
    Ciao!
    Amanda Jane

    Reply
  • Cakespy
    September 22, 2008 at 5:10 PM

    A marriage made in heaven. They look amazing!

    Reply
  • Katie
    September 22, 2008 at 5:58 PM

    Oh wow they look wonderful. You ahve got the chocolate icing so perfect and glossy

    Reply
  • Cannedam
    September 23, 2008 at 7:40 AM

    Why not use graham flour for the cupcake? Not criticizing, just curious….

    Reply
    • fanny
      March 23, 2019 at 8:00 PM

      Graham flour is not available in my country. Sure I could have used a mixture of plain and whole wheat flour – roughly ground – but I made those on a Sunday, and I had was plain white flour. Easy peasy!

      Reply
  • Michael
    September 23, 2008 at 9:44 AM

    Oh my god, they look amazing! My mouth is watering.

    Reply
  • kauai massage
    September 23, 2008 at 11:43 AM

    great recipes yummy

    Reply
  • Kristen
    September 24, 2008 at 5:24 AM

    I love anything s’mores. These look fantastic!

    Reply
  • Eric
    September 24, 2008 at 5:35 AM

    Yummy, i cannot help imaging to take a bite of it. Mouth is watering to the ground.

    Reply
  • Marielle - la petite chef
    September 24, 2008 at 7:27 PM

    Hi Fanny!
    Love your site! I’m passing on the Brilliante Weblog award!! 🙂
    http://lapetitechef.blogspot.com/2008/09/ive-been-awarded.html

    Reply
  • kellypea
    September 24, 2008 at 10:18 PM

    Very, very clever, all that chocolate dipping. With my luck, the meringue would have ended up floating in the chocolate. Great idea!

    Reply
  • Cakelaw
    September 25, 2008 at 1:34 AM

    Man, these look sinfully good.

    Reply
  • Morettina
    September 25, 2008 at 1:47 PM

    Veryyyyy Goooood ^___^
    Non sono molto brava a scrivere in inglese…. Un bacio

    Reply
  • Precisina
    September 25, 2008 at 4:49 PM

    Just a word for you: wooooooooow!!!
    My first time on your site, but not the last, absolutely not!!! Today I’ve posted my coffee choco muffins… uhm, muffins, not cupcakes, anyway they are here: mammachebuono.blogspot.com/2008/09/coffee-choco-muffins.html

    Reply
  • rodrigo
    September 26, 2008 at 12:59 AM

    Great!! : )

    Reply
  • Marion C.
    September 26, 2008 at 3:56 PM

    OMG, those look wonderful … remind me Canada. Thanks Fanny, it’s always a great pleasure to read your recipes and look at your pics … keep goin’ !!

    Reply
  • Deborah Dowd
    September 28, 2008 at 3:30 PM

    Fanny, What a creative take on the classic s’more! But truly, you have to taste a real, made-over-a-campfire s’more. It is a food experience of it’s own!

    Reply
  • maggie
    September 30, 2008 at 10:39 PM

    These look SO so amazing.

    Reply
  • hong
    October 1, 2008 at 10:52 AM

    Cakes look light and yummy. Flawless!

    Reply
  • […] Jen, she’s got quite the habit I […]

    Reply
  • James
    October 24, 2008 at 7:05 PM

    I’m going to make a huge batch of these for my friends birthday.

    Reply
  • wen
    November 1, 2008 at 10:03 PM

    Hi Fanny,
    Can you make the meringue using powdered egg whites?
    Many thanks.

    Reply
  • the happy gentleman
    November 6, 2008 at 3:52 AM

    Those look absolutely wonderful!

    Reply
  • grottylottie
    December 2, 2008 at 1:08 PM

    After three years in a kitchen that was last refurbed in the 50’s and 3 long months of builders while fantisiseing about baking this was the first thing I baked in my new kitchen yesterday. And wow it was was worth the wait! I now feel a new sense of calm, which will no doubt be followed by and expanding waist line. Thank you

    Reply
  • […] Mmmmmmm SHF.  (i.e. So Horribly Fluffy S’More Cupcakes) […]

    Reply
  • Aaron
    May 2, 2009 at 12:10 PM

    awesome here lol great tasty food lol 🙂

    Reply
  • Sara
    October 16, 2009 at 12:12 AM

    If i could, I would mail you boxes upon boxes of graham crackers, they are something noone should have to go without…. These cupcakes look amazing, i am going to try them tommorow!

    Reply
  • […] signed up to bake foodbeam’s so horribly fluffy s’more cupcakes for the second annual CupcakeCampTO, which happened yesterday. Aside from getting to stuff your […]

    Reply
  • Amanda
    June 18, 2010 at 2:11 AM

    While barbecuing on the beach in Swansea my friends and I missed our American smores, so we invented British ones. We used tea bisquits, some pink and white marshmallows, and a piece of cadbury milk chocolate. 🙂

    Reply
  • Lisa
    July 19, 2010 at 1:58 PM

    OMG, these look amazing – and it looks like our family favorite of “JOY of Cooking” 7 minute frosting.
    I MISS grahams here in OZ but I don’t remember saltiness? I have to try these though – I am sad to say I have never had a s’more growing up in the US. I love your blog and wish you happy patisserie-ness. Move to OZ it is a pastry desert here!

    Reply
  • anna
    April 30, 2011 at 4:06 PM

    beautiful blog;)

    Reply

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