Celebrating with S'mores Cupcakes (#Recipe)

Friends of ours throw a 4th of July bash complete with a fire for roasting marshmallows, a pot luck of goodies and camping in the backyard for the little ones.

Last year I took my homemade marshmallows... do you remember that recipe post last year?

This year they evolved into S'mores Cupcakes with homemade marshmallows.

I made the previous marshmallow recipe the night before so they could set up. Then instead of cutting them into just squares, I cut some out using my star cookie cutter. Then I rolled them in powdered sugar as usual and set aside.

The cupcake is a chocolate cupcake recipe, then they are topped with a simple vanilla butter cream, drizzled with a big of semi-sweet chocolate ganache, adorned with a graham cracker chunk and topped with a homemade marshmallow I toasted with my kitchen torch. With a last little drizzle of ganache, the cupcakes are ready to be devoured.

So, ready for the recipes?

Start by making those marshmallows, and the chocolate cupcakes.

You Will Need:
1 c. Dutch process cocoa
2 c. boiling water
1 c. butter softened
2 c. superfine sugar (put regular sugar in the food processor & pulse)
4 lrg eggs
2 3/4 c. cake flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. chocolate extract
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Dissolve the cocoa in hot water. Set aside to cool down.

Beat the butter till light and fluffy. Then add the sugar gradually. Add the eggs, one at a time, incorporating fully after each new addition.

Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add 1/3 of the flour mixture to the mixer, then 1/2 the cocoa. Alternate and end with the dry ingredients.  Stir in the extracts.

Fill 24 lined muffin tins 2/3 full of batter. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Your toothpick should come out clean. I prefer to bake the night before I decorate, I think the cake is moister this way. Enjoy!

Then you can cut out the marshmallows. I chose a star cookie cutter...

 Then if you have a hand torch, toast the top of your marshmallows. You can also do this under the broiler in your oven, but keep a close eye on them so they don't burn.

Okay, now make your chocolate ganache. I like to simmer 1 c. of cream on the stove. I add it to 8 oz. of semi-sweet chocolate chips. Stir until smooth.

And for our last component... make the vanilla buttercream.

You Will Need:
1/2 c. butter, softened
4 Tbsp. heavy cream
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanila
1 Tbsp. meringue powder
1 lb. powdered sugar

Whip the softened butter and then beat in the rest of the ingredients except the powdered sugar. Gradually and slowly add in the sugar. Scrape down the bowl a few times so all the ingredients are mixed in. Beat on high till creamy.

Now top those cupcakes with a little buttercream, with a ziplock or piping bag, add a little ganache to the top of the cupcake.

Stick in a piece of graham cracker and use the ganache to hold on a toasted marshmallow. Drizzle with a little more ganache and you are done!

Enjoy! They will be going fast.