You might know that Blake Lively has a passion for food and cooking. For this S’mores cupcake recipe, she partnered with the chef and founder of Sprinkles cupcakes, Candace Nelson, to create a cupcake flavor that is sophisticated and nostalgic all at once!
The S’more cupcake recipe has a couple extra steps (crust and filling), but they are easy and definitely worth it! All of the elements come together to add satisfying textures without being overly sweet. These cupcakes will definitely please your girlfriends or adults at a party just as much as the kids!
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This recipe, along with a chapter of other celebrity baking recipes from Reese Witherspoon and Jessica Alba, can be found in the Sprinkles Baking Book, found here on Amazon in Hardcover or Kindle editions.
S’more Cupcake Recipe Step 1: Graham Cracker Crust
- 7 whole graham crackers (14 squares)
- 2 ½ teaspoons unsalted butter, melted
- 12 cupcake liners and cupcake pan
To make the crust, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Then place 7 graham crackers in your food processor and grind into fine crumbs. In a bowl, place the graham cracker crumbs and mix in the melted butter until coated. Scoop 1 tablespoon of the mixture into the bottom of each cupcake liner, and press down with the back of a spoon to flatten and pack evenly. Bake in the oven for 7 minutes, and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely while you make the cupcake batter.
S’more Cupcake Recipe Step 2: Chocolate Cupcakes
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ⅔ cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 10 teaspoons (1 ¼ sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- ⅔ cup sugar
- ⅓ cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
For the cupcakes, whisk together the flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt in a medium bowl. In a separate small bowl, mix the buttermilk and vanilla extract.
Then, in a mixing bowl, beat the softened, unsalted butter with the sugar and brown sugar on medium-high speed for 3 minutes. Reduce your mixing speed to medium-low, pour in 1 egg, and mix for 2 minutes. Then, pour in the other egg, and mix for another 2 minutes.
Finally, slowly add half the flour mixture and beat until just blended. Then add the buttermilk mixture and blend, then add the rest of the flour mixture until just blended. Divide the batter evenly into each graham cracker crusted cupcake liner. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean. The recipe says to bake for 18-20 minutes, but my cupcakes actually took 30 minutes in my oven, so the time may vary. Then transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Once the cupcakes have cooled, take a small, sharp knife, and cut a circle in the center of each cake, about 1 inch deep. Be careful not to cut too deep – you don’t want to hit the graham cracker crust.
S’more Cupcake Recipe Step 3: Chocolate Ganache Filling
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips or small pieces
The ganache is pretty easy and delicious. And if you are planning these for a party, you can make this step ahead of time. Just bring the heavy cream to a simmer, then pour over the chocolate in a bowl. Let sit for 1 minute, then stir slowly until blended and smooth. Fill each cupcake with 1 ½ tablespoons of the ganache and let it set for about 15 minutes.
S’more Cupcake Recipe Step 4: Toasted Marshmallow Frosting
- 2 egg whites
- 1 cup of sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- Pinch of fine sea salt
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
To make the marshmallow frosting, follow these steps exactly – it sounds complicated, but it’s pretty straightforward. In a bowl of a stand mixer or a bowl using a hand mixer, whip the 2 egg whites on medium-high speed for 2 minutes, until soft peaks form. Leave in the bowl while you complete the next step.
In a stainless steel saucepan, combine the sugar, cream of tartar, and a pinch of fine sea salt. Then mix in the ⅓ cup of water. Heat the mixture over medium heat and do not stir. Once it shows signs of bubbling, boil for exactly 3 minutes. Do not stir! The sugar will dissolve and the mixture will be bubbling on the surface – that’s ok. Remove from heat after 3 minutes.
While mixing the egg whites on medium, slowly pour the heated liquid sugar into the egg whites. Increase the speed to high and beat for 7 minutes (stiff peaks should form). During the last 15 seconds, slowly pour in the vanilla extract until it is just mixed into the frosting. This frosting can be made ahead of time if you are planning ahead of an event.
Once mixed, frost each cupcake generously. Using a kitchen torch, you can “toast” the frosting on each cupcake until lightly browned. If you don’t have a kitchen torch, you can place the cupcakes on a baking sheet and use the oven broiler for a minute, but definitely watch the cupcakes carefully so they do not burn! I suggest testing one cupcake first to see how your broiler will brown the frosting. Then enjoy!
And if you don’t feel like baking cupcakes yourself, you can always check out a Sprinkles location near you, here.