Trial: S'mores Cupcakes

I've been wanting to try these cupcakes FOREVER. They just look fun, don't they? So, when I had some time on my hands I gave it a go (they are quite time consuming).

I used a recipe I found on Martha Stewart's website. These cupcakes have a graham cracker crust and a layer of chocolate over that! Then comes the chocolate cake, another layer of chocolate and graham crumbs, and a marshmallow frosting.

I worried about it being too sweet... so I cut the sugar in the graham crust and the cake.

I gotta say... I wasn't the biggest fan of these. Though, the recipients of my trial (aka: coworkers) loved them. They look a lot better than they actually taste... Not bad, just not great. I think if I were to try them again I'd add chocolate chips to the cake batter, instead of sprinking the tops with chocolate. Also, I wasn't a fan of the frosting. To me, it lacked that marshmallow sweetness. Next time, I'll try a frosting recipe that has light corn syrup in it. I think that's what was missing.

Disclaimer: After I tried these, I made myself actual s'mores-- just to remind myself what they really taste like. Um, turns out I'm not the biggest fan of s'mores. I love graham crackers, toasted (bordering on burnt) marshmallows, and chocolate (duh) in their own right.. .but together, I just don't love it. Soooo, that may explain why this recipe wasn't the biggest hit with me.

Chocolate Graham Cracker Cupcakes with Toasted Marshmallow

Adapted from Jennifer Shea via Martha Stewart

Cake (You can also use your favorite chocolate cake recipe or a box—I won’t judge!)

2 1/8 cups
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (from about 20 squares)

1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted

9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 standard muffin tins with cupcake liners; set aside.

Sift 2 cups sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into the bowl of an electric mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix ingredients together on low speed.

In a large bowl, mix together eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla. Add to flour mixture and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl and continue mixing on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add boiling water and stir to combine; set cake batter aside.

Place graham cracker crumbs, remaining 1/8 cup sugar, and melted butter in a large bowl; stir until well combined.

Place 1 tablespoon graham cracker mixture into the bottom of each prepared muffin cup. Use the bottom of a small glass to pack crumbs into the bottom of each cupcake liner. Reserve remaining graham cracker mixture for topping.

Place 2 teaspoons chocolate in each muffin cup. Transfer muffin tins to oven and bake until the edges of the graham cracker mixture is golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and fill each muffin cup three-quarters full with cake batter. Sprinkle each with remaining chocolate and graham cracker mixture. Return to oven and bake, rotating pans halfway through baking, until tops are firm and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer muffin tins to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and let cool completely.

Pipe frosting in a spiral motion on each cupcake. Transfer cupcakes to a baking sheet. Using a kitchen torch, lightly brown the frosting, taking care not to burn the cupcake liners. You can also use a broiler, just watch carefully because they'll burn quickly.

Serve immediately or store in an airtight container, up to 2 days.