S’mores Cupcakes

This is my favorite cupcake ever…so far. The first time I made these cupcakes were for this bake sale.  Maybe you remember the Go Autonation fundraiser?  Jackson looks to be doing great by the way.  :)The cupcakes were such a hit that they were requested for Anna’s little shindig. Note: If you live near me or are my neighbor you reap the benefits of leftovers.  Just an FYI.  :) Not only were these cupcakes really fun to make, but they tasted great too!  It made me kind of want to go camping. Should we get started?    There is a small crust to these cupcakes.  It provides a nice little surprise when you bite into it.This awesome chocolate will go on top of the crust.  It’s perfect.  Really.  Just wait and see. Let’s make that crust.  Melt your butter and mix in the sugar. Then add your graham cracker crumbs. Scoop a little of that mixture into each cupcake wrapper. Then find something to press the crust down a little.  My kids’ little tupperware cup was the perfect size. Now take that chocolate that you chopped up and sprinkle it over each little cupcake.Stick the cupcakes as is into your preheated oven for about 5 minutes.  This will make the chocolate perfectly soft and melted.While that’s in the oven lets make the cake part!  Mix your wet ingredients together, except the boiling water. Save that for a little later.  I love having this big measuring cup.  It works really well for things like this.Mix your dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Then slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.  After that is well mixed slowly pour in boiling water. Your batter will be a little thin.  No worries though!Fill the cups about 3/4 full and stick them in the oven to bake.    While your cupcakes are baking you can go ahead and start making the marshmallowy frosting.   Start by mixing together egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar.  Place the mixing bowl over a pot of simmering hot water- kind of like a double boiler. Whisk the mixture until the temperature reaches 160 degrees.  Then remove the bowl from the pot. Mix it on super high until the frosting starts forming stiff peaks…     Just like this.  It should take about 10 minutes.    Once the cupcakes come out of the oven and have cooled down go ahead and frost them.  It’s super fun!Then, after you frost the cupcakes, find a handsome stud with a torch.     Smokin’

  These are from Anna’s birthday.  I liked them better the second time around.    I used a different tip to frost them. I made these for the bake sale. Cute aren’t they?

This is what the cupcake looks like when it’s been dissected.  Graham cracker crust, chocolatey surprise, chocolate cupcake, marshmallowy frosting.  Mmmm…..

This was Anna’s ginormous cupcake.  I made in a coffee filter which I placed in one of my small pyrex bowls.            

S’mores Cupcakes:

Ingredients:
For the graham cracker crust:
1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup sugar
5 1/3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
For the cake:
2 cups plus 2 tbsp. sugar
1¾ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup plus 1 tbsp. cocoa powder
1½ tsp. baking powder (2tsp. high altitude)
1½ tsp. baking soda (1tsp high altitude)
1 tsp. salt
2 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
½ cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

For the frosting:
8 large egg whites, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
½ tsp. cream of tartar
2 tsp. vanilla extract

 

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350° F.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners.  In a small mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and melted butter; mix well with a fork.  Drop about 1 tablespoon of the graham cracker mixture in the bottom of each cupcake liner and press down to line the bottom. Sprinkle a small amount of the chopped chocolate on top of the graham cracker crusts.  Bake for 5 minutes.  Remove from the oven, and maintain the oven temperature.
To make the cake batter, sift together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on low speed just to combine.  In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, milk, vegetable oil and vanilla extract; whisk together.  Add to the dry ingredients and mix on low speed for 30 seconds.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.  Add the boiling water and stir just to combine (batter will be thin).
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about ¾ of the way full.  Return the pans to the oven and bake about 18-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, rotating the pans halfway through baking.  Allow to cool in the pans 5-10 minutes, then remove and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the frosting, combine the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in the top of a double boiler. Heat the mixture, whisking frequently, until it reaches 160° F with an instant-read thermometer.  Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Whisk starting at low speed and gradually increasing to medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form.  Mix in the vanilla until combined.  Frost cooled cupcakes as desired.  Brown with a kitchen torch and garnish with chocolate and graham cracker segments (optional).

*I made just slight adjustments for altitude purposes.  I’m not sure if they made a difference or not.

High Altitude Chocolate Sheet Cake

You’ve been waiting for a new recipe haven’t you?   Well, here you go.  It’s especially for high altitude areas.  After so many cakes and cupcakes exploded in my oven I have finally begun making the proper adjustments on my recipes. I have to say that this cake is a definite keeper.  It’s delicious on so many levels. Begin by combining flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.  Set that aside. Then in another bowl, or I like to use this measuring cup for pouring purposes later, mix together buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and baking soda.  I love watching baking soda fizz.  It makes me feel like something is working properly.  I know I’m weird.  Take it or leave it.  :) A mini whisk does an excellent mixing job.

Now get out a saucepan and melt your butter.Then add your cocoa. That’s the good stuff, if you like chocolate.  Whisk that together, then add 1 cup of boiling water to the mix.    Now take that awesome, smelling chocolate mixture and pour it into your flour mixture. Mix that up.  It’s starting to look like a cake mix right? After you have mixed that, pour in that egg mixture. Stir it together until it’s smooth.Next take out your sheet pan and pour that cake mix into it.  You’ll want to lick the batter.  Try and contain yourself though, because the cake tastes much better once it has been cooked.  Although if you’re one to sample cookie dough when you make cookies then be my guest.  Maybe you’ll like cake batter.  I’m not one of those cookie dough eaters.  My loss, right?  Anyways, go ahead and stick that cake in the oven now.

While the cake is baking melt some more butter.  I just rinsed out the same pan and reused it.  Add more cocoa and some powdered sugar.

Mix it really well.  You don’t want lumps.  This is the icing that will go over the cake.

 

Now your cake should be just about ready.  Pull it out of the oven.  Take your icing and pour it over the warm cake.  Just let it ooze all over the cake.  You don’t want to try and spread this on a warm cake.  It could be messy.

  Sit back and admire the beautiful pool of chocolate icing over this delicious chocolate cake. Then go ahead and devour it because you know you want to.   If you make this be sure to shoot me an email or leave a comment.  I’d love to hear how it turned out.

This Chocolate Sheet Cake recipe was adapted from The Pioneer Woman. It has been altered to prevent any cake overflow onto the bottom of my oven.  I love living at high altitude!

Ingredients:

Cake

• 2 cups + 2 tablespoons flour
• 1 3/4 cup sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 pound butter
• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 cup boiling water

Icing

• 1 3/4 sticks butter
• 4 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 6 tablespoons milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pound powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, and salt.  Stir together and set aside.
2. In another bowl, mix the buttermilk, eggs, vanilla, and baking soda.  Mix together and set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan, melt butter.  Then add cocoa.  Whisk together.
4. Meanwhile boil 1 cup of water.  Add to saucepan.
5. Pour the chocolate mixture into the flour mixture. Stir it together.
6. Then add it all to the egg mixture.  Stir it together until it’s smooth.
7. Then pour it into an ungreased jelly roll pan.   Stick it in the oven for 20 minutes.
8. While the cake is baking make the icing.  Melt the butter in a saucepan.
9. Add the cocoa and stir until it’s smooth
10. Add vanilla and milk. 
11. Then add the powdered sugar and stir until it’s smooth.
12. Immediately after you remove your cake from the oven, pour the warm icing over the top of the cake.  It should just flow freely all over and you shouldn’t need to spread it.  In fact you should try and avoid spreading.
13. Lastly, eat it!  Eat lots of it because it’s so good.