If summer isn't hot enough, how about using a mini torch to toast the top of some chocolate cupcakes with graham cracker pieces and a marshmallow frosting? I promise this Smores Cupcakes are so worth the extra heat! One bite and you will be hooked!

I feel like I am the last person to offer a riff on smores via cupcake. Are cupcakes even still trendy? Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one still baking angel food cupcakes instead of a giant cake. Furthermore, my freezer is fully packed with peanut butter frosting, just waiting for the next batch of cupcakes to come out of my oven.
Maybe I'm still baking cupcakes because I have small kids in my house, and they're just so portable? Anyway, these smores cupcakes are made from soft chocolate cupcakes with chunks of graham crackers scattered throughout. Do not forget about the brûléed marshmallow fluff frosting.
I especially love these smores cupcakes because you can match your s’more campfire marshmallow-toasting style to these cupcakes. If you're one of those that likes your marshmallow to catch on fire in the campfire before eating it, that can be accomplished here (although be careful). If you like only a slightly toasted marshmallow, use a light hand with the brûlée torch.
If you love these, you should try my Smores Cookies.
Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour. To measure, fluff your flour and then scoop into a measuring cup, sweeping the excess off the top.
- Cocoa Powder. Unsweetened regular cocoa powder.
- Baking Soda.
- Baking Powder.
- Instant Espresso Powder. You can use instant coffee crystals in place of espresso powder. However, please note that this doesn't make the cupcakes taste like coffee at all--it just enhances the flavor of the chocolate.
- Milk. Whole milk is best for baking.
- Vinegar. We're using a small amount of vinegar (apple cider and regular white vinegar are both fine here) to create buttermilk by mixing it with the whole milk.
- Oil. A neutral, flavorless oil like canola oil, vegetable oil, sunflower oil, or safflower oil. Don't use coconut oil in these smores cupcakes.
- Vanilla Extract.
- Brown Sugar. Light or dark brown sugar both work equally well here.
- Graham Crackers. We're going to break up one whole graham cracker sheet to scatter in the cupcake batter. It's also cute to have extra for garnish.
- Egg White. We're making our own small-batch marshmallow fluff to use for the frosting, so we need one pasteurized egg white. Do not use liquid eggs or liquid egg whites--it needs to come from a fresh egg. To use the leftovers, try any of these recipes that use egg yolks.
- Granulated Sugar.
First, preheat the oven to 350-degrees F. Break up the graham cracker sheet into 12 pieces, and place them in the bottom of 4 cupcake liners.
In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and espresso powder.
Next, stir together the wet ingredients: whisk the milk and vinegar together. Then, add the oil, vanilla and brown sugar. Whisk very well to combine.
Divide the smores cupcakes batter between the 4 cupcake liners. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clearly, with only a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Remove the cupcakes from the pan, and cool completely on a wire rack.
Now it's time to make the quick marshmallow frosting: gather the egg white, granulated sugar, salt and vanilla extract.
Whisk all ingredients (except the vanilla) together, and then place the bowl over a pan of simmering water. Be sure that the bowl doesn't touch the water. Continuously whisk the mixture, and once the mixture reaches 140-degrees F, remove it from the heat.
Immediately start whisking the hot mixture with an electric mixer. Mix until very fluffy and very glossy, about 10 minutes. Then, mix in the vanilla.
Scrape the marshmallow frosting into a piping bag, pipe on the cupcakes, and then use a culinary torch to toast the frosting right before serving.
Equipment to Make This Recipe`
- Electric Mixer - While the actual smores cupcakes ingredients come together with a simple whisk, we really need to use an electric hand mixer to beat the frosting for a full 10 minutes. This is the one I use and love immensely.
- Double Boiler - You don't need to use a double boiler to make the marshmallow frosting, but you do need to have a heat-safe bowl over a pan of simmering water. The safest thing is a double boiler, truly. I used a glass bowl solely to take photos for the recipe, but I use a double boiler in my own kitchen. This is a simple metal one with a long handle that is so easy to use!
- Culinary Torch - A mini culinary torch helps you make creme brulee for two and toast the frosting on these smores cupcakes.
How to Store Smores Cupcakes
The frosting, once torched, can begin to melt and weep a bit. These are best piped and torched right before serving. You can make the cupcakes a day ahead of time (or even freeze them for a few months), but the frosting and torching needs to be done right before serving.
Leftover cupcakes should be kept on the counter, covered, at room temperature for up to one day. If refrigerated, the marshmallow frosting on these smores cupcakes can melt.
Smores Cupcakes
Yields 4 chocolate cupcakes with toasted marshmallow fluff frosting.
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup (45 grams) all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons (14 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon instant espresso
- ⅓ cup (79 mL) milk
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 4 teaspoons (20 mL) sunflower oil (or canola, or vegetable)
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup (50 grams) lightly packed light brown sugar
- 1 graham cracker sheet, plus extra for garnish
For the marshmallow frosting:
- 1 large pasteurized egg white
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350. Line a regular muffin pan with 4 cupcake liners. Break up the graham cracker sheet into roughly 12 pieces, and place 3 in the bottom of each cupcake liner. It doesn’t have to be perfect at all. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and espresso powder.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the milk and apple cider vinegar. Stir in the oil, vanilla, and brown sugar. Whisk very well to combine.
- Stir the wet ingredients into the dry, and divide the batter between the 4 cupcake liners. Bake for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out cleanly, with only a few crumbs clinging to it.
- Set the cupcakes aside to cool completely. Next, make the frosting: in a heat-safe, very clean bowl, add the egg white, sugar and salt. Whisk together, and then place the bowl over a pan of simmering water (making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the hot water below). You can also use a double boiler.
- Heat the egg white mixture while constantly whisking for about about 4-5 minutes. If the mixture is warm to the touch (the sugar can still feel slightly grainy here), it is the right temperature. To test with a thermometer, look for 140-degrees F.
- Remove the bowl from the heat, and then start beating the mixture with a hand-mixer until it becomes very glossy, nearly 10 full minutes.
- When the mixture is fluffy, glossy and looks like marshmallow frosting, add the vanilla and stir in briefly.
- Scrape the frosting into a piping bag, and pipe on the cupcakes. Use a culinary torch to lightly toast the marshmallow frosting and garnish with crushed graham crackers (or a whole piece). Serve.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 175Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 237mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 1gSugar: 16gProtein: 2g
Angie's Recipes says
Those cupcakes look so delectable and tempting!
Lindsey @ Gingerbread Bagels says
How cute are these cupcakes?! They look amazing and I love the colorful background. :)
Clarkie @ Beloved Green says
This looks just decedent! I love the presentation of these too.!
Katrina @ In Katrina's Kitchen says
Um...I'm kind of wanting to lick my screen now. YUM!
Miss @ Miss in the Kitchen says
Looks fantastic, you have me drooling!
Lauri (redheadrecipes.com) says
WOW! wow! WOW!
Thats all I've got to say about that....
Allie says
This might just be my favorite recipe of yours ever!!! So creative and fun! I always set my marshmallow on fire :)
Phuoc'n Delicious says
OMG! Melty marshmallow goodness! We dont have graham crackers here in Australia so the first time I had a s'more was last year when I visited the States.. I like turning well-known desserts into something different. I once made mini s'mores tarts with homemade marshmallow and it was a hit! I can imagine these cupcakes would also be delicious too! :)
Erin says
These look delicious, I love the toasted marshmallow topping!