S’mores Graham Cracker Bundt Cake: #BundtBakers

This Toasted S’mores Graham Cracker Bundt Cake brings the flavors of the campfire treat to your kitchen! Keep reading for more s’mores inspired bundt cakes from Bundt Bakers.

Do you ever wonder if some people are tone deaf when it comes to the written word? This is a random musing moment–feel free to scroll down for bundt talk and recipe. But seriously. I know so many people who seem completely unaware of how they sound in the typed word, so to speak. I know, it is old news that people online don’t think enough before they type, but I am not really talking about that. I am talking about how insufferable some otherwise lovely people can sound and I don’t think they have any clue.

OK done venting. On with cakes!

Sometimes you just have to get stuff off your chest before you can focus on what is really important. And what is really important is this cake. I am super happy with how it came out, so contrary to how it may have seemed, I am excited to share it with you.  I was determined to go straight traditional s’mores in the flavor profile, just honey graham cracker, chocolate and marshmallow.

I was uncertain about adding graham cracker crumbs–I knew it could be done, but was not sure how it would affect the fat and sugar in the recipe. So I went looking online for a recipe to help me. The winner was the Graham Cracker Pound Cake from The Crepes of Wrath. I doubled the recipe for a bundt pan, removed the cinnamon and added vanilla, and add miniature chocolate chips. It worked wonderfully with one unusual exception. My cake tester repeatedly came out clean when the cake was not done. I finally decided to trust the tester despite my misgivings, which was a mistake, and the very center of my cake is raw. Why did I have misgivings? It wobbled. So if your cake is still wobbling when gently shaken, it is not done yet! However, I have no reason to not expect it to bake through with a bit more time, so I am leaving the recipe as I made it with that warning.

My next quandary was incorporating the marshmallow. I had a very firm idea of what I wanted, and could not find it anywhere. I wanted a “glaze,” but I did not want a super thick fluff, but I also did not want a really thin runny glaze. I stumbled onto the solution by pure, happy accident! First, I accepted I would need to make fluff (I was feeling lazy about using egg whites so I was trying to avoid it). For that I used a King Arthur recipe for fluffy marshmallow frosting. It didn’t say how long to beat it, so I beat it until it looked right, and then drizzled in a tablespoon of heavy cream and continued beating it. Presto! It immediately became thinner and runnier, easy to pour, but as you can see it made a thick draping of marshmallow glaze. I thought for a nerve-wracking minute it might melt off the cake when I put it under the broiler, but nope! It toasted up perfectly.

The kids are obsessed with this cake, and I suspect my mom will be begging me to make it again if her reaction to the pictures was anything to go by. It has been declared a winner by everyone in the house. So far the glaze has stayed in place just fine at room temperature (2 days now), and has not hardened, but is rather sticky (in a good way–aren’t s’mores sticky?!). If you like s’mores and s’mores desserts, keep reading for more cakes!

5 from 1 vote

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S'mores Graham Cracker Bundt Cake

I am not sure if the hot sugar syrup kills all germs in the egg whites or not, so use raw egg whites at your own risk in the glaze (clearly I take that risk).

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Cakes

Author: TheSpicedLife

Ingredients

For the cake:

• 1 cup (124 g, about 8 crackers) finely ground graham crackers
• 3 cups (376 g) AP flour
• 2 t baking powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 cup plus 6 T unsalted butter, room temperature
• 2 T avocado oil
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 6 large eggs
• 1 t vanilla bean paste
• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 3 cups (16.5 oz) miniature chocolate chips 1 1/2 11-oz bags

For the marshmallow glaze:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 t cream of tartar
• 1/3 cup water
• pinch of kosher salt
• 2 large egg whites
• 1 t vanilla extract
• 1 T heavy whipping cream

Instructions

First make the cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F. I used a 10 cup bundt pan, but I bet this recipe could work ok in a 12 cup pan as well; either way, grease and flour your bundt pan (I use the baking spray with flour). Set aside.
2. Process your graham crackers until finely ground.
3. Whisk the graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking powder and salt together. Set aside.
4. Place the butter and oil in the mixer. Beat until creamy. 
5. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, and add half of the sugar. Beat on medium speed, adding the rest of the sugar gradually. Scrape the sides and bottom of bowl again, and then repeat with the brown sugar.
6. Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
7. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, and then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Scrape the bowl as needed.
8. Beat in the vanilla bean paste.
9. Toss the chocolate chips with 1-2 T of the flour mixture.
10. On the slowest speed, add the remaining flour mixture and cream in 4 and 3 additions, respectively, alternating between the 2 and beginning and ending with the flour mixture.
11. Mix in the chocolate chips, gently.
12. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top so that it is even (this is a thick batter).
13. Bake for around 75 minutes; as noted above, when I inserted a cake tester it came out clean AND the cake was pulling away from the sides BUT the cake was still wobbly when gently rocked. Do not remove the cake until it stops wobbling. If you are concerned about the cake getting too dark, place a piece of foil over the top of the cake pan loosely.
14. Let the cake cool for 15 minutes in the pan, before turning out onto a piece of parchment paper on a cooling rack.
15. Let the cake cool completely. Remove the parchment paper under the cake.

Make the glaze when the cake has cooled completely:

1. When you are ready to glaze the cake, turn on the broiler (on high). It is imperative the broiler be very hot, so that the marshmallow toasts quickly without drying out the cake.
2. Place the sugar, cream of tartar, water and kosher salt into a heavy saucepan (2 quarts was the perfect size for me). Set aside.
3. Beat the egg whites until they are fluffy but do NOT hold a peak.
4. Place the saucepan with the sugar on medium high heat. Stir until it is dissolved, and then stop stirring and attach a candy thermometer to the pan. 
5. When the temperature reaches 240 F, turn the mixer speed on to high, and slowly drizzle the sugar syrup into the side of the bowl of the beating egg whites.

6. It will thicken and become glossy, turning into marshmallow fluff. When this happens--it was pretty quick for me, 1-2 minutes-- turn the speed down and add the vanilla and then continue beating on high. 

7. When you are satisfied you have marshmallow fluff (fluffy, glossy, spreadable, and it will happen fast ), slow the mixer again and add the cream. Beat on high--the fluff will immediately deflate somewhat and loosen. As soon as it is evenly incorporated, pour the marshmallow glaze over your cake. You will have some leftover.

8. Let it set for about 5-10 minutes.
9. Place a rack under the broiler as close as you can get and still fit the cake--for me, with this bundt design, that was 1/3 of the way down.
10. Place the cooling rack with the cake on top of a cookie sheet to minimize the mess. Place the cake in the oven under the broiler and stay close by with the light on. When it starts to toast, after a minute or so, it will toast quickly--much like a marshmallow over the campfire. As soon as it is toasted to your liking, remove the cake and let it set until cool. The marshmallow will not harden, but it will set and dry out a bit.

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our of lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

Updated links for all of our past events and more information about BundtBakers, can be found on our home page.  Thanks to Lauren, our hostess, of From Gate To Plate, for our theme of Creative S’mores. Keep reading below to see what delectable s’mores bundt cakes we have dreamed up for you!

• Autumn Bundt Cake by The Freshman Cook
• Carrot Graham Mini Bundts with White Chocolate Chips and Marshmallow Glaze by Passion Kneaded
• Chocolate Bundt with Marshmallow Graham Filling by Basic N Delicious
• Chocolate Graham Cracker Bundt Cake with Roasted Strawberry Marshmallow Filling by Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Deconstructed S’more Bundt Cake by Cali’s Cuisine
• Graham Cracker Bundt Cake S’mores by Magnolia Days
• Graham Cracker Bundt with Chocolate Ganache and Toasted Marshmallow Frosting by Food Lust People Love
• Graham Cracker Peanut Butter Bundt with Marshmallow Topping by Our Good Life
• Inside Out S’mores Bundt Cake by Liv for Cake
• Key Lime S’more Bundt Cake by Patty’s Cake
• Mexican Chocolate S’more Bundt Cake by Tartacadabra
• Nutella Glazed S’more Bundt Cake by I Bake He Shoots
• Nutella S’mores Bundt Cake by Brunch with Joy
• Oreo Grasshopper S’more Bundt by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Pretzels Crown in a S’more Bundt Cake by Los Chatos Chefs
• Pumpkin S’mores Bundt by Living the Gourmet
• Pumpkin S’mores Bundt Cake by How to Philosophize with Cake
• S’moreo Caramel Bundt Cake by Making Miracles
• S’mores Bundt Cake by From Gate to Plate
• S’mores Bundt Cake by La mejor manera de hacer
• S’mores Bundt Cake by I Love Bundt Cakes
• S’mores Graham Cracker Bundt Cake by The Spiced Life
• Salted Marshmallow and Graham Crack S’more Bundt Cake by Faith, Hope, Love & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice