Giant S'Mores Cake

Wow, what a weekend. Last night, we had the cast party for Much Ado About Nothing. It was great seeing everyone again. Some of the cast members I saw on an almost daily basis, but others I barely saw. As always, good times were had and good food was eaten. I haven't been too inspired lately with cake ideas, so I actually had to sort through my bookmarks. I was stuck between S'More Pie from Smitten Kitchen or the recipe I'm sharing with you today until I realized that the pie has chocolate cream filling. That was a little too heavy for me, so I decided on the cake. I was still hesitant when I chose this recipe because, though it may not seem as bad as the pie, this recipe has cake, brownies, and marshmallow creme. I wasn't sure if people would like such a sugar overloaded cake, but when I asked my housemates, they said it sounded delicious.



I was a little behind schedule and the graham cracker cake took longer than expected to bake, so I couldn't wait for it to cool. I cut the cake in half and was trying to flip the cake while it was still in its delicate and very, very hot state. It took me a while, but I eventually got it flipped and the cake assembled. I didn't have a kitchen torch, so I broiled the marshmallow creme in the oven. I bought a 16 oz jar of marshmallow fluff, but I didn't use the whole thing. The only thing I would remember to do next time is place the top layer of the graham cracker cake on the marshmallow creme when it's not yet set. That way, the cake will stay together. While I was cutting pieces of the cake, the top layer kept falling off. If I could find a way to make all the pieces of the cake stick together, then it would be perfect.



Giant S'Mores Cake
From Sweet Tooth

- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 box fudge brownies
- 2 jars Marshmallow Fluff (about 15 oz)

1. Preheat oven to 375F and line a 9x13 pan with tinfoil or parchment paper, and grease lightly.
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla and combine.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, graham cracker crumbs, salt, and baking soda. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture slowly, and mix until just combined.
4. Pour batter into prepared pan, and use a spatula to spread evenly. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow cookie bar to cool completely in the pan before removing.
5. Prepare brownies according to the box's instructions in a tinfoil or parchment paper-lined and lightly greased 8x8 pan (or a 9x9). Allow brownies to cool completely in the pan before removing.
6. Remove cookie bar from pan as 1 piece and place on a cutting board. With a large serrated knife, shave off the sides so you're left with a roughly 8x8 piece. (There will be a lot of extras, but I'm sure you'll find a use for them.) Carefully cut the 8x8 slab in half horizontally so you end up with 2 equally-sized thin 8x8 cookies.
7. Cut out an 8x8 piece of cardboard and place one of the cookies on top of it. Then remove the brownies from the pan in 1 piece and place on top of the cookie.
8. Use a piping bag or a spatula to cover the entire brownie in a relatively thick layer with marshmallow fluff. The marshmallow will ooze down the sides, especially when you torch it, but that's what happens in real s'mores too so it just adds some appropriate character.
9. With a kitchen torch, torch the marshmallow uniformly so that each bite will have that toasted flavor. Be ready to blow out any bit that catches fire! If you don't have a kitchen torch, you can place the cake in the oven and broil until the marshmallow has toasted.
10. Allow the marshmallow to set for a few minutes, and then place the final layer of cookie on top.