Chocolate Cupcakes with a graham cracker crust and toasted marshmallowy meringue frosting. Oh. my. gosh. These were super duper delicious! I’ve been so excited to make these S’mores Cupcakes for a while now but I didn’t have a kitchen torch to toast the tops. I don’t know why I haven’t bought one before, but I’m super excited that I got one for Christmas. Thanks Mom!
The recipe for these cupcakes is from Jennifer Shea’s new cookbook, Trophy Cupcakes and Parties! (pssst… I’m giving away a couple of signed books below) Trophy Cupcakes has several locations in Seattle. You should visit if you get a chance. Such cute shops and the prettiest cupcakes. I visited the shop in Bellevue a few years ago. Adorable!
But the first time I met Jennifer was back in 2008 when we were both on The Martha Stewart Show. What?!?
Yes. Still crazy to me. I was on to show Martha how to make my Cupcake Pops about six months after I started the blog (P.S. This past Saturday was National Cake Pops Day. YAY!) and Jennifer was on the show to make these same s’mores cupcakes … which I didn’t get a chance to try when I was on the show.
So, I thought they would be the perfect ones for me to make from her new book.
And boy am I glad I did. They are fantastic!
They start with a graham cracker crust for the cupcake. Awesomeness!
Place a teaspoon of the crust mixture in each baking cup.
And press with the bottom of a small glass.
Like so.
But that’s not all. They get chocolate, too.
Yep. Just sprinkle chopped chocolate on top of the crusts and bake for a few minutes to set first.
Cool and then… fill with the chocolate cupcake batter. YES!
But we can’t stop there. Before baking, sprinkle more graham cracker mixture and chopped chocolate on top. I like where this is going … oh and I’m messy!
Beautifully cupcakes. I actually think they’re great just like this.
But they wouldn’t be s’mores without the fluffy marshmallow frosting.
Swirl the meringue frosting on top of the cupcake with a star tip and then toast using a kitchen torch.
P.S. I love my kitchen torch. This was the first time I’ve used one, and now I want to toast everything. I wish I hadn’t waited so long to get one. So fun!!!
But not as fun as biting into these babies. Yummmm!
Here’s the recipe … and check out Jennifer’s video on MarthaStewart.com too OR skip down below for the giveaway.
S’mores Cupcakes
Ingredients
GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST
- 1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (from about 20 squares)
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
CHOCOLATE CUPCAKES
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup plus 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1-3/4 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2/3 cup boiling water
MERINGUE FROSTING
- 6 egg whites
- 1-1/2 cups sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
- MAKE THE CRUST FIRST: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with cupcake liners.
- In a medium bowl, mix together crumbs and sugar. Add melted butter until well blended and no dry crumbs remain.
- Place 1 tablespoon of the mixture into each liner. Press the crumbs flat into the liner using the bottom of a small glass. Sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of chocolate over each crust. (Reserve remaining graham cracker crumbs and chopped chocolate to top the cupcakes before baking.)
- Bake crusts for 8 minutes. Remove the pans and let crusts cool for at least 5 minutes before adding cupcake batter.
- FOR THE CUPCAKES: After crusts are prepared, increase oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
- In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. Then combine eggs, milk, oil and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add sugar and mix until combined. Then add flour mixture. Blend at low and then increase to medium. Beat for 2 minutes until blended and smooth. Remove bowl from stand and add boiling water. Gently stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Batter will be thin. Then let batter rest for 15 minutes and stir again gently before using. Fill liners with prepared crusts three-quarters full with batter. Sprinkle with reserved chocolate and graham cracker mixture.
- Bake about 16-20 minutes until done. Cool in pan for 5 minutes and then remove to a rack to cool completely.
- MAKE THE MERINGUE FROSTING: Combine egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in the heatproof bowl of a stand mixer. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water without letting the bottom of the bowl touch the water in the saucepan. Hold the handle of the bowl with an oven mitt while whisking the egg white mixture until the sugar is dissolved and the whites are hot to the touch… about 4 minutes. Then transfer bowl to the stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, beat the mixture, starting on low and increasing to high speed. Beat until stiff, glossy peaks form and the meringue has cooled, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the vanilla and whisk just to combine. Use frosting immediately.
- Place the frosting in a pastry bag fitted with an Ateco #867 star tip. I used a Wilton 4B tip. Pipe high swirls on the cupcakes and brown the meringue using a kitchen torch and serve immediately.
Notes
Source: Trophy Cupcakes & Parties! by Jennifer Shea, 2013
Here’s a little peek into the book.
It’s filled with recipes for cupcakes and crafty ideas to help you create charming parties. It’s basically super cute.
Enter for a chance to win a signed copy of Trophy Cupcakes & Parties!
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To enter just leave a comment below and share the best thing you ate this weekend. Was it sweet? Was it Super Bowl snacks? Do tell.
-
Deadline to enter is
Wednesday, February 5th, 2014 at 7:00 p.m. ET.Sorry! Time’s Up, Winner announced below. -
Two (2) winners will be selected at random and announced sometime Wednesday evening.
Good Luck guys!
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Okay – we have two winners. And I’m now super hungry for party food and appetizers!!!! Thanks for sharing all your best bites. Mine was actually these cupcakes. They are seriously so good. And… I’m still eating them. I have to stop.
Congratulations Katie B. and E. Nadler. Hope you enjoy the book and you should definitely make these.
Homemade tomato soup. Jaw-dropping! Opened up a whole new world for me.
Super bowl snacks at a party. They were all good. Thank you for the give a way. I hope I win!
Eggs Benedict at brunch with my family to celebrate 2 birthdays.
Lemon sugar cookies!
Well, we live in Germany, so the Super Bowl was on tv from 12:30 am until 4am…I didn’t stay up to watch it, but I did buy some queso and tortilla chips to celebrate. But the s’mores cupcakes look awesome!
Since it was Chinese New Year this past weekend, I ate a lot of yummy things but the best has to be the homemade croissant a friend made. It had apple and custard in it!!
Those look so tasty!!! I’m going to try them this weekend! Thanks for sharing!!! ;-)
The best thing I ate this weekend was at a super bowl
party..coconut shrimp with a sweet ginger dipping sauce
amazing. …
go sea hawks!!!!!!
The best thing I ate last weekend was my homemade Yema balls. It was so tasty and yummy..very simple to make with just condensed milk, vanilla and chopped pili nuts. Definitely a melt in your mouth treat and I just can’t get enough of this creamy, sweet and crunchy dessert that I also bring as my little snack at work. :-)
My mother’s stir-fried noodles with shrimp and mixed vegetables was the best thing I ate this past weekend!
Best thing I ate this weekend was normal food after being in Cuba the past week…
This weekend I made Chocolate Avocado Cupcakes and they were absolutely delicious!
It was chinese new year this weekend so the best thing I ate was the chinese new year cookies and goodies :D
On saturday a friend of mine made garlic chicken with vegetable and rösti – very delicious!
The best thing I ate was maple cake with caramel buttercream!
I made some delish Kansas dirt cake…mmm yum :)
delicious homemade dark chocolate brownies…my mouth is still watering
Homemade Ice Cream Bread. My boys love it!
Apple pie!
Brownies ^_^
These look delicious and oh so tempting definitely going to have to try and bake these for movie night…best thing was homemade taco pizza…mmmm delicious!
Hi my name id Naseera from South Africa , my wonderful husband made red velvet cupcakes. for every one its just plain simple, but to me its special the time and iniative he took to surprise me . and not forgetting the yummy taste. definitely a memorable moment.
The best thing i ate this week was brownies !!!Yum Yum !!!
S’more, S’more.. Somemore Somemore!!
These looks reaaaaaaally good!
The best thing I ate this weekend, hmmmmm..
Some pineapple tarts!
Homemade samosas at the Super Bowl party was my very favorite thing I at this weekend.
Popcorn!!
THESE CUPCAKES ARE MY FAVE. There’s a shop near my job and I buy a few when I stop by. I think they had 12th man this weekend and I missed out. :(
Anyway, the favorite thing I ate was bacon wrapped everything.
Chocolate chip cookies. They were divine!
I made then ate chocolate and orange bee biscuits, inspired by your whale biscuits!
my roomie made yellow curry with potatoes and veggies along with coconut rice! The coconut rice was flavorful without being sweet and perfectly complemented the curry :)
Bite size fudge brownies with purple icing, quite delicious. However, now I am drooling over these cupcakes!
I made Tartelettes aux Fruits with French Vanilla Bean Pastry Cream and these beautiful organic blueberries.
the Buffalo Chicken Dip I made for a Superbowl party! Better than the game.
We were camping and made veggie and chicken fajitas. Delicious!
Thanks for being so generous, Bakerella! The yummiest thing I ate this weekend was a Korean short rib dish at a fundraising event. Not very footbally – but very delish!
Baskin Robins Buttered Popcorn Ice cream.
The best thing I ate this weekend would have to be Girl Scout cookies. They have been devoured. :)
I didn’t have to cook! Had pizza: olive oil/garlic with blue and mozzarella cheese, pear, ham and sweet balsamic glaze – so good. But the best part of the weekend was I had leftovers to eat while the Seahawks won!!!
Go Hawks!
Chocolate raspberry ice cream shared with my granddaughter
the best thing I ate was artichoke and spinach grilled cheese (a Joy The Baker recipe!) and tomato soup.
I had crab!! It was soooo good!
Blueberry cheesecake :D
Okay, you can tell I’d REALLY love to get my paws on that book….laying my soul bare here….best thing I had this weekend was….chocolate chip cookie dough. (NOT home-made either….the roll stuff that comes in plastic.). Ewwww….. Good at the time tho. Lol
Prosciutto and mozzarella panini!
Ate a filling meat lovers pizza!
I made brownie pops for our Super Bowl dessert and they were delicious!
Super awesome crock pot chicken tacos. A recipe from my new Paleo cookbook! So good, will be making again!
The best think I ate this weekend was pizza with my favourite etceteras :D
Chicken noodle soup. I wasn’t feeling well, so that was hands down the best.
Although I could definitely go for a cupcake now!
Best thing I ate this weekend was crack pie! yummm
Some delicious pork nachos for the Super Bowl!
chickennnn fries!!!!!!!! =)
Garlic Parmesan wings!
Stuffed Peppers. So yummy
S’mores cupcakes will definitely make on our S’mores party :-)
Tried a new cherry cake recipe. It turned out great!
I made some yummy pre-Valentines Day brownies with frosting dyed hot pink and heart sprinkles! Thanks for the chance!
The Red Velvet Cream Cheese Crinkles I baked were so yummy.
I ate some Red Velvet Cream Cheese Crinkles
Went out for breakfast – Eggs Benedict, but no ham – instead carmelized onions and sauteed spinach. Delish!
Hmm, that’s a hard one. It’s a toss up between black bean brownies and cowboy caviar. YUM!
I had pretzel bombs (they were the bomb) along with Buffalo Cauliflower bites, Pizza Wheels, fried green beans, fried pickles, a bacon cheddar cheese ball with Seattles best beer Black Raven and Mac and Jacks! WOOT WOOT! YAY HAWKS!!
The best thing I ate this weekend was a fresh;y baked double chocolate brownie!!
I had the best tacos I have ever eaten yesterday! They had steak, ham and bacon in them!
mom’s homemade apple-butter sugar cookies, slightly under baked, just like I like ’em. mmmmmm SO gooood!!
Best thing I ate this weekend would have to be my roommate’s chocolate cake! Mmmm :) but…I think the best thing I will eat this weekend will have to be these smores cupcakes!
I ate one too many fudge brownie cookies.
Probably the best thing I had this weekend was dried mangoes with chili, just love them. And love the cupcake book!
Nachos for super bowl!
A butter breton cake from Flour in Boston… like a tall cylindrical croissant covered in a crackly sweet glaze! I ate every last crumb!
Yummy blackberries
These look so delicious. I can’t believe you were on Martha Stewart only 6 months after starting your blog. Wow!
The best thing I ate this weekend were red curry chicken kebabs.
The best thing I ate this weekend… well, I’ll have to go with my go-to meal – a sweet potato, cinnamon, coconut oil and sea salt. It never gets old, and it’s so satisfying!
Baby shower cookies! Mine was a blue onesie with a tiny little football on it.
Weekend started early with dinner out on Thursday that ended with a delicious bread pudding, yum!
I had lobster spinach dip at my neighbor’s house yesterday. Truly the best super Bowl party food I have ever had!
I made a cake called “better than anything”, it was too good…I also made Chinese chicken corn soup! These were two of the best things I ate this weekend !
We made BBQ, my husband cook duck, was soooo good.
The best thing I ate this weekend was Blue Velvet Cupcakes to celebrate the Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl Win!!!
LOVE those cupcakes, being a girl scout troop leader those look delicious and can’t wait to share with my girl scouts. My sweet treat this super bowl weekend was some chocolate covered pretzels, trying to be good so that was my only treat & i got to enjoy watching more of the puppy bowl with the kiddies then the super bowl, lol.
i made mini chicken and waffles and my friend made blondies for our annual super bowl party. yum!
my boyfriend and i went back to our alma mater and went to our favorite restaurant!
Jalapeno Poppers are the best thing I ate this weekend for the super bowl. I’m 24 weeks pregnant and I’ve been craving them non stop. Although after reading your post now I’m craving cupcakes…
pineapple smoothie!
Popsicles! I am pregnant and they are the most fantastic thing right now.
The best thing I ate was my dad’s BBQ pork.
I made stuffed bell peppers this weekend. I’m a sucker for adding feta cheese for a little salt. And of course I finished with some peanut butter cookies for a little sweet.
Hola soy de lima Peru , me encanto esta receta solo vi por las noticias el super bowl ya que estoy en america del sur
Marionberry pie with vanilla ice cream.
Nacho cheese dip!
The best thing I ate was french toast made in the crockpot.
Dark chocolate and caramel pretzels.
Best thing I ate…in cold, snowy OKmduringnSuperbowl weekend? Sweet Potato, Parsnip and Ginger soup. Perfect for a cold, winter’s day!
Saltine crackers flavored with canola oil, red pepper flakes and a package of ranch dressing mix. I was shocked at how GOOD they were. Friends had to prove it to me! I don’t know what they are called – but they are awesome! Can’t stop eating them!
Gosh, those cupcakes look sinful! Bets thing I ate was a Ghirardelli dark chocolate square – or two!
Banana pudding and a batch of walnut brownies. I like warm brownies with ice cream.
I had Peanut Butter Creams this weekend, they were AMAZING.
The best thing I ate this weekend was a pizza pretzel!!!
Roasted sweet potatoes with garlic and onion – oh my!!!
I made a new recipe…easy cinnamon sugar soft pretzel bites with chocolate ganache for dipping…for a super bowl party…they were delicious and a big hit
A tie between Asian BBQ chicken (recipe from Our Best Bites) and my husband’s homemade guacamole!
No super bowl activities for me this past weekend. But I did make something savory. Homemade pasta sauce and some freshly made garlic bread… oh yum, just hinking about it! ooh – and that book and the cupcakes looks awesome too! I would love a copy! TFTO
Some buffalo ranch dip with tortilla chips – YuMmY!
Bluebell’s Caramel Turtle Cheesecake ice cream!!!
Pizza from our local pizzeria!
Nachos!!!!!
I made chocolate covered pretzel sticks on the weekend for watching the game and for Valentine and added red, white and pink sprinkles to give them a more sweeter look. :)
The best thing I ate this weekend was cheesy artichoke dip on french bread, it was warm and delicious!
Sugar cookies, that my grand kids decorated.
I had almond flavored cake with raspberry filling. Yum! Thanks for sharing.
Passion fruit meringue pie–out of this world!!
Scotcheroos. Not fancy, but one of the all time BEST treats. Ever.
http://www.ricekrispies.com/recipes/chocolate-scotcheroos
The best thing I ate was some yummy bacon on my bbq chicken sandwiches.
A chicken club sandwich!
Lemon coconut cake my hubby made me for my bday
Hands down the tastiest thing I ate this weekend was Turkey Hill Natural Salted Caramel Ice Cream. Sweet with just a hint of salt and PERFECT. I’m addicted to the stuff.
Italian meringue buttercream on cupcakes!!
i made lemon squares. I saw you on Martha Stewart that day and have been following you ever since. You are so talented and deserve every bit of success.
I was more excited for some baked goodies this weekend, but I was surprised by some yummy ribs at a Super Bowl party!
The best thing I ate this weekend was guacamole- it was delicious!
I made Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies. Mmmmm
Best thing I ate this weekend: dumplings!
Best thing I ate this weekend: a cheese danish
Beer cheese fondue!
I made Onion Bialys (From Baking with Julia)…they were good!
Those cupcakes look like they need to be made (by me) very soon!!! Beautiful!
I made some really delicious poppy seed bread with some friends and it was super good! Plus tried making some baklava for the first time, and it was awesome!
The best probably was the fudgey brownies w/ice cream & chocolate sauce! During the Super Bowl of course.
most of the city had no water all weekend so sadly the best thing I ate was Dominos lol
The best thing I ate this weekend was a super garlicky spread for crackers! That was at a wedding shower that ended before the Super Bowl, thankfully. Gotta watch those commercials!
French toast and pancakes for breakfast!
In celebration of Chinese New Year, we had jai and gau.
My homemade salsa (PW recipe) -yumm!!
I had some mint chocolate ice cream… my favorite!
The tastiest food I had this weekend was corn dip with multi-grain chips for Super Bowl Sunday.
The best thing I had to eat this weekend was cherry almond cupcakes! Yummy!
Fried banana peppers – delicious!
I made ‘I Am Baker’s’ ‘Birthday Cake’ and it was the bomb!! Still is!!
Mom’s homemade bamboo salad!!
The best thing I had this weekend was home made french bread!
I roasted a chicken for dinner last night and it was delicious.
Beef stew :)
Dark chocolate and raspberry brownies.
The best thing I ate this weekend was the Lady Locks that I made for the first time. The pastry creme filling was amazing!
Brownies :)
crispy chow mein for my birthday!
These cupcakes would have been the best thing I’d eaten this weekend if I’d made them! Alas, the best thing was a little dish of Cold Stone’s Birthday Cake Remix. It’s usually a summertime treat, but I had a hankerin’…
We’ve been trying to decide on the cake for our wedding in may so we were taste testing cupcake versions all weekend! Too many to choose lol :)
Cantonese food in celebration of Chinese New Year!
My husband made Altanta Brisket on Sunday. Delicious!
French onion dip! love that stuff…
Baked hot wings at a Super Bowl party – so delicious!
Baked macaroni and cheese that my mom made was probably the best thing I had all weekend, but I definitely pigged out. And if we count lunch on Friday, I had delicious cheesesteak&potato soup from a little restaurant near where I work. So savory all the way, but I have been craving s’mores ! Thanks for the opportunity ! :)
Wings, chili cheese dip and toffee crunch cookies!
Tortilla soup. Those cupcakes look amazing. We visited Seattle several years ago and that’s the dessert spot I chose–we LOVED their cupcakes. I would be thrilled with a whole book!
This look delicious!
The best thing I ate this weekend was homemade pizza! Yummy!
Sort of random, but I had a package of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, which I haven’t had for ages, and they were so delicious!
Dark chocolate peanut butter cups!
The best thing I ate this weekend was fried oysters and calamari we made at home for a late celebration for the new year. :)
buffalo chicken dip at a super bowl party!!
The best thing I ate this weekend was buffalo chicken soup at a souper bowl party we went to. Delicious!
The yummiest thing i ate last weekend was a perfectly ripe grapefruit… with just a little bit of sugar sprinkled on top. Sometimes the best things are the simplest!
Chocolate mousse cream puffs! Super yummy!
Homemade pizza with lots of veggies!
Buffalo chicken dip, a game day staple! I also made football themed cupcakes that were a hit!
Best thing was Hershey’s Nuggets with toffee and almonds!!
homemade 7 layer dip!
I made a pretzel bun cheeseburger and fries. Best burger ever!
I just died and went to heaven…
best thing I had this weekend was shortbread. And chocolate sheet cake. And bacon wrapped dates stuffed with goat cheese. And brats in a blanket…endless
The best thing I ate this weekend were some girl scout cookies I found buried in the freezer…such a nice little surprise!!
My home made chocolate chip cookies. So simple and so good!
A salted caramel cupcake from Bird Bakery in San Antonio, Texas!
Best thing I ate this weekend was scrambled eggs on Saturday morning – that I made all by myself. I’ve made scrambled eggs the same way my entire life…and tried a new recipe from a breakfast cookbook. I’ve never had eggs this texture before! Pure velvet – and the taste was out of this world. Lesson learned for me – just because I had a tried and true method, doesn’t mean there isn’t room for improvement. :)
A salted caramel cupcake from Bird Bakery!
The best thing I ate was some homemade Snickerdoodle cookies! Thanks for the giveaway!
Brownie ice cream sandwiches at the movies with my boyfriend! :)
Pan Dulce for me I ate 4 in one sitting.Love mexican sweet bread.
I ate brownies at the Super Bowl!!!!! They were great!!!
I had a sandwich called “guitarra” that is made with bread, spanish ham, tomatoes, mayonaisse and a little bit of garlic!
The best thing I ate this weekend was Meatball Sliders! They are made into little sliders on a Garlic Knot. SO Good!
Best thing I ate this weekend was some British candy (love Cadbury!), a Cadbury Creme Egg Twisted – it was delicious!
My boyfriend bought me a ice cream sundae! Yum!
A chocolate Hershey bar my husband gave me for my B-Day.
The party book by Trophy looks like something I need to own…and quick. The cupcakes and party ideas look fantastic.
orange cinnamon monkey bread
I made some Valentine gifts to ship out and of course I had to sample. Vanilla and Strawberry wafer cookies dipped in candy melts with sprinkles on top.
I had egg drop soup for New Year’s, too good for words.
The best thing I ate over the weekend was Italian ricotta cheesecake from a cute Italian patisserie :)
The best thing I had was a beignet!
The best thing I are over the weekend was Italian ricotta cheesecake :)
Brownie pudding….seriously the recipe may have even come from this site? Make it, eat it, you won’t want to share…
Fluffier nutter donut from a local ice cream shop/bakery. Long john with nutter butter cream filling, covered in a glaze and dusted with crushed nutter butters.
A Superbowl tradition- vegetarian chili!
The best thing I ate this past weekend is a toss up between my boyfriend’s chili (he made 2 pots – one to share and one for us), the 10 lb’s of homemade guacamole I inhaled, and the 3 batches of saltine toffee I whipped up. If you never had saltine toffee, it is life changing.
i had turkey, grilled turkey. yes the whole turkey was grilled in a tiny bbq grill and it was delicious
I had fun this weekend. The best thing I ate were some hamburger sliders and home made meatballs. They were so seasoned and tasty!!
Chocolate and apricot mousse, made by my boyfriend :)
Best thing I ate this weekend…homemade ham, egg and cheese biscuit for Sunday brunch! The book makes me want to have my own cupcake party right in my kitchen!
A warm fudge brownie with vanilla ice cream. So yummy.
the best thing I ate this weekend was chocolate chip cookies with a reese’s peanut butter cup inside.. Yum.
Homemade brownie with strawberry buttercream ^.^
Chocolate cookies! Num num num!