S'mores Cake

So I've been throwing around ideas about what to make my fiance for his birthday cake. I was thinking German Chocolate but realized that I wanted to make his birthday Super Mario Themed and would like something with fondant so I can decorate it.

Instead I think I'm going to go with a S'mores cake. One layer of Graham Cracker cake, one layer of Chocolate Fudge Cake, marshmallow creme filling and a marshmallow fondant. Sounds complicated, hopefully it'll be totally worth it.

Here are the recipes:

Graham Cracker Cupcake Recipe (to be adapted to a layer cake recipe).

Ingredients:
1/2 cup of butter, room temperature
1 cup of sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1 cup of milk
1 cup of flour
1 1/2 cups of graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/8 teaspoon of salt

Directions:
1) Beat the butter for about 30 seconds until well creamed. Add the sugar and mix for 3 minutes using a paddle attachment until light and fluffy.
2) Add the eggs, one at a time, being sure to beat for 30 seconds for each egg.
3) Place graham crackers in a food processor or in a plastic bag and beat the crud out of them until it's been ground into small crumbs and powder.
4) Sift together the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda and powder, and salt. Add about 1/4 of the mixture to the butter mixture, then add some of the milk. Continue to add the ingredients in a dry-wet-dry method, ending with the dry. Continue to mix until just combined.
5) Scoop into cupcake papers and bake for 15-18 minutes in a 350 F oven or until a cake tester comes out clean.

From Vanilla Garlic.

Chocolate Fudge Cake Recipe:

Ingredients:

3 oz Bitter chocolate

2 1/4 c Sifted cake flour

2 ts Baking soda

1/2 ts Salt

1/2 c Butter

2 1/4 c (1 lb) light brown sugar,

Firmly packed

3 Eggs

1 1/2 ts Vanilla

1 c Sour cream

1 c Boiling water

Directions:
1. Melt chocolate in sm bowl over hot (not boiling) water; cool.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 (9") layer cake pans. Sift flour, soda, and salt onto wax paper. Beat butter until soft in lg bowl. Add brown sugar and eggs; beat wtih mixer at high speed until light and fluffy, 5 mins. Beat in vanilla and cooled melted chocolate. Stir in dry ingredients alternately with sour cream, beating well with a wooden spoon after each addition until batter is smooth. Stir in boiling water. (Batter will be thin.) Pour at once into prepared pans. Bake 35 mins, until centers spring back when lightly pressed with fingertips. Cool in pans on wire rack 10 mins. Loosen around edges with sm knife or spatula. Turn out onto wire racks; cool completely.

From Flora's Recipe Hideout.

Marshmallow Filling Recipe:

Ingredients

• 1½ cups sugar
• ½ cup marshmallow
• ½ cup water
• 2 egg whites, beaten stiff

Instructions

1. Boil sugar, water and marshmallow to 215 degrees F.
2. Put your pan containing the dissolved sugar and water (syrup) on a hot fire and wait until it boils.
3. Take, with a spoon, a little of the syrup and drop slowly in cold water.
4. When the sugar drops out from the spoon into threads, it is ready.
5. Pour the hot mixture gradually into the beaten whites of egg, beating all the time until the filling is smooth and firm.
6. Let cool off and spread between layers of cake.

From Love to Know Recipes.

Buttercream Icing Recipe:

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter, room temperature
2 cups Crisco shortening
1 teaspoon butter flavoring (Wilton’s makes the best flavored version)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (I use Wilton’s Clear Vanilla)
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 pounds powdered (confectioners) cane sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon meringue powder (optional but the texture will be smoother)*
Water as necessary (I usually add about 2 tablespoons but you may need more or less depending on the humidity in your neighborhood)

* You can purchase meringue powder at your local grocery store under the brand name of Just Whites.

In the mixer, mix butter, Crisco shortening, and salt together to incorporate, about 5 minutes on low.

Add almond, butter and vanilla extracts. Mix together well. Add about 1 pound of powdered sugar and the meringue powder and mix.

Add 1/2 cup of powdered sugar at a time and mix until you get the consistency you want.

Add a little milk, a teaspoon at a time, if necessary to thin the frosting. Blend well on low for several minutes.

Use immediately or cover and refrigerate. NOTE: Buttercream Icing will last for weeks as long as it is well sealed.

Marshmallow Fondant Recipe:

• 
  
  
  
  
  
• 1
  
  
  
  
  
• 2
  
  
  
  
  
• 3
  
  
  
  
  
• 4
  
  
  
  
  
• 5
  
  
  
  
  

Write a Review! (optional)

Ingredients

16 ounces white mini marshmallows (use a good quality brand)

2-5 tablespoons water

2 lbs icing sugar (please use C&H Cane Powdered Sugar for the best results)

1/2 cup Crisco shortening (you will be digging into it so place in a very easily accessed bowl)

Directions

1. Melt marshmallows and 2 tablespoons of water in a microwave or double boiler: Put the bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds, open microwave and stir, back in microwave for 30 seconds more, open microwave and stir again, and continue doing this until melted.
2. It usually takes about 2 ½ minutes total. Place 3/4 of the powdered sugar on the top of the melted marshmallow mix.
3. Now grease your hands GENEROUSLY - palms, backs and in between fingers, then heavily grease the counter you will be using and dump the bowl of marshmallow/sugar mixture in the middle.
4. Start kneading like you would bread dough. You will immediately see why you have greased your hands.
5. Keep kneading, this stuff is sticky at this stage! Add the rest of the powdered sugar and knead some more.
6. Re-grease your hands and counter when the fondant is sticking. If the mix is tearing easily, it is to dry, so add water (about ½ tablespoon at a time then knead it in). It usually takes me about 8 minutes to get a firm smooth elastic ball so that it will stretch without tearing when you apply it to the cake.
7. Its best if you can let it sit, double wrapped, overnight (but you can use it right away if there are no tiny bits of dry powdered sugar). If you do see them, you will need to knead and maybe add a few more drops of water.
8. Prepare the fondant for storing by coating it with a good layer of Crisco shortening, wrap in a plastic- type wrap product and then put it in a re-sealable or Ziploc bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible.
9. MM Fondant will hold very well in the refrigerator for weeks. If I know that I have a cake to decorate, I usually make 2 batches on a free night during the week so it is ready when I need it. Take advantage of the fact that this fondant can be prepared well in advance.

Icing and fondant recipe from What's Cooking America.

Here's is a video on making marshmallow fondant:

Girl's Night In

So I have a group of girls that I get together with about once a month. One is recently married, another is engaged like me and the last is eternally single. We all went to college together but didn't all become friends until much later. As we've gotten older, their culinary interests have peaked and when I host our monthly get togethers it gets increasingly more difficult to "Wow!" them like I would like to because they're coming into their own foodie selves.

This Friday I'm hosting a Rockband get together. We're going to have dinner and then party like rockstars. I'm planning on a crockpot meal that I can leave cooking all day so when I get home all I have to worry about is the side dishes and appetizers.

I want to start with Savory Palmiers. I'm contemplating making those tomorrow night and leaving them in the fridge till the next night when I'm ready to bake.

Then staying in the French theme make Coq Au Vin with green beans and mashed potatoes.

For drinks I'll provide a couple of bottles of champagne.

Off to the market I will go!