Love s’mores but don’t have a campfire? Make this ooey gooey chocolatey S’mores cake instead! It is waiting for your next summer meeting.
BE PICTURED IN; CHARACTERIZED IN:
Warm weather conjures up images of nights spent outdoors, surrounded by friends around a campfire. And with that picture, s’mores usually come.
The crispy graham cracker crust contrasts with the cool chocolate pudding filling. But the gooey marshmallows — in this case, roasted under the grill, not over a campfire — will have you coming back for more.
How to make a S’mores Pie
This riff on the Simply Recipes classic chocolate mousse cake starts with the graham cracker crust, which can either be store-bought or homemade.
The next step is a modified version of our Microwave Chocolate Pudding. I used standard cocoa powder and semi-sweet chocolate (56%) in this recipe (because that was available at my grocery store), but feel free to use a higher percentage of cocoa for a richer filling.
If you’re a little skeptical about making pudding in the microwave (I was initially because I believe microwaves are for reheating, not cooking!) you’ll love this recipe – it’s very easy and foolproof.
Top with marshmallows!
To finish the cake, top with a few marshmallows and place under the grill until nicely toasted on top. You should keep a close eye on this as it can go from beautiful to burned very quickly. Alternatively, you can hands-free it with a kitchen lamp if you happen to have one in your arsenal.
For added zest, I topped the cake with some broken graham crackers and chocolate curls, the latter of which I made by simply running a vegetable peeler along a bar of chocolate.
Messy Pie means delicious cake
Now comes the hard part: the cutting. It gets messy. The combination of crumbly crust, pudding, and marshmallows doesn’t make perfect slices. However, if you coat your knife with non-stick spray, it really helps cut through the layer of marshmallow so you get less mess.
It also helps if you angle your slices to fit between adjacent marshmallows instead of through them.
The crust will soften the longer it sits because the chocolate pudding is so moist, so I would recommend eating this cake within about 12 hours of making it for best results. It still tastes great for a few days after scooping it into a bowl, but at that point it becomes more of a parfait than a cake.
Whether you’re sitting around the campfire under the stars or at your dinner table, this is a popular dessert that’s great for summer (or any other time of year).
More summery desserts!
- S’mores cookies
- Blueberry Crumb Bars
- Strawberry yogurt popsicles
- Sweet cherry cobbler
- Strawberry ice cream
s’mores pie
Recipe based on Sally Vargas’ recipe for Easy Chocolate Cream Pie.
ingredients
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1/2 cup granulated sugar
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1/3 cup cornstarch
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2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
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1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
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3 cups whole milk
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4 ounces semi-sweet (56%) chocolate, chopped (about 3/4 cup)
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3 tablespoons unsalted butter
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1 teaspoon vanilla extract
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3 egg yolks
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1 9-inch graham cracker crust, prepared, store-bought or homemade
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26 marshmallows (about half of a 10 ounce bag)
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Semi-sweet chocolate shavings, optional
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Broken graham cracker pieces, optional
method
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Mix the pudding base:
In a medium-sized, microwave-safe bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder, and salt until combined. Stir in 1/2 cup milk and stir until smooth. Beat in the yolks. Gradually stir in the remaining milk.
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To microwave the pudding:
Partially cover the bowl with plastic wrap, a paper towel, or a plate tilted slightly (to allow steam to escape). Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Remove from the microwave, remove the plastic wrap and whisk the pudding to distribute the heat.
Partially cover again and microwave for another 2 minutes. Take out and open again. Continue to microwave in 30-second increments, stirring the pudding between each increment.
The pudding should start to thicken slightly between 5 and 6 minutes. The pudding is done when you can see the mixture is bubbling around the edges and has thickened enough that the whisk leaves a slight mark or ribbon through the pudding.
It’s okay if it seems a bit loose at this point; The pudding will continue to thicken as it cools. Total cooking time is 6 to 8 minutes. (My microwave took 7 minutes 30 seconds.)
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Add chocolate, butter and vanilla:
Put the chocolate, butter and vanilla in the bowl with the pudding. Stir with a whisk until the chocolate and butter melt and the mixture is smooth.
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Fill and cool the cake:
Pour the filling into the prepared graham cracker pie crust. Allow to cool at room temperature for 1 hour, then transfer to the fridge and chill, uncovered, until set, at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
When the custard is fully set it will stop wobbling and a paring knife inserted into the cake should come out with just a little chocolate on it (not totally gooey). The top of the cake may have a few cracks, but don’t fret because it will soon be covered in marshmallows.
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Add the marshmallows:
Place the marshmallows on the chilled cake. (I arranged them in concentric circles, but feel free to go crazy!) Place cake on a baking sheet and place under broiler until lightly charred, about 45 seconds. (You can also use a kitchen lamp.)
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Surcharge:
Sprinkle with some crumbled graham crackers and grated chocolate, slice and serve. Aim between the marshmallows to get the cleanest slices.
