Sunday S'mores: S'mores Cupcakes

You know, I got a beef with the Cake Boss. You'd think I'd love him, right? Italian Jersey boy, disproving the stereotypes perpetuated by the Jersey Shore that Jerseyans are idiotic, untalented white trash. With cake. But I have a bone to pick with him. See, ever since that show started, people assume that when you say you're a baker, you also mean cake decorator. I'm not a decorator. I've worked with fondant a grand total of three times, one of which was an epic fail. I don't even make cakes that often, never mind decorate them. I prefer to stick with cupcakes, my 1M swirl, and some sprinkles, thankyouverymuch. It's simple and easy, while still looking pretty.

Every so often I will try my hand at decorating. I've made white chocolate snowflakes to put on cupcakes. I made myself a TARDIS cake for my birthday one year. I used royal icing for the very first time ever to make Valentine's Day cookies. I made cupcakes that looked like rattles for my cousin's baby shower.

Crappy cell phone pic. Sorry!

After each time I try, I remember why I'm not a decorator and happily return to my 1M swirl on my happy little cupcakes. But my decorating attempts do not help the people who confuse bakers with decorators. Case in point: these rattle cupcakes. My mother's coworker asked if I could make them again for her daughter's baby shower. No problem; they weren't terribly difficult (lollipop stick, white chocolate, life saver. Easy peasy). But then she decided she wanted a cake. My mother tells her she's sure it won't be a problem.

Umm, problem!

If it was for family, I would muddle through. But she wanted to pay me, and I don't feel comfortable providing a cake made with my lack of decorating skills for payment. Not even if she wanted a plain one, which is unlikely. We're back on rattle cupcakes now, thankfully, something I know I can make, and she knows she likes.

These cupcakes are decorated only with a swirl of frosting and a teddy graham. I was going to make these for baby CC's first birthday next weekend (!!!!), but they don't go with his Toy Story theme. But they're still a fitting finale for my Sunday S'mores series.

I had originally planned on staying away from s'mores cupcakes, since they've been done. To death. All variations on the same theme, too: chocolate cupcake, marshmallow or meringue frosting, graham cracker crust or garnish. But then I started seeing this pin floating around Pinterest, and it got me thinking. I adapted the recipe for my S'mores Whoopie Pies for the cake.

Plopped some marshmallows on top to get all toasty and melty.

I squished the marshmallows down a bit when they got out of the oven, just to make sure the cake was evenly covered. Then I topped them with my very favorite chocolate buttercream recipe. And a teddy graham. Because they're cute.

Geronimo!

And so Sunday S'mores comes to a close, with cupcakes. Fitting, don't you think?

...

Because I love cupcakes. It wasn't some sort of existentialist question.

Go check out some other Sunday S'mores recipes:

• Hot & Cold S'mores
• S'mores Milkshake (A guest post from The Messy Baker)
• S'mores Cookies (A guest post from Young Grasshopper)
• Graham Cracker Marshmallows
• Red White & Blue S'mores Sundae
• Easy S'mores Pudding Pops
• S'mores Mud Pie
• S'mores Icebox Cake
• S'mores Whoopie Pies
• S'mores Cereal Treats
• S'mores Cinnamon Rolls
• S'mores Scones

S'mores Cupcakes {Printable Version}
Yield: 16 cupcakes
 
Ingredients
For the cupcakes:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3 tbsp. honey
3 tbsp. milk
16 marshmallows


For the frosting:
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 2/3 cups powdered sugar
2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large mixing bowl, combine flours, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer beat the butter and sugars at medium speed until fluffy. Add the
eggs and vanilla, beating well after each addition. Add about half of the flour mixture to the butter
mixture and beat on low until just combined. Mix together the milk and honey and add to the batter.
Add in the rest of the flour mixture and beat on low until smooth.

Line a muffin tin with paper liners. Fill about 2/3 of the way with batter (about 2 tbsp.). Bake for 11
minutes. Place a marshmallow on top of each cupcake and bake for 5 more minutes, until marshmallows
are browned and slightly melted. Cool completely on wire racks.

For the frosting: In a small mixing bowl, mix together the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. In a
different bowl using electric beaters, beat the butter on low speed. Add the vanilla. Gradually add in the
sugar and cocoa, alternating with the milk. Beat on high speed until smooth.

Cupcake recipe by Kim. Frosting recipe adapted from Hershey’s Homemade. Recipe inspired by
ToniSpilsbury.com

That little guy kind of looks like he's waving goodbye to Sunday S'mores, doesn't he?