S’mores cupcakes are a delicious and fun treat. They feature chocolate cupcakes filled with homemade graham cracker cookie butter and topped with torched vanilla bean meringue.
If you’ve tried cookie butter before, you know how delightful it is. Incorporating the graham cracker flavor of s’mores into these cupcakes using cookie butter was a brilliant idea, and it’s simpler than you might think! I’ve provided step-by-step instructions to ensure your cookie butter turns out perfectly.
We’re using Italian meringue to top these cupcakes because it’s more stable and doesn’t require baking. Instead, we pipe it on like frosting and torch the tops to give it that classic toasted marshmallow flavor. While making meringue requires some time for whipping to achieve the right consistency, a stand mixer will make the process easier. Don’t be intimidated; I’ll break down all the steps for you!
S’mores Cupcakes
Ingredients
#### For the Cupcakes
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup buttermilk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons softened butter
- ¼ cup hot coffee
#### For the Graham Cracker Cookie Butter
- 10 full sheets of graham crackers
- 3 tablespoons melted and slightly cooled butter
- ¼ cup heavy cream or whole milk
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
#### For the Vanilla Bean Meringue
- 6 room-temperature egg whites
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- ¾ cup water
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
Instructions
#### For the Chocolate Cupcakes
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- In a large bowl, cream together 1 cup of granulated sugar and 6 tablespoons of softened butter.
- Add 1 egg, 1 egg yolk, and ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract, mixing until combined.
- Mix in ½ cup of buttermilk.
- In a separate bowl, sift together ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour, ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons of Dutch-process cocoa powder, ¾ teaspoon of baking powder, ⅛ teaspoon of baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon of salt.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until well combined.
- Stir in ¼ cup of hot coffee.
- Line a cupcake pan with cupcake liners and fill each cup ¾ full. Bake for 18-21 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let the cupcakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool completely.
#### For the Graham Cracker Cookie Butter
- Add 10 graham cracker sheets to a food processor and pulse until finely ground.
- Add ¼ cup of powdered sugar and pulse to combine.
- Pour in 3 tablespoons of melted, slightly cooled butter and mix until incorporated.
- Add ¼ cup of cream and pulse until smooth and fully combined.
#### For the Vanilla Bean Meringue
- In a stand mixer bowl, add 6 room-temperature egg whites and 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar. Whisk until soft peaks form.
- Meanwhile, heat 1 ½ cups of sugar and ¾ cup of water in a saucepan until it reaches 240°F on a candy thermometer.
- Slowly pour the hot sugar syrup into the egg whites with the mixer on medium-low speed.
- Increase the mixer speed to high, whipping until very firm peaks form, about 10 minutes.
- Add 1 tablespoon of vanilla bean paste and mix on high speed to ensure the consistency is still firm. If the meringue is still warm, continue whipping until it reaches room temperature.
#### Assembling the Cupcakes
- Once the cupcakes are cooled, scoop a small amount out of the center of each to make room for the filling.
- Fill a piping bag fitted with a large open tip with the cookie butter and pipe it into the center of each cupcake.
- Fill another piping bag fitted with a decorative tip with the meringue and pipe a generous amount over each cupcake.
- Use a kitchen torch to toast the meringue until golden brown.
- Serve the cupcakes right away. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days. Note that the meringue will not last much longer than a day.