Difficulty level: Advanced
If you love the aesthetics of camping but not so much the sleeping on the ground outside with bugs part, this cake is for you. You can go full Martha and make everything from scratch, but to be honest, we think the pre-mixed stuff tastes just as good. Here’s an overview of what we used:
For the Cake:
Vanilla Cake mix
For the Frosting
Vanilla Buttercream Frosting [https://blog.fancysprinkles.com/2019/11/faux-swiss-meringue-aka-basic-buttercream-recipe/]
Chocolate Ganache [https://blog.fancysprinkles.com/2019/11/how-to-make-ganache-drip-for-cakes/]
For the “Graham Crackers”
Boxed sugar cookie mix with a few drops of brown food coloring to get that golden graham color. You could also use gingerbread or molasses cookie mix if you’re not feeling the dye.
For the Decoration:
Fancy Sprinkles Golden S’More Blend
Fancy Sprinkles Gold Pearly Sugar Crystals [link]
Fancy Sprinkles 24k Gold Leaf [link]
GIANT S’MORES CAKE
Preliminary Steps
Mix vanilla cake batter and divide between three greased and floured 6-inch pans. Bake according to instructions, then allow to cool on a drying rack. Once cakes are baked and cooled, horizontally cut the top of each layer so it’s completely flat.
Prepare vanilla buttercream recipe. Refrigerate. Prepare chocolate ganache. Transfer ganache to a plastic squeeze bottle.
Make “graham crackers:”
Make cookie dough per box instructions, adding a couple of drops of brown
food coloring if using sugar cookie dough.
Divide dough into two portions. Roll first portion into a ball by hand, then flatten to ¼-inch thickness with a rolling pin. Trim the edges of the dough to make an 8-by-8 inch square.
Cover top with Gold Pearly Sugar Crystals, then score dough in dashes down the middle and punch ‘dots’ on either side to mimic a graham cracker
appearance.
Repeat with the other portion of dough to make a second “graham cracker,” then bake both pieces according to box Instructions.
Allow to cool completely.
DECORATION
1. Smooth a small dollop of frosting on top of the cake board (this will be your cake glue)
2. Place the first cake layer on a cake board set on top of the turntable.
3. Using an offset spatula, form a smooth layer of buttercream on top of the first vanilla cake layer, about ½ inch thick.
4. Add second vanilla cake layer, frost top with buttercream in the same fashion.
5. Stack the third vanilla cake layer.
6. Frost the crumb coat with buttercream by smoothing a very thin layer over every bit of cake showing. Smooth it out with an acrylic cake scraper or metal scraper. Refrigerate cake for 10 minutes to set the crumb coat
7. Apply final coat of frosting with an offset spatula, distributing extra frosting around the middle line of the cake to make smoothing the rounded sides easier.
8. “Sculpt” the frosting into a marshmallow shape all the way around, using more frosting in the middle of the cake and less at the top & bottom to achieve a tapered look. Use a sheet of acetate to smooth the surface.
9. Place cake in the freezer for 10 minutes to set (or 30 in the fridge if you don’t have room)
10. Transfer the cake on top of one of the “graham cracker” cookies (be sure the side with the Gold Pearly Fancy Sprinkles is facing up)
11. Squeeze chocolate ganache on the top layer of the cake, letting it drip over the sides to create a melted chocolate effect
12. Sprinkle Golden S’Mores Fancy Sprinkles on the top of the ganache & carefully add sprinkles to the drip that’s extended over the sides.
13. Press 24k Gold Leaf along the base of the cake. Remove any excess gold leaf around the base.
14. Place the second “graham cracker” cookie on top of the cake, gold sprinkles side-up.
Voilà! No campfire required.