Giant Smore Cake Food

S'MORES CAKE

Steps:

• Make the ganache: Heat the heavy cream, chocolate and salt in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water), stirring occasionally, until the chocolate melts and the ganache is smooth. Stir in the vanilla. Remove the bowl from the pan and set aside until the ganache is cool and thick but still pourable, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Toss the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and salt in a bowl until combined. Spread out on a baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally, until toasted, 8 to 10 minutes; let cool. Assemble the cake as close to serving time as possible: Using a long serrated knife, carefully slice each cake layer in half horizontally. Place 1 cake half on a platter. Using a lightly oiled offset spatula or spoon, spread one-third of the marshmallow cream on top, stopping about 1 inch from the edge (if the marshmallow cream is difficult to spread, microwave 10 to 15 seconds to soften). Sprinkle one-third of the graham cracker mixture over the marshmallow cream. Repeat to make 4 layers, ending with cake; reserve a few tablespoons of the graham cracker mixture for topping. Pour the ganache over the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Sprinkle with the reserved graham cracker mixture. Serve immediately.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Coat two 9-inch-round cake pans with cooking spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
• Whisk the cocoa powder and 1 1/2 cups boiling water in a medium bowl until smooth; set aside. Whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl until combined. Add the eggs, vegetable oil, sour cream and vanilla and beat with a mixer on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Reduce the mixer speed to low; beat in the cocoa mixture in a steady stream until just combined, then finish mixing with a rubber spatula. (The batter will be thin.)
• Divide the batter between the prepared pans and tap the pans against the counter to help the batter settle. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edge of the pans and turn the cakes out onto the racks to cool completely. Remove the parchment. Trim the tops of the cakes with a long serrated knife to make them level, if desired.

GIANT S'MORE FOR A CROWD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 13-by-18-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment.
• Knead the graham cracker crumbs into the cookie dough. Roll out the dough mixture on top of a sheet of parchment to a 12-by-8-inch rectangle. Use a knife to trim and square the sides, then divide into two 6-by-8-inch pieces. Transfer the cookies to the prepared baking sheet, leaving at least 2 inches between them. Bake until golden, 12 to 15 minutes.
• While the cookies are still warm, use a skewer to create 2 intersecting dotted lines on top of each cookie. Poke 11 small holes in each of the 4 quadrants created by the intersecting lines to mimic store-bought graham crackers. Cool on the baking sheet, about 30 minutes.
• Set aside one of the cookies. Cover the remaining cookie on the baking sheet with the chocolate bars and top with the marshmallows. Brown the marshmallows with a kitchen blowtorch until nicely toasted (or, alternatively, broil on low until the marshmallows are nicely toasted, 2 to 3 minutes). Top with the remaining cookie. Squish and break into large pieces to serve.

S'MORES CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line the bottom of 2 (9-inch) cake pans with parchment paper, lightly spray with baking spray.
• Combine cake mix, eggs, milk, and butter in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until well combined. Mix in espresso powder and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans, spreading into even layers.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted into centers of cake comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on a wire rack for 20 minutes, then remove cakes from pans. Let cool completely on a wire rack, about 1 hour.
• While cakes are baking, place chocolate chips into a heatproof bowl. Bring cream in a small saucepan to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, about 6 minutes. Pour hot cream over chocolate chips and let stand for 5 minutes. Gently stir together in a circular motion to evenly blend chocolate into cream, without adding a lot of air. Let chocolate mixture cool, uncovered, at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until thickened to spreadable consistency, about 1 1/2 hours.
• Meanwhile, bring a small saucepan filled with 2 inches water to a simmer over medium-low heat. Beat together egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar in a work bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium speed until well combined, about 1 minute. Place mixer bowl over simmering saucepan, ensuring the bottom of the mixing bowl does not touch the water. Cook egg white mixture, whisking constantly, until a candy thermometer reaches 160 degrees F (70 degrees C) and the sugar crystals have dissolved, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove bowl from heat, and return to stand mixer.
• Beat on high speed, gradually adding remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until stiff peaks form, 6 to 7 minutes. Set aside 2 cups of marshmallow cream. Place remaining marshmallow cream into a piping bag fitted with a large star tip.
• Remove cooled cakes from pans and discard parchment. Using a serrated knife, trim the tops of the cooled cakes to create a level top; use excess cake for trifle or just eat.
• Place 1 cake layer on a cake stand or plate, cut side up. Spread reserved 2 cups marshmallow cream in an even layer on cake top. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the graham cracker crumbs evenly over top. Top with remaining cake layer, cut side down. Fill in any empty spots in seams of cake layers using marshmallow cream in piping bag; smooth sides using an offset spatula. Refrigerate stacked cake, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
• Spoon 1 1/4 cups cooled chocolate mixture over top of the stacked cake. Spread into an even layer using a large cake spatula, allowing excess to extend over the sides. Frost sides of cake using remaining chocolate mixture, smoothing into an even layer.
• Using marshmallow cream in piping bag, pipe 10 large rosettes along the top, outside edge of the cake. Sprinkle center of the cake with remaining 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs. Arrange graham cracker rectangles upright on the long sides of each rectangle in a spoke-wheel design inside rosette rings on top of cake. Pipe 1 large rosette in center of graham cracker spoke-wheel design.
• Refrigerate, uncovered, until ready to serve, at least 30 minutes or up to 48 hours. Using a kitchen torch, slightly brown marshmallow rosettes. Slice and serve cake.