S'mores cake

I've read the book, "Finding WInnie..." approximately thirty five times. It would be the period in my life when I managed a district school library, serving as its librarian. The book was/still should be a hidden gem on a generally overlooked nonfiction shelf. Reading it to crews of young readers brought the publication to top the check-out inventory for subsequent weeks, keeping it off shelves for a greater a part of the year. I don't think there could be a better example of total job satisfaction than that. 

Indeed, the love affair with Pooh bear has been as long as I'd learned to read, ca, Mrs. England's 1st grade class. It's a pretty good feel when you come to the realization the childhood favorite you once knew is not mere figment, yet stems from a true life version.

Moving along to other, more recent blissful experiences,  I made a s'mores cake in such an exceptional way that I think you'd benefit from knowing how I did it too. 

The recipe I combed from will be deemed as "the original" malty, involving higher "s'more" elements. Adversely, mine would then be the knock-off, albeit,  I must say, a definite keeper and a classic unto itself.

 

I went rogue here, swapping traditional graham crackers for almond flour and pulverized Oreos to bulk the insides. I believe I've done justice to the campfire melty-cookie roast in a turn-around sort of way. Seldom do we understand that it's ok to have a variant of a beloved prototype, ie, if it remains collaterally unified in delivering flavors specific to its name.

Although, no one is stopping you to go for a more standard approach, I ask you to consider the adjustments I made ⬇️, after which you're free to decide:

* replacing graham cracker with almond flour as part of my flour base

* marshmallow flavored buttercream instead of blazed meringue, resulting in a stable spreadable cover

* crushed Oreos to fill up the insides, just because.

As a result, the combination of balance, texture, feel, taste is on point here and, at the moment, it's my favorite thing to eat.

The benefits of having almond flour in cake is multifold. Nut flour amplifies the pillow depth of crumb, making it moister and unbearably hard to settle at just one slice. Moreover, it lends an almost "healthy-ish" quality to what might have been 100% gluten laden cake( not that the latter is a bad thing).

Marshmallow frosting is comparable to a less complicated Swiss meringue. The silky feel of whipped fluff and butter creates perfect harmony with the crumbled cookies.

To summarize, as we pass the one year mark of the mask-clad virus that caught us all by surprise, a melody of bests, from great confections to great characters, may send out the light from a soon ending tunnel.

So, keep in mind, this could be the finest cake you'll ever know. 

Alas, when beseeching hands reach out for s'more, please, the dessert becomes true to its name.

Ingredients:

(Cake recipe adapted, with variations, from livforcake's Smores Cake)

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ cups almond flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• ½ cup sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350° F. Prepare and grease cake pans.
• Add all dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk together.
• Using a stand mixer, beat butter until smooth.  
• Add sugars and and eggs and continue to beat on medium until pale.
• Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk), fully incorporating after each addition. Do not overmix.
• Divide batter evenly between cakes pans and bake for 30-33 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with a few crumbs.
• Remove cakes from oven. Cool in pans for 5 minutes, then turn out onto racks to cool completely.

Marshmallow frosting:

(Adapted from Broma Bakery's marshmallow frosting):

• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¾ cup *marshmallow fluff

Directions:

• Beat softened butter until smooth. Mix in sugar and vanilla until creamy.
• Add marshmallow fluff to the mixture and beat until combined and smooth.

Chocolate frosting recipe, right here.

For the Oreo crumble (optional):

• 1 sleeve Oreo cookies or chocolate sandwich cookies
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
• pinch salt

Combine in a food processor and pulse until combined into a crumble consistency, like wet sand.

Assembly:

Spread the first layer of cake with a round of frosting. Sprinkle with Oreo crumble.

Stack the next cake layer on and repeat frosting/crumble process with the remaining layers. 

Cover entire cake with marshmallow frosting, ***"striping" the chocolate frosting.

Alternatively, frost with marshmallow frosting first, chill, then top with chocolate frosting or vice versa.

Garnish/adorn to heart's desire.

For the best tutorial on striped icing, go to British Girl Bakes.

Notes:

Double the batch of frosting for larger cakes

I made my own marshmallow fluff. You can too→→livforcake.

"I always get to where I'm going by walking away from where I have been." _Winnie the Pooh

March~

2020 : soft sugar cookies

2019 : pineapple sponge cake with cream and cashew praline

2018 : date almond cake

2017 : jalapeño cheese bread

2016 : Converse shoe cake

2015 : Indian Sloppy Joe sliders

2014 : banana chikoo shake

2013 : flatbread

2012 : chili chicken and noodles

******

"Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3: 12-14