S’mores, bonfire-torched marshmallows sandwiched between biscuits with chocolate, are a classic in the US for a reason. This recipe mashes up all of those flavours into one seriously epic cake.
Ingredients
- plain flour 200g
- cocoa powder 6 tbsp
- baking powder 1 tsp
- bicarbonate of soda 1 tsp
- light brown soft sugar 225g
- Horlicks 2 tbsp
- smooth biscuit spread 100g (we used smooth Lotus Biscoff spread)
- vegetable oil 85ml, plus extra for the tins
- buttermilk 284ml tub
- vanilla extract 2 tsp
- eggs 2 large, beaten
- white marshmallows 100g to serve
FILLING
- dark chocolate 50g, broken into chunks
- unsalted butter 50g, at room temperature
- icing sugar 150g, sieved
- whole milk 2 tbsp
- smooth biscuit spread 100g
- speculoos biscuits or digestives 25g, finely crumbled
CHOCOLATE GANACHE
- dark chocolate 100g, broken into chunks
- honey 4 tbsp
- cocoa powder 4 tbsp
Method
- STEP 1Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Oil and base line 2 x 20cm deep, round cake tins with baking paper. Mix the flour, cocoa, baking powder, bicarb, sugar and ½ tsp salt in a big mixing bowl. Mix the Horlicks with 100ml of boiling water to dissolve, then whisk in the smooth biscuit spread, followed by the oil, buttermilk, vanilla extract and finally the eggs.
- STEP 2Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk until smoothly combined. Divide the mixture evenly between the tins, and bake for 20-25 minutes until risen and a skewer poked into the middle comes out clean. Cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
- STEP 3To make the filling melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water. Remove and cool.
- STEP 4Put the butter and icing sugar in a bowl together and mash to combine, then beat with an electric whisk until smooth. Beat in the milk, followed by the melted chocolate, and finally fold in the smooth biscuit spread.
- STEP 5Spread one sponge with the all of the filling and scatter with the biscuit crumbs. Top with the second sponge and squidge down to stick.
- STEP 6To make the chocolate glaze put all the ingredients into a small pan with 4 tbsp water. Heat very slowly until the chocolate melts and you get a shiny sauce. Cool until thick enough to coat a spoon and drip off slowly, then spoon over the top of the cake and let it dribble down the sides.
- STEP 7Arrange the marshmallows on top of the cake, then use a blowtorch on its lowest setting to gradually melt and brown them. Once the marshmallows are toasted on top and melting onto the sponge, leave to cool and set for 10 minutes or so, before eating.
