S’mores Cake by Edd Kimber

From Chocolate Baking (Quadrille, March 2026, $42)

A nostalgic classic of graham crackers (or digestives for my fellow Brits), marshmallow and chocolate s’mores are pure campfire comfort and a toasty, almost smoky, treat. Getting that flavor into a cake isn’t hard, but it does involve fire. The meringue used to make the buttercream is blowtorched multiple times before the butter is added, giving the finished buttercream that burnt marshmallow flavor, a technique I learned from Kassie Mendieta, a fellow baker in the U.S. To give the cake the requisite graham-cracker flavor, I replace half the white flour with whole wheat flour. Brown butter helps make it appropriately toasty. To finish, I layer it with a rich, brown butter milk chocolate ganache.

Yield: 12–16

Brown Butter Milk Chocolate Ganache

• 125 g unsalted butter, diced
• 300 g milk chocolate, finely chopped
• 300 g heavy cream
• Pinch flaked sea salt

1. Cook the butter over medium heat. The butter will first bubble and splatter as the water cooks out. Once the noise reduces and the butter starts to foam, watch for the separated milk solids to begin to brown.
2. Pour the browned butter into a small heatproof bowl and refrigerate until thick and spreadable but not fully solid, 30–60 minutes.
3. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl.
4. Bring the cream and salt to a simmer in a small saucepan.
5. Pour a third of the cream over the melted chocolate and stir to combine.
6. Mix in the remaining cream in two additions, stirring until a smooth, glossy ganache forms, then add the browned butter and stir until thoroughly combined.
7. Finish with a short blend using a stick blender to ensure the ganache is thoroughly emulsified.
8. Cover and set aside at room temperature for 2–3 hours, or until thick and spreadable.

Wholewheat Brown Butter Cake

• 225 g unsalted butter, cubed
• 265 g super-fine granulated sugar
• 150 g all-purpose flour
• 150 g whole wheat or all-purpose flour
• 2¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 3 large eggs
• 120 g buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C Fan). Lightly grease two 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pans and line the bottom of each with a round of parchment paper.
2. Cook the butter over medium heat. The butter will first bubble and splatter as the water cooks out. Once the noise reduces and the butter starts to foam, watch for the separated milk solids to begin to brown.
3. Pour the browned butter into the bowl of a stand mixer, then add the sugar and whisk to combine. Set the mixture aside to cool for 10 minutes.
4. Sift the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl, then whisk to combine.
5. With the mixer running, add the eggs to the butter mixture one at a time, whisking until fully incorporated before adding the next egg.
6. Pour in the buttermilk and vanilla and whisk to combine.
7. Add the dry ingredients and mix briefly, just until a smooth batter is formed.
8. Divide the batter equally between the two pans.
9. Bake for about 25 minutes or until the cakes are pulling away from the sides of the pans, and they spring back to a light touch.
10. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
11. Use a serrated knife to slice each cake horizontally into two even layers.
12. Place the first layer of cake onto a cake stand and top with a third of the ganache, spreading it in an even layer all the way to the edges. Repeat this layering twice more, alternating layers of cake and ganache.
13. Finish by placing the last layer of cake on top.
14. Set the cake aside while you make the buttercream.

Burnt Swiss Meringue Buttercream

• 2 large egg whites
• 150 g super-fine granulated sugar
• Large pinch fine sea salt
• 240 g unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste

1. Combine the egg whites, sugar and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and place over a pan of simmering water.
2. Gently whisk just until the mixture is hot to the touch and you can no longer feel any grains of sugar.
3. Remove the bowl from the heat and transfer it to a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
4. Whisk the meringue for 3–4 minutes until it begins to hold stiff peaks but is still very warm.
5. Stop the mixer and lift the whisk from the bowl.
6. Use a blowtorch to caramelize the surface of the meringue, making it nice and toasty, as you would with a marshmallow over a fire. Make sure to blowtorch the meringue attached to the whisk as well.
7. Whisk the meringue for a further 30 seconds before repeating the process.
8. Alternate torching and whisking the meringue at least seven to eight more times, until the meringue has taken on a warm caramel tone.
9. Continue whisking the meringue for a few more minutes until it is no longer hot.
10. Turn the mixer to medium speed and slowly incorporate the butter, a few pieces at a time.
11. Once all the butter has been added, add the vanilla and continue mixing until a buttercream texture is formed.
12. Switch to the paddle attachment, turn the speed to low and mix until the buttercream is super silky and devoid of any air bubbles.
13. Spread the buttercream over the top and sides of the cake, decorating as you please.
14. Kept covered, the cake will keep for up to three days.

Tip: If the buttercream is too loose after adding the butter, it’s because the meringue was too hot and needed to be whisked a little longer. If this happens, place the bowl in the refrigerator for 15 minutes, then re-whisk until thick and creamy. If the buttercream separates after the butter is added, the butter was likely too cold, but if you continue whisking, it will eventually become smooth and creamy.

(This recipe appeared in the Spring 2026 issue of Pastry Arts Magazine)