These S’mores Cupcakes are a huge crowd pleaser in my house! They’re so moist and fluffy and even have a graham cracker crust at the bottom. You would never know that I used a cake mix for these yummy cupcakes. Yes, that’s right…. a cake mix! Listen, I am a firm believer that cake mixes are good with a little doctoring up. Not only that, with the price of things these days they are also a more affordable option and they save you time! Pair it with a good homemade frosting and you have a perfect combination.
I recently baked up a batch and brought them to work and everyone couldn’t believe how good they were. Someone even said that they were better than a Sprinkles cupcake! Wow… talk about a compliment! Maybe it was the surprise Nutella Filling in the center that took them up a notch. Honestly, I think it’s all the flavors coming together in that first bite that sends your taste buds over the top.
These S’mores Cupcakes are not made with a traditional marshmallow frosting. I gave these a fun little twist using a little bit of caramel to my homemade frosting. It gives it a special flavor without it being too sweet and the flavors pair so good together.
Baking is one of my favorite things to do. It’s just another way to get creative. I love to have fun with the presentation when creating cupcakes to make them look a little more professional. Having the right tools helps you achieve a more professional look and definitely helps the baking process easier. I have provided a list below of a few of my favorite tools to use when baking.
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My Favorite Tools to use for baking:
S’mores Cupcakes
Ingredients
Cupcakes
- 1 Box Duncan Hines Devils Food Cake Mix
- 1 Cup mayonnaise
- 1 Cup cold coffee
- 3 eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla
Graham Cracker Crust
- 1/2 Cup brown sugar
- 1/2 Cup graham cracker crumbs
- 1/4 Cup melted butter
Nutella Filling
- 3/4 Cup Nutella
- 1/4 Cup milk
Frosting
- 2 Sticks softened butter
- 4 Cups powdered/confectioners sugar
- 1 Tbsp Cocoa Powder, unsweetened
- 1 Tsp vanilla
- 1 Tbsp caramel
- 3 Tbsp milk
Graham Cracker Crust
Instructions
To make the cupcakes
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine cake mix, eggs, mayonnaise, coffee and vanilla in a bowl and mix for 2 minutes. Add the graham crackers to a ziplock bag and use a rolling pin to break them up into fine pieces. Remove them from the bag and in a bowl combine them with the brown sugar and melted butter.
- Fill the cupcake liners with about 1 1/2 TBSP of the graham cracker mix. Making sure just the bottom of the liner is covered. Bake crust in oven for 5 minutes. Remove and set aside. Next, with an ice cream scoop add the cake mix on top of the graham cracker crust. Fill to about 3 quarters full.
- Bake for 18-21 minutes until done. Time will vary according to different oven temperatures.
Nutella Filling
- Combine both ingredients in a small bowl. When the cupcakes are completely cool, scoop out the center of the cupcake. TIP: Make sure that you do not scoop out too much. Don’t scoop out to the bottom of the cupcake because the filling will bleed out.
- I like to use a melon baller to get accurate and even measurements for each cupcake. Save the pieces of cake that you scooped out and set aside.
- Spoon in the Nutella filling. Add your scooped out pieces back on top to cover the hole.
How to make the frosting
- In a bowl or mixer, add the butter, caramel and vanilla. I use my Kitchen Aid mixer with the paddle attachment. Blend until creamy.
- Add the confectioners sugar and cocoa powder. It will be dry until you add the milk.
- Slowly add the milk one tbsp at a time. Mix for about 5-7 minutes until it’s light and fluffy.
How to apply the frosting to make it look more professional!
- I used a piping bag with a coupler to apply the frosting. It takes your cupcake up a notch and makes it look a little more professional! Simply fill the bag up with your frosting and apply it in a circular motion to the cupcake. Add a few mini marshmallows, mini chocolate chips and a drizzle of the caramel on top!
I hope that you all try to bake these yummy S’mores Cupcakes and if you do, let me know in the comments below! I’d love to know your thoughts. ♥️
Happy Baking and see you next time!
Nikki