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If you thought s’more nights disappeared with winter, think again! Now you can have the mouth-watering, gooey treat you love without the fire, the heat, or the mess! Our S’mores Icebox Cake is a multi-layered confection of graham crackers, marshmallows, and silky-smooth chocolate ganache. It seems too good to be true, but you won’t need a campfire. You won’t even need an oven! This no-bake cake is chilled to perfection and can be made ahead of your favorite gathering. Some guilty pleasures are worth combining—looks like you can have your cake and eat s’mores too!
WHY WE LOVE THIS S’MORES ICEBOX CAKE RECIPE
- Quick and easy to make, especially because it’s no-bake.
- Uses simple ingredients to create the same classic s’mores taste.
- All the fun flavors of s’mores, none of the camping, fire, or mess.
- Fool-proof recipe filled with alternating layers of graham crackers, marshmallow, and chocolate.
- Delicious make-ahead dessert to feed a crowd.
- Perfect dessert for summer when you don’t want to turn on the oven.
INGREDIENTS
- Sugar
- Corn syrup
- Water
- Brown sugar: Regular granulated sugar can be used instead.
- Egg whites
- Cream of tartar
- Salt
- Vanilla bean paste: Vanilla extract may be used instead, simply increase the amount used to 1 ½ tsp.
- Heavy cream
- Chocolate chips
- Graham crackers
SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADDITIONS
- Choose Your Chocolate: You can choose between milk or dark chocolate. Milk chocolate adds that classic s’mores taste, but dark chocolate adds an element of refinement to this dessert. You can even use chocolate pudding or Nutella instead of making a chocolate ganache.
- Tasty Toppings: Top your cake with mini marshmallows, pieces of chocolate, and extra graham cracker crumbles. It’s fun to toast your topping with a kitchen torch for a fun “open flame” effect.
HOW TO MAKE S’MORES ICEBOX CAKE
This S’mores Icebox Cake is an easy no-bake sweet treat for summer, simply made with layers of graham crackers, homemade marshmallow fluff, and chocolate ganache. It’s a fun twist on the traditional campfire treat served as a slice and made without a stick!
Make The Marshmallow Fluff: (Tip: you can use store-bought to save time)
- Heat the sugar, corn syrup, water, and brown sugar in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat to a simmer, and boil it into a clear syrup.
- Whip the egg whites with a stand mixer until a microfoam has formed. Add the cream of tartar and salt and whip until soft peaks have formed.
- Slowly mix the syrup into the egg whites. Mix on medium-high until stiff peaks are formed.
- Add in the vanilla bean paste until stiff peaks have formed.
Make The Chocolate Ganache: Heat the heavy cream in the microwave for 1 minute and pour it over the chocolate chips. Let it set for 1 minute to allow the chocolate to melt. Mix the two together until smooth and creamy.
Assemble: Place about graham crackers in the bottom of a prepared 9×13 pan. Spread marshmallow fluff onto the graham crackers, top with a layer of graham crackers, spread more marshmallow fluff onto the graham crackers, and then spread ½ of the chocolate mixture onto the marshmallow fluff. Continue layering until the final graham crackers are placed on top. Spread the remaining marshmallow fluff over the surface.
Chill: Cover the cake and place it in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
Serve: Before serving, use a kitchen torch (Optional) to toast the marshmallow fluff on top until golden or to your preference. Slice and serve. Enjoy!
TIPS
- Don’t skip the chilling time! Chilling the cake in the refrigerator is what transforms this dish from a crunchy graham cracker layered dessert to a soft icebox cake.
- If you do not wish to make marshmallow fluff, you can use premade, store-bought marshmallow fluff instead.
- It is perfectly fine if you use more graham crackers than indicated in the recipe. The amount of graham crackers may change based on the shape of your pan.
- Feel free to change up the assembly of the layers to create an icebox cake all your own.
STORAGE TIPS
- To Store: This icebox cake may be stored, covered, in the fridge for up to 2 days.
S’mores Icebox Cake
Ingredients
Marshmallow fluff:
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup corn syrup
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 egg whites
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste
Chocolate:
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 2 cups chocolate chips
Graham crackers:
- 31 cookies for layering
Instructions
- Start by making the marshmallow fluff. Add the sugar, corn syrup, water and brown sugar to a medium saucepan. Place the pan over medium heat. Stir the mixture to combine it then do not stir anymore. Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce the heat to a simmer. Let the sugar mixture boil into a clear syrup for about 6-7 minutes.
- While the syrup is simmering, whip the egg whites. Add them to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whip on medium speed for 1 minute or until a microfoam has formed. Add the cream of tartar and salt and continue whipping for 5-6 minutes or until soft peaks have formed. By this point, the syrup should have reached 240 F. With the mixer still going, slowly stream the syrup into the egg whites. Once all of the syrup is incorporated, increase the mixer speed to medium high. Whip to medium stiff peaks. Add in the vanilla bean paste and continue whisking for 1-2 minutes or until stiff peaks have formed.
- To make the chocolate, place the heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 1 minute. Once heated, pour the heavy cream over the chocolate chips and let set for 1 minute to allow the chocolate to melt. Mix the two together until smooth and creamy.
- To assemble the cake, start by placing about 4 graham crackers in an even layer in the bottom of a greased 9×13 pan. Next, use a rubber spatula to spread roughly ⅕ of the marshmallow fluff onto the graham crackers. Top with a layer of graham crackers, about 7 ½. Spread another ⅕ of the marshmallow fluff onto the graham crackers then spread ½ of the chocolate mixture onto the marshmallow fluff. Top with about 10 ¼ graham crackers followed by ⅕ marshmallow fluff. Layer 7 ¼ graham crackers on top followed by ⅕ marshmallow fluff then the remaining chocolate mixture. Place 9 graham crackers on top then spread the remaining marshmallow fluff over the surface.
- Once the cake is assembled, cover and place in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours or up to overnight. Once you are ready to serve it, remove the covering. Use a kitchen torch to toast the marshmallow fluff on top until golden or to your preference. Slice and serve.
Notes
- Don’t skip the chilling time! Chilling the cake in the refrigerator is what transforms this dish from a crunchy graham cracker layered dessert to a soft icebox cake.
- If you do not wish to make marshmallow fluff, you can use premade, store bought marshmallow fluff instead.
- It is perfectly fine if you use more graham crackers than indicated in the recipe. The amount of graham crackers may change based on the shape of your pan.
Feel free to change up the assembly of the layers to create an icebox cake all your own.
