S'mores cake without oven

With these temperatures, it takes a lot of courage (or a baking will that can withstand thermometers) to face a hot oven. Even so, so as not to discourage those who resist depriving themselves of a succulent dessert despite the summer heat, today I bring you this S'mores Cake, a recipe that does not require an oven , but that will hardly find a rival among those that do.

The English term “ s'more” is a contraction of the expression “some more” and refers to a typical North American sweet consisting of a marshmallow toasted directly over a campfire (very common on camping nights) and placed between two cookies and a chocolate bar, which also melts when it comes into contact with the heat of the semi-melted marshmallow . Apparently one of these is not usually enough, so the operation is usually repeated over and over until everyone is completely satisfied (or the marshmallows run out). And hence its name.

Although this recipe is presented in the form of a cake, it maintains the basic principles and ingredients of traditional s'mores : biscuit, chocolate and melting marshmallows , this time in the form of meringue, which ends up, as the canons dictate, toasted over the fire (with a blowtorch, of course). Of course, this cake will be served cold, so success is guaranteed (as if after all of the above there was still any doubt...). And as you never know, instead of preparing a single cake to serve in portions, we can also opt for individual tartlets. In both cases, Le Creuset's ceramic cake moulds are simply impeccable as well as beautiful, perfect for serving our creations directly to the table and without unmoulding (and in the case of individual tartlets, even for eating them in the same mould!).

KitchenAid Artisan food processor , T&G wooden board and Le Creuset ceramic mould

Ingredients (for 1 large tart or 6 individual tartlets)

All ingredients must be at room temperature, unless otherwise indicated .

For the crunchy cookie base:

• 250 g biscuits ( Digestive type), finely crushed
• 100 g unsalted butter, melted
• ¼ teaspoon salt

For the chocolate filling:

• 400 g of good quality dark chocolate (min. 50% cocoa)
• 350 ml liquid whipping cream (min. 35% MG)
• ¼ teaspoon salt

For the marshmallow meringue:

• 150 g white sugar
• 80 ml maple syrup
• 45 ml of water, cold
• 2 large egg whites (approx. 60-65 g)
• ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar (optional)*
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

«1 tablespoon = 15 ml / 1 teaspoon = 5 ml«

Elaboration

From the crunchy biscuit base

1. In a large bowl , mix the finely crushed cookies together with the melted butter until completely combined.
2. Next, spread the mixture over the bottom and sides (right up to the edge) of a 24cm round cake tin (or spread it over 6 11cm round cake tins if you're making individual desserts) - in both cases, I used Le Creuset ceramic cake tins. Using a glass or the back of a spoon, press the biscuit base firmly against the tin so that it is as compact as possible without cracking.
3. We cover it with transparent film and put it in the freezer.

From the chocolate filling (ganache)

4. While the base of our cake is setting, we chop the chocolate into small pieces (the smaller the better) and set aside in a heat-resistant bowl.
5. In a medium saucepan , bring the liquid cream to a boil over medium heat.
6. Once it boils, immediately pour the cream over the chopped chocolate, add the salt and let it sit without stirring for a couple of minutes.
7. Using a spatula, gently stir until all the ingredients are fully combined and the mixture has acquired a smooth, homogeneous and shiny texture. It is important to use gentle, circular movements to avoid incorporating air into the chocolate ganache so that bubbles do not form, as they would be trapped inside as it solidifies.
8. We then remove the mould (or moulds) with its crunchy biscuit base from the freezer, fill it with the mixture above, smooth the surface with a spatula and place it in the fridge for at least 4 hours if we have opted for a single tart (2 hours if we have individual tartlets). In any case, if time permits, it is even better to leave it to refrigerate overnight.

From the marshmallow meringue

9. As the time approaches to enjoy our S'mores cake, we will start to prepare the marshmallow meringue (this step can take us about 20-25 minutes) . In a medium saucepan with some depth, we place the sugar, the maple syrup and the water and combine with a whisk. Then we bring it to a boil over medium-high heat without stirring and without taking our eyes off it (the mixture will start to bubble and the bubbles will rise very quickly, so if we see that it might overflow, we will lower the heat) until we obtain a syrup at the point of "soft ball", that is, about 115-117ºC on a kitchen thermometer (which can take up to 10 minutes)**. When the syrup is around 100-110ºC, the increase in temperature will no longer be as fast as at the beginning, but it will continue to heat up little by little until it reaches where we want it, so be patient. We then remove it from the heat and set it aside while it cools down a bit. WARNING : Every precaution is necessary when making this type of mixture with sugar at these temperatures, so be extremely careful to avoid possible splashes.
10. Meanwhile, in a large bowl (this can be the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment) add the egg whites and cream of tartar (if using) and start beating, initially at medium speed, until they begin to foam. Then increase to high speed and continue beating until they acquire a more compact, but still soft, consistency.
11. Next, we begin to add the syrup that we had reserved (point 9) without stopping beating, now again at medium speed, progressively in a thin stream directly over the egg whites (we will avoid the syrup coming into contact with the bowl so that it does not harden).
12. Once all the syrup has been added, add the vanilla extract, increase the speed and continue beating the mixture until it has a firmer consistency (it should hold its shape easily when you turn the bowl upside down). The outside of the bowl will still be warm to the touch.
13. Finally, remove the cakes from the fridge and pour a generous amount of our marshmallow meringue (lots and lots of meringue!) over the set chocolate filling and spread it very gently in circular movements with the help of a spatula or the back of a spoon. If you're feeling a little more artistic, you can even use a piping bag .
14. To finish and just before serving, toast the surface of the meringue with a kitchen blowtorch and that's it!

It keeps refrigerated for about 3 days.

WMF stainless steel pot and Le Creuset ceramic mould

Grades

• *Cream of tartar is used to stabilise beaten egg whites so that they remain firm without losing their volume over time. It is not essential, but it is very helpful. It can be replaced with a few drops of lemon juice.
• **If you don't have a kitchen thermometer, you can drop a few drops of the syrup into a glass of cold water after a few minutes. You will have achieved the "soft ball" or "soft ball" point if you can shape them with your fingertips without them falling apart. If you have made it too hard (the syrup hardens very quickly), you can add a little more water to the mixture and test again until you find the right point.
• An ultra-quick alternative (although somewhat less interesting in my opinion) to marshmallow meringue would be to skip this step altogether and cover the entire chocolate filling once it has set with marshmallows (white if possible) – for the sole cake, it is better if they are large; somewhat smaller if we opt for individual tartlets, although this is a personal matter. We would only have to lightly burn the surface of the marshmallows with the blowtorch and that's it. I insist, marshmallow meringue is unmatched, but if you are in a hurry…
• Marshmallow meringue is also sold ready-made (commonly known as “ fluff” ). The homemade version is far preferable, especially this one I suggest, because instead of adding light corn syrup (which is the most common, but also much less healthy) I have opted for maple syrup, which, although it adds a very subtle nuance of its characteristic flavour (delicious, in any case), is much more natural. The meringue can be kept in an airtight glass container, always refrigerated, for up to 2 weeks.
• To crush the biscuits, we can put them in a zip-lock bag and roll over them with a rolling pin until they are completely crushed. We can also crush them in a blender (always using short pulses to prevent the biscuit dough from forming due to the heat) or even in a mortar.
• When whipping egg whites (always at room temperature), we must ensure that the utensils we use – both the bowl and the whisk – are completely free of any traces of grease, otherwise we would find it difficult to achieve our goal.

In short, a very soft bite, full of flavour and textures, each one more irresistible than the last. And you, will you be able to eat just one portion or will you want “a little more”?