S'MORE CAKE WRECK

This was, by the way, the pretty side of the cake.

I found a cake recipe on the Internet and I am sad to say, it was an utter fail.  I think the idea behind the cake was fabulous and the cake itself was pretty good but I think I may tweak it a little.  The fluff frosting.  Ah, well there was the problem.  It was very tight, dense and heavy.  (I did make it twice too.) By the time it was ready to serve the cake the fluff had slid off the cake and connected itself en mass to the side of the dome cake cover.  Sigh.  So I had to cut it away from the side.  As I lifted it, it pulled the whole cake like a toupee, right off the top.  Finally, upon setting it down it looked like an utter mess.

I have made fluff before when I made Dorie Greenspan's marshmallows.  So I will use that recipe, of course, omitting the setting agent, gelatin.

Here is the recipe, in its original form.  I am not adding the person who posted the recipe because that is not my intent to point fingers.  I like the idea of the cake and there are many good points about it. It is a 'not too sweet cake' which is surprising as it is a s'more cake and we all know, if you ate a s'more, it's cloyingly sweet.  I will definitely make the cake again but with some tweakage.  I will keep you posted.


S'MORES CAKE

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350F and grease and flour three 6" cake rounds, line with parchment.
In a medium bowl, whisk flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter until smooth.
Add sugars and beat on med-high until pale and fluffy (2-3mins).
Reduce speed and add eggs one at a time, fully incorporating after each addition. Add vanilla.
Alternate adding flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour (3 additions of flour and 2 of milk). Fully incorporating after each addition. Do not over mix.
Spread batter evenly into prepared pans. Smooth the top with a spatula and whack the pans against the counter to evenly distribute.
Bake for approx. 40mins or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean.
Place cakes on wire rack to cool for 10mins. Whack the pans on the counter to loosen the cakes and turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.



Fluff
This would be great to just eat by the spoon

1/3 cup water
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup corn syrup or honey
3 large egg whites room temperature
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Place water, sugar, and corn syrup (or honey) in a medium saucepan. Stir to combine.
Insert a candy thermometer into the pot and heat over medium-high. Do not stir from this point on as crystals will form.
Ensure mixer bowl and whisk are completely grease free.*
Place egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer.
When the sugar syrup reaches about 225°F, start whipping the egg whites to soft peaks. Approx 3-4mins.
When the whites are ready, the sugar syrup should be at 240°F. Remove from the heat, turn mixer to medium and very slowly and carefully pour the sugar syrup into the whites in a thin, steady stream.**
Once all of the syrup is in, set mixer to medium/high and continue whipping. The whites will deflate at first, but they will thicken and fluff up.
Continue to whip for 7-8 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and glossy.
Add in vanilla and whip until the fluff has cooled.
Pour into an airtight container and store for up to 2 weeks at room temperature.

Old Fashioned Graham Crackers

I found this old recipe for Graham Crackers.  I have made graham crackers on a few occasions.  This one, in my opinion, is the best one yet.


Graham Crackers

1 cup shortening (you could use half butter and half shortening)
2 cups brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 cups white flour
4 cups graham flour (or wheat)
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream shortening and sugar together until fluffy.  Add in vanilla extract.

In a bowl combine flour, salt,baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Add the dry infredients to the sugar mixture alternately with the milk  Chill dough over night in the refrigerator.

Roll out dough and cut into desired shapes or just squares like store bought graham crackers.  Poke with a fork all over cookie to prevent puffing.  Place on cookie sheet about an inch apart.  Bake in a preheated oven, 350F until golden brown for a crispier cookie. About 12 minutes give or take. If you like them a little soft and chewy take out a bit early.

Graham Crackers

 
I admit it, I am a bit of a flour hoarder.  I was on this kick last year of making bread and I bought all kinds of flours- spelt, semolina, durum, you name it.  I cant stand the clutter and I am not using this stuff.  So, now, I am making bread and crackers or whatever to use this stuff up before it gets yucky.  I have a bottle of oat bran that I do use occasionally for granola bars- I just throw it in the mix instead of wheat germ, but I don't always use it and there was just this little bit left, so, I threw it into the graham crackers.  Worked perfectly. If you dont have any- no worries- you can replace it with regular flour or whatever you like. 
 
Graham Crackers
Printable here.

1 cup whole wheat flour (I added a bit more because my dough was a wee bit wet)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup oat bran
1 cup (176 grams) dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1 teaspoon  baking soda
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
7 tablespoons (3 1/2 ounces or 100 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pats
1/3 cup mild-flavored honey
5 tablespoons (77 grams) milk
2 tablespoons (27 grams) pure vanilla extract


Combine the flour, brown sugar, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade or in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Pulse or mix on low to incorporate. Add the butter and pulse on and off on and off, or mix on low, until the mixture is the consistency of a coarse meal.

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, milk, and vanilla extract. Add to the flour mixture and pulse on and off a few times or mix on low until the dough barely comes together. It will be very soft and sticky. Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap and dust it lightly with flour, then turn the dough out onto it and pat it into a rectangle about 1-inch thick. Wrap it, then chill it until firm, about 2 hours or overnight. (honestly, this time I did not refrigerate the dough at all).

On a parchment sheet, roll the dough as thins as possible. You can lay plastic wrap over top to help you roll it out as it tends to be sticky.  The thinner, the better. I have a really large pan so this works for me.  You can use two cookie sheets instead. Score the rolled dough.  This will help you break it apart when you pull it out of the oven and the holes will help the dough stay flat rather than doing a puff thing.


Adjust the oven rack to the upper and lower positions and preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake until golden- about 15 minutes.  They will continue to harden as they cool as well.  Run the blade over the lines you previously cut as soon as you take them out of the oven.

Alternately, you can cut and separate before baking but I just wanted them faster.