Finished and Ready to Eat!

Cupcakes have become my all-time favorite dessert over the past year. To me, there’s nothing better than the combination of cake and icing. Creating new cupcake flavors based on seasons is so much fun to me! Since the hot summer weather is upon us, s’mores cupcakes seemed appropriate to make for a get together I have coming up this weekend, but these have a twist to them. Instead of the traditional marshmallow frosting, I decided to make a cookie dough frosting which compliments the chocolate graham cracker cake perfectly.

I have had problems in the past with my cakes coming out too dense or dry, but I have found that using coconut oil in my recipes makes a wonderfully moist cake. I used a recipe from Martha Stewart for the chocolatey graham cracker cake and this cookie dough frosting. Both recipes were tweaked to use coconut oil instead of butter. To bake with coconut oil, replace any recipe that calls for butter or oil in a 1:1 ratio – it’s that simple. Let’s take a look at what you’ll need.

Cupcakes

Ingredients

2 ¼ cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar

1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa powder (not Dutch-processed)

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

1 cup whole milk

½ cup coconut oil

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

1 ½ cups graham cracker crumbs (from approximately 20 squares)

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted

9 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 standard muffin tins with cupcake liners and set aside.

2. Sift 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together into the bowl of an electric mixer. Using the paddle attachment, mix all ingredients together on low speed.

3. In a large bowl, mix together eggs, milk, coconut oil, add vanilla. Add to flour mixture and beat on medium speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down sides of the bowl and continue mixing on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add boiling water and stir to combine; set batter aside.

4. Place graham cracker crumbs, remaining ¼ cup sugar and melted coconut oil in a large bowl; stir well.

5. Place 1 tablespoon graham cracker mixture into the bottom of each lined muffin tin. Pack firmly with a spoon or bottom of a glass. Reserve remaining mixture for graham cracker topping.

6. Place 2 teaspoons chocolate in each muffin cup. Transfer muffin tins to oven and bake until the edges of the graham cracker mixture is golden, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and fill each muffin cup three-quarters full with cake batter. Sprinkle each with remaining chocolate and graham cracker mixture.

7. Return to oven and bake, rotating pans halfway through baking, until tops are firm and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer muffin tins to a wire rack and let cupcakes cool in pan for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pan and let cool completely.

Frosting

Ingredients

¾ cup light brown sugar

½ cup coconut oil, room temperature

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup heavy whipping cream

½ cup miniature chocolate chips

Directions

1. In a large bowl, beat brown sugar and coconut oil together using an electric mixer on medium speed. Mix until smooth and creamy.

2. Beat flour, vanilla extract, and salt into the creamed mixture until combined.

3. Slowly mix cream into the frosting mixture until desired consistency is reached.

4. Pipe frosting onto cooled cupcakes and sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs and mini chocolate chips.

5. Serve and enjoy!

I love how cookie dough frosting goes perfectly with the chocolaty graham cracker cake. Feel free to make a marshmallow frosting if you want to keep this cupcake on the traditional side. For more cupcake recipes, be sure to check out our mini mimosa cupcakes, vegan vanilla cupcakes, and strawberry cupcakes – all perfect for entertaining or a mid-week dessert!

-Kayla