Bûche de Noël: The S'mores Cake

This cake evolved from the cupcake version that I made this fall to mimic the one and only fireside s'more.  If you remember, I'm somewhat obsessed with homemade marshmallows and how delicious they are, so any chance to use them in a cake- I'm game. While those cupcakes were a sticky, gooey s'mores masterpiece, the cake version is much friendlier to that glamorous holiday party attire you'll soon be donning.

The s'mores cake version is the same graham cracker pound cake with the flavors of vanilla, honey and cinnamon layered with homemade vanilla bean marshmallows and a bittersweet chocolate ganache. The entire cake is frosted using Italian meringue and toasted to give it the festive look of a Bûche de noël. A few chocolate dipped mallows sit on top to give it some height.

I love the rustic look of toasted meringue and brought in pine cones and rosemary to finish the holiday centerpiece look. Red berries or holly wold also look really nice with this cake, although you have to be careful when bringing inedible plants around food. Unlike a traditional roulade Bûche de noël, this version is sure to appeal to the everyone at your holiday party, even the younger crowd. Who doesn't love s'mores? 

The Rice Krispy Cake

Once you go homemade marshmallow you never go back. It's safe to say that I'm obsessed! Marshmallows are naturally gluten-free and fat free (definitely not sugar free, don't worry, no health lecture here...) and when made from scratch they are soft, chewy, melt-in-your-mouth delicious. I have a fire pit in my backyard now and I've been making my own marshmallows for s'mores and sweet snacks but now I'm taking over the rice krispy treat too. In cake form of course:

I learned from my catering days that no matter how simple the quick combination of rice cereal, marshmallows and butter may seem, the results please the highest number of people every time. I could not make rice krispy treats fast enough to keep up with our demand - and we fed them to mainly adults. But seriously, who doesn't love this sweet, gooey, crunchy treat?

This is my take on the classic favorite. I kept it simple, but added a lot more love than the usual read-off-the- box-microwavable version. This rice krispy cake is made from homemade vanilla bean marshmallows and a pinch of sea salt, sandwiched between layers of milk chocolate ganache and garnished with rainbow non-pareils to complete the nostalgic effect. 

The Rice Krispy Cake as pictured here would be a great centerpiece to a birthday party or any fun-loving gathering. The idea could also be applied to a wedding cake if regular cake isn't your jam, and it could be filled and decorated anyway you like. Rice Krispies can also easily be covered in fondant or frosting to look exactly like a traditional wedding cake if you're a bride who wants the dream cake look but wants to eat this one too.

This cake is a whole lot of tasty and sure to be loved by everyone in attendance at any event.