No Bake S'mores Icebox Cake - Sally's Baking Addiction (2024)

This 7 ingredient no bake s’mores icebox cake has 14 delicious layers! The marshmallow meringue comes together quickly on the stovetop, the chocolate ganache is only 2 ingredients, and the graham crackers provide necessary structure. Layer everything together in a square baking pan and chill in the refrigerator overnight.

I’ve had “s’mores cake” on my baking bucket list for awhile. I envisioned 3 brown sugar cakey layers enveloped with milk chocolate frosting and marshmallow-y meringue topping. Toasted, of course.

Only I completely switched directions in favor of something easier with 14 layers of No Bake S’mores Cake. I saw something like this on Tasty, so I used that as inspiration. I made the marshmallow layer using homemade marshmallow creme. The chocolate is chocolate ganache. I stuck the whole thing in the refrigerator, crossed my fingers, and waited what seemed like a lifetime. It worked!!

14 Layer No Bake S’mores Cake

This no bake s’mores cake has 14 layers:

• 6 layers of graham crackers
• 5 layers of homemade marshmallow creme (marshmallow meringue)
• 3 layers of chocolate ganache

You only need 7 ingredients to prepare this dessert recipe, and that includes the ingredients for the marshmallow meringue and the ganache!

How to Make Chocolate Ganache

Did you know you only need 2 ingredients to make rich, velvety, smooth chocolate ganache? To make the ganache, heat the heavy cream until warm and pour over chopped chocolate. Use pure chocolate. You know the 4 ounce bars you buy in the baking aisle? I like Baker’s, Ghirardelli, Nestle Toll House, or Lindt baking bars. Chop the chocolate into super tiny pieces. The smaller the pieces, the quicker and easier they’ll melt to create the ganache. Do not use chocolate chips. They contain stabilizers which prevent them from melting properly. They’re great for chocolate chip cookies, but not ideal for smooth ganache.

Tip on chopping chocolate: Use a serrated knife to chop chocolate.

Let the warm heavy cream and chocolate sit in the bowl for a few minutes, then stir together. It will seem too liquid-y at first, but it will come together as you continue to stir. Set the ganache aside as you prepare the marshmallow.

How to Make Homemade Marshmallow Creme (Meringue)

This is a simple 4 ingredient mixture cooked on the stovetop, then beaten into stiff peaks. It’s similar to Swiss Meringue Buttercream, only without the actual buttercream. It tastes like marshmallow fluff—but better because it’s completely homemade. You can watch me make it in the video below. And if you’ve been following my blog for awhile, you’ve seen it many times before:

1. Brownie baked Alaska
2. S’mores brownie cupcakes
3. Ultimate birthday cupcakes
4. Chocolate mousse pie
5. Peanut butter hi-hat cupcakes
6. S’mores tartlets

So hopefully you’ve had some practice up to this point! Whisk egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar together in a double boiler or heat-proof bowl over a small pot. You can use the stainless steel bowl that comes with your stand mixer. (You need your stand mixer for whipping anyway.)

• What’s the cream of tartar for? The cream of tartar is imperative. It stabilizes the egg whites and helpsthe meringue whip into stiff peaks. Once the egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar are gently cooked, remove from heat, add some vanilla extract, and begin whipping.
• The real trick: Whipping is where the magic happens. The mixture will go from thin liquid to as voluminous as my hair on a humid day. But much prettier and appealing. While the structure of the marshmallow meringue is stiff, the texture is soft, gooey, and sticky. The best part of marshmallow!

Graham Cracker Layers

The graham crackers are the structure of the entire cake. You need a little over 1 standard box, about 30-36 graham crackers. There are 6 layers of graham crackers, so about 5-6 graham crackers are used for each layer. As the cake sets up in the refrigerator, the graham crackers soften. They’re chewy and tender, not crunchy in the slightest! Remember my berry icebox cake? Just like that.

Video: Assembling No Bake S’mores Cake

A layer of graham crackers lies between each layer of either marshmallow creme or chocolate ganache. You’ll finish with a layer of chocolate ganache before refrigerating for at least 12 hours and up to 2 days. This is the best make-ahead cake for the summertime because it literally needs to be made ahead.

Toasted Marshmallow Topping

In the recipe and video, you can read and see that I reserve some marshmallow creme for the topping. Why? This type of meringue breaks down overtime when exposed to even the smallest crack of air. (The layers inside the cake are fine, don’t worry.) We want a creamy, fluffy, soft top so that’s why I recommend reserving about 1 heaping cup of marshmallow creme for the topping. Cover and refrigerate it separately from the cake. When ready to serve the cake, give the topping a little whisk to reincorporate some air, then spread all over the top.

Do you have a kitchen torch? (Affiliate link—that one is my favorite.) Break it out again and toast the marshmallow topping. If you don’t have one, they’re surprisingly inexpensive. If you’re not in the market for one or don’t feel like using yours, no worries. The cake is literally a 14 layer s’more so it will taste good with or without a toasted topping. Do not attempt to toast the topping in the oven. The entire cake will melt.

No bake s’mores cake, including preparing the ganache and marshmallow creme, took me about 1 hour to assemble. Most of the work is hands-off in the refrigerator. Grab your kids or a friend to help break up those graham crackers and they’ll surely be entertained as you torch the topping!

More S’mores Recipes

• S’mores Brownie Pie
• Marshmallow-filled S’mores Cupcakes
• S’mores Puppy Chow (an oldie but goodie!)
• Toasted S’more Chocolate Chip Cookies
• S’mores Tartlets

For more summer dessert inspiration, see my roundups of favoriteMemorial Day recipes,4th of July Desserts,andBBQ cookout dessert recipes.

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