Decadent Snickers Candy Bar Cake
This Snickers Candy Bar Cake is sure to knock-your-socks-off with layers of dark chocolate cake baked on a shortbread cookie crust, filled with peanut butter nougat, chopped roasted peanuts, and salted caramel, and topped with peanut butter frosting and chocolate ganache.
Snickers Cake
Say hello to one of my favorite candy-inspired cakes! My Snickers Cake is a candy bar in a cake and I couldn’t be happier about it.
We have dark chocolate cake layers baked on a shortbread cookie crust, filled with peanut butter nougat and salted caramel, and topped with a peanut butter buttercream.
Sounds amazing, right?
It absolutely is!
When planning my cake (four years ago for my birthday), I ran some ideas by my bestie, and one of my favorite taste testers, Lisa. We have similar taste when it comes to sweets, so I knew if my idea sounded good to Lisa, it would be a hit. Among my grand cake ideas was a candy bar inspired cake – something sweet and salty, with a combination of textures and flavors.
Candy Bar Cake
I love so many candy bars but narrowed down the inspiration for this cake to two of my all-time favorites – Twix and Peanut Butter Snickers. I love the shortbread cookie inside the Twix bar, so I baked my favorite chocolate cake on top of a the shortbread cookie crumbs I used in my Samoa Cake.
To fill this cake like a Twix and Peanut Butter Snickers, I used Milk Bar’s peanut butter nougat recipe with roasted peanuts and my homemade salted caramel sauce. The combination is truly incredible! I then topped the cake with my favorite peanut butter frosting, chocolate ganache and tons of Snickers.
This cake is a serious winner! In fact, both my mom and Lisa claimed it as their new number one cake!
Hope you love it as much as we do!
Snickers Candy Bar Cake
Chocolate cake layers baked on a shortbread cookie crust, filled with peanut butter nougat, roasted peanuts and salted caramel, and topped with a whipped peanut butter frosting.
Prep Time 3 hrs
Cook Time 40 mins
Total Time 4 hrs 40 mins
Ingredients
FOR THE SHORTBREAD CRUST
- 1/3 cup (66.6 g) granulated sugar
- 12 tablespoons (169.5 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 cups (360 g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) salt
FOR THE CAKE
- 2 cups (240 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 cups (375 g) granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup (88.5 g) dark cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking soda
- 3/4 teaspoon ( 3 g) baking powder
- 1 teaspoon (6 g) salt
- 1 cup (240 g) buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120 g) vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) pure vanilla extract
- 1 cup (236 g) hot water or hot coffee
FOR THE NOUGAT (adapted from Milk Bar)
- 4 tablespoons (50 g) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons (44.25 g) water
- 6 tablespoons (75 g) granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons (44.25 g) water
- 2 egg whites
- 1/2 cup (125 g) creamy Skippy peanut butter
- 1 cup (150 g) chopped roasted peanuts
- 1/2 teaspoon (3 g) salt
FOR THE CARAMEL
- 1/2 cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- 4 tablespoons (59 g) water
- 1 teaspoons (18.75 g) corn syrup
- 1/3 cup (77 g) heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoons (5.6 g) kosher salt
FOR THE BUTTERCREAM
- 1/4 cup (57.75 g) heavy cream, cold
- 5 cups (625 g) powdered sugar, measured and then sifted
- 1 1/2 cups (339 g) unsalted butter, slightly cold
- 1 cup (250 g) creamy peanut butter, I like Skippy
- 1 tablespoon (4.2 g) pure vanilla extract
- Generous pinch of coarse salt
- *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping, you’ll want to make an extra ½ batch.
Instructions
FOR THE SHORTBREAD CRUST
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray three 8-inch or four 6-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray, line each pan with parchment and spray again. Set aside.
- Combine the sugar and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat for 1 to 2 minutes until creamy. Stir in the flour. If the mixture is too crumbly, you can add another tablespoon of butter.
- Evenly divide the shortbread cookie crumbs into each cake pan. Using the back of a spoon, press the shortbread cookie crumbs into an even layer on the bottom of the pan.
- Bake for about 10 minutes.
FOR THE CAKE
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix for about 30 seconds.
- In a separate bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients and whisk for a few seconds.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Once all the wet ingredients are added, continue to mix on low speed for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for another 15 to 30 seconds. Don’t over beat this batter. It will be thin.
- Pour the batter evenly onto the already baked shortbread crusts (about 15 to 16 ounces of batter in each 8-inch pan or 12 ounces in each 6-inch pan). Bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes.
FOR THE NOUGAT
- Combine the first measures of sugar (4 tablespoons) and water (3 tablespoons) in a small saucepan. Gently stir together until it feels like wet sand. Do the same thing with the second measures of sugar (6 tablespoons) and water (3 tablespoons) in another small saucepan.
- Place both saucepans on the stove and begin to heat them up. Heat the first saucepan (the one with 4 tablespoons sugar and 3 tablespoons water) over medium heat. Heat the second saucepan (the one with 6 tablespoons sugar and 3 tablespoons water) over medium low heat. Heat the first sugar water mixture to 115 degrees C (239 degrees F), keeping track of the temperature with an instant-read or candy thermometer.
- While the sugar is heating up, whip the egg whites in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip until soft peaks form. If the egg whites reach medium soft peaks before the first sugar hits 115 degrees C (239 degrees F), slow your mixer down and let the sugar catch up. Or, if you notice that the sugar is nearly at 115 degrees C (239 degrees F) and the egg whites are still a ways from becoming soft peaks, turn the heat way down under the first measurement of sugar water. Ideally, you want the egg whites to reach a soft peak at the same time the sugar water hits 115 degrees C (239 degrees F).
- Once the first sugar measurement reaches this temperature, remove it from the heat and very carefully pour it into the egg whites while the mixer is on low.
- When all of the sugar is successfully added to the egg whites, turn the mixer speed back up and turn the heat under the second sugar water mixture to medium. You know what this mixture of sugar water to reach 120 degrees C (248 degrees F). Once it reaches this temperature, remove it from the heat and very carefully pour it into the egg white mixture. Let the egg white mixture whip until cool.
- Once the egg white mixture has reached room temperature, turn the mixer off and fold in the peanut butter and chopped peanuts. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
FOR THE CARAMEL
- Mix sugar, water and corn syrup in a small saucepan.
- Bring the water and sugar mixture to boil over medium heat, but DO NOT STIR. (Stirring encourages crystallization). Let the mixture cook until it caramelizes into a golden brown color. It happens quickly, so keep an eye on it.
- Remove the caramelized sugar syrup from the heat and slowly mix in the cream. Pour in just a tiny bit at a time, especially at the beginning, and mix to combine. You can start adding more and more as you go along.
- Mix in salt and vanilla. Stir to combine.
- Set the caramel sauce to the side and let cool to room temperature before using.
FOR THE BUTTERCREAM
- In a bowl fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and peanut butter. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth, about 45 seconds.
- Add the sifted powdered sugar to the bowl and mix in, slowly at first until incorporated, then increasing the mixer speed to high. Blend in the vanilla extract, salt and heavy whipping cream and continue to whip on high speed until very fluffy, about 4-5 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- With a wooden spoon, mix frosting to remove air bubbles.
ASSEMBLY
- Spread a small dollop of frosting on your cake board. Place the first cake layer on the board, with the shortbread cookie crust on the bottom.
- Spread about half of the nougat filling on top of the cake layer. Make sure to get eye level with the cake to ensure it is level. Drizzle some of the salted caramel over the nougat.
- Place the second cake layer, shortbread cookie crust on the bottom, on top of the nougat and caramel. Repeat step 2.
- Place the final cake layer, shortbread cookie crust on the bottom, on top of the second layer of nougat and caramel. If the cake feels too unstable to crumb coat, place the naked cake in the freezer for about 15 minutes to set the fillings and stabilize the cake.
- You’ll then spread a thin layer of frosting around the entire cake to lock in any crumbs. This is called the crumb coat. Freeze the cake for 10 to 15 minutes to ensure the crumbs get locked into this coat of frosting. After the frosting is set, continue to frost the cake with the remaining peanut butter frosting.
Hi! I’m trying to decide which of your cakes to make for a family get together. I love your cakes and have made several. I need to make it and assemble it ahead of time. I really want to make this cake, but just curious if you knew how well the nougat freezes? I think everything else would freeze well, but I’m not sure about that. What do you think?
It actually freezes and thaws great. I assembled mine day of but then froze slices of cake afterwards and they tasted great a few days later.
I made the chocolate drip, but it was so thin and drilled all the way down the cake so I had to take it off ágain 🙁 Any suggestions ?
What kind of chocolate did you use? Milk chocolate gets super runny and only needs 1/4 cup cream to 1 cup chips, but dark chocolate or semi sweet chips needs a bit more. I usually do 3/4-1cup cream to 1 cup chips. You can use less cream next time and also let it cool even longer. It thickens as it cools.
“I made this once for a family gathering and now everyone insists that it be at every gathering! It’s so easy; you use a box cake mix! For chopping the chocolate bars, I put them in the freezer, then hit them with a hammer while still in the wrapper”
Regards http://www.mastercakes.com
Should the cocoa powder be sweetened or unsweetened? Thanks!
unsweetened
The peanut butter nougat was way too runny.
Sorry to hear that. Next time, make sure to cook it a little longer and store it in the fridge overnight.
I just want to say, I just discovered your site, and all of your cakes are just absolutely breathtaking! I am making a Samoa cookie cake, taking bits and pieces from different sources. I am going to use your idea of baking the cake layers on top of shortbread crusts, like this candy bar cake recipe. For the shortbread recipe, it seems like there is too much flour for the amount of butter, 3 cups to 12 tablespoons. Are those measurements corrent? It just seems too dry based on my previous experience with shortbread?
Yes, that’s correct. The flour will nicely absorb the butter and you’ll push it into the pans with your hands to create a solid cookie crust.
Looks AH-MAZING!!!
Should the roasted peanuts be salted or unsalted? Thanks in advance!
I did roasted but they can be either.
My husband loves snickers and this is the perfect cake for his upcoming birthday. However he really doesn’t like chocolate cake – He prefers anything else. What flavor cake would you recommend to replace the chocolate? I was thinking a vanilla, but thought I would get an experts opinion.
Thanks so much for sharing your amazing talent. Your cakes are beautiful!
My classic yellow cake would be a great substitute.
Can I use 9″ rounds? If so, what adjustments would need to be made? Thanks!
If you’re using 9 inch, you need to 1 1/2 the recipe or only use two pans.
I made the cake recipe tonight and it turned out really flat and weird. I made the ultimate chocolate cake last week and it turned out great so I was really confused since the recipes were the same. This recipe calls for 175 grams of sugar and the other calls for 375 but the volume measurements are the same. I think this recipe has the typo in it.
Thank you for noticing. We are fixing all measurements right now.
Also looks like the oil weight for the cake is off as well.
I have had temperatures for candy making be my utter downfall in the past. Are the temps you list for the nougat based on the elevation at your home or sea level? Also, any specific temp you cook your caramel to? I only have dark colored pans so judging caramel based on color alone is prone to disaster in my kitchen. Thanks!
How long will the nougat keep in the fridge for?
A couple days.
Making this cake now – just wanted to let you know your G measurement for the vegetable oil in the cake is off quite a lot – 1010 g
Fixed it! Thank you!
I made this for my wife’s Birthday last year. It was a hit, so I will be making it again.
About the conversions.
The first has 1/3 cup as (66.6 g), and the rest have 1/3 cups equal to 77g
10g of sugar won’t make much difference here, but, I was wondering
it’s 66.6 g. Sorry for the confusion!
What is the best way to store left over shortbread crust for future use
In a ziploc bag in your freezer!
Hi!
I was wondering what is the target texture of the nougat? I rarely eat nougat and definitely never made it (have made italian meringue, swiss meringue, and marshmallows though so similar egg + hot sugar treats) so I’m just not sure if the intent is for the nougat to be a fluff or more of a spread or even solid if it chills in the fridge?
I have the Milk Bar book, and it says it should be used immediately and once cooled “is acceptable only as a snack” so I suspect it solidifies? Is that also a concern for this recipe or actually the goal?
Thanks!
Nougat is soft like a fluff
Can the salted caramel be refrigerated?
You bet. You may need to heat it up a tad when you’re ready to use it.
Hello, I’ve made this cake 2times in 2 9in pans and each time the middle of the cake falls. What am I doing wrong? The cake tastes great though:)
Thank you
Are you over mixing or checking the cake too much?
This cake looks amazing! Planning to make soon. What are the round balls on the top of your cake. I need to get those.
They’re from orson gygi
Can any part of this be made a day or two in advance?
Absolutely! I’d make the cake layers, caramel and buttercream ahead of time and then the nougat the day you want to assemble and serve.
I don’t understand the reason for the two boiling pots for the nougat. By the time both of them started boiling I just added them to the egg whites first pot, mixed added the second pot, mixed. It turned out fine. Just seems like an extra step that’s not needed. Let me know what the reason for the two pots at different temps
One tsp of salt in the caramel is way too salty
I also made the peanut butter frosting into. Swiss meringue, so much more creamy with the sweet cake.
I made this cake this weekend and it was a smash hit! I can’t thank you enough for all the tips and notes. The recipe was easy to follow and the cake turned out so rich and delicious, it tasted professionally made. You’re a great teacher! It’s like you thought of all the what-ifs and answered them beforehand. Thank you so much.
Thank you! This was so nice!