This Snickers cake is made with a chocolate cake frosted with peanut butter caramel frosting, filled with Snickers, and topped with chocolate ganache.
This cake is the ultimate cake for a snickers lover! It tastes just like the popular candy bar in cake form!
Indulge in the decadent delight of a Snickers layer cake, a heavenly creation that combines the rich flavors of chocolate, caramel, peanuts, and nougat in each luscious bite.
This delectable dessert is a perfect marriage of moist cake layers sandwiched between creamy frosting and generous layers of chopped Snickers bars.
With its irresistible combination of sweet and salty flavors, the Snickers layer cake is sure to satisfy even the most discerning sweet tooth.
For more delicious chocolate cake recipes, check out my chocolate brooklyn blackout cake, chocolate caramel cake, Matildas chocolate cake, chocolate coffee cake, and chocolate Oreo cake.
Jump to:
Why this recipe works
- Texture- this cake has a tender and soft crumb that will melt in your mouth along with the silky smooth caramel and peanut butter buttercream.
- One bowl cake- this cake comes together in just one bowl like plenty of my chocolate cake recipes which makes this process super easy and effortless.
- Peanut butter and caramel buttercream frosting- this chocolate cake is frosted and filled with an incredibly delicious peanut butter and caramel frosting that is loaded with chopped Snickers candy.
- Snickers loaded cake- this cake is loaded with Snickers and is perfect for Snickers lovers. It is frosted with caramel and peanut butter frosting and filled and topped with more Snickers.
- Freezer friendly- this cake freezes great and can be made ahead of time by freezing the cake layers ahead of time.
How to make even cake layers
My biggest tip to make even cake layers is to use a scale and cake strips. Weigh the chocolate cake batter and divide it into two even pans.
Then use cake strips to make sure your cake layers bake evenly and don’t develop a dome on top. Cake strips give you an evenly baked cake with a flat top.
Ingredients
Before you start to make this recipe, measure and prepare your ingredients so the cooking process will go smoothly and easily.
Full measurements are in the recipe card below.
Flour– we used all-purpose flour for this recipe, self-rising flour, and cake flour will work great as well.
Dutch cocoa powder– we like to use Dutch-process cocoa powder for our chocolate cake because we like the deep and rich chocolate taste, but the natural cocoa powder will work great as well!
Baking powder and baking soda – to help the cake rise.
Granulated sugar– we like to use granulated sugar, also the most common sugar used in baking. Caster sugar will work great as well.
Vegetable oil – we used vegetable oil for this recipe. canola oil will work great for this recipe.
Eggs- To give the cake a good structure. Make sure you’re using room-temperature eggs.
Buttermilk- gives the cake extra moisture. You can make your own buttermilk if you don’t have one on hand. Simply mix a cup of milk with a tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice and let it sit for at least 10 minutes.
Hot coffee- make a strong hot coffee, you can use espresso, or instant coffee, and both will work.
Vanilla extract- Vanilla extract Is an essential ingredient for chocolate cake.
Salt- We used kosher salt for this recipe. Salt doesn’t give the cake a salty taste, it helps to enhance the chocolate flavor.
For the peanut butter caramel frosting
Butter- make sure you are using room temperate butter.
Powder sugar- is known as confectioners sugar. For a smoother buttercream, sift it before adding it to the butter.
Peanut butter- and peanut butter will work for this recipe, natural, processed, chunky, or smooth. The results will be different for each peanut butter kind. We prefer to use smooth store-bought peanut butter.
Caramel sauce- you can use your favorite store-bought caramel sauce or make a homemade caramel sauce!
Vanilla extract and kosher salt- for extra flavor and to balance the sweetness.
For the chocolate ganache
Chocolate- use the best quality semisweet or dark chocolate bars for the best flavor. using the best quality dark chocolate is very important in this recipe.
Heavy cream- use full-fat heavy cream for this recipe. This cant is substituted.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180 (350f) and prep three 8-inch baking pans with parchment paper.
In a large mixing bowl, add the eggs, oil, vanilla extract, sugar, cocoa powder, and buttermilk. Mix well until combined. Add the kosher salt and the hot coffee, and mix well until the batter is smooth.
Add the hot coffee and mix well.
Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda, and mix until just combined!
Divide the mixture into three 8-inch baking pans, we suggest using cake strips for even baking. (weight the batter for better results) and bake in a preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let the cake cool completely before frosting so the frosting won't melt off the cake.
Make the peanut butter caramel frosting
Into a large mixing bowl, add the room temperature butter, salt, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, caramel sauce, peanut butter, and milk.
Mix with an electric hand mixer for a few minutes until the buttercream is light in color and creamy.
Assemble the cake
Pipe a small dollop of the buttercream on the surface that you will frost on. Lay the first cake layer over the frosting dot.
Top the first cake layer with ⅓ of the buttercream and spread an even layer of the buttercream with a spatula. Top the buttercream with the chopped snickers bars.
Top the cake with the second cake layer. Repeat adding the buttercream and chopped snickers and top with the third cake layer.
Frost the cake with the remaining buttercream and smooth it out with a spatula. I like scraping some of the remaining buttercream to reveal the beautiful layers of the cake for a seminaked cake look, but its not a must.
Place the cake in the freezer to set for 15 minutes so the frosting will set.
Make the chocolate ganache
Melt dark chocolate and heavy cream in a small to medium mixing bowl in the microwave for about 50 seconds.
Let the chocolate and the cream sit for 10 minutes for the chocolate to melt, then mix until the chocolate ganache is smooth and silky.
Pour the chocolate ganache over the cake and use a spatula to carefully push the ganache around the edges of the cake until a drip design forms. (you can use your favorite method for making drips)
Top the cake with additional chopped snickers if desired. You can also make dollops of the buttercream around the edges of the cake if you dont want to use so many candy bars.
Expert Tips
- Don’t skip the coffee in the cake, you can’t taste the coffee, it simply enhances the chocolate flavor.
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients like eggs. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with a back of a knife.
- Don’t overmix the batter, you don’t want to develop the gluten in the flour. This step ensures you have a moist cake and not a dense and dry cake.
- Line your baking pan with parchment paper! This step helps the cake to bake evenly, and it makes sure that your loaf cake will release easily from the pan.
- Make sure that your butter is at room temperature. An hour or two before making the buttercream, take the butter out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature. The butter should be soft to the touch. If your butter is too cold, it will be harder to mix and there will be lumps of butter in the frosting.
- Be patient! I know it’s extremely tempting to frost this cake as it is pulled out of the oven, but let the cake cool for at least 1 hour so it will be more firm and won’t crumble up, and prevent the frosting from melting.
Faq's
This cake will last for up to 4-5 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
Yes. You can use 8 or 9-inch cake pans. Take into consideration that the cake layers will be thicker.
No! you can’t taste the coffee. Adding the coffee simply enhances the chocolate flavor. So, don’t skip the coffee on the cake!
Storing
This cake will last up to 4 in the fridge. Cover the cake with plastic wrap or foil to prevent it from drying out. This cake tastes amazing the day after.
Freezing
You can freeze this cake after it cooled completely in an airtight freezer-friendly container for up to 3 months, some people find the cake tastes better after freezing it.
You can freeze the whole cake or slice it into slices and then freeze it.
If you are freezing individual slices of the cake, I would recommend storing them in a ziplock bag and then transferring them to an airtight freezer-friendly container.
Make it ahead of time
You can make this cake ahead by freezing the cake layers ahead of time. Wrap each cake layer with a few layers of plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months.
Thaw at room temperature for 1-2 hours or in the fridge overnight.
When you are ready to frost and assemble the cake, make the frosting, chocolate ganache, and chop the snickers candy and assemble the cake!
Substitutions
Dairy-free- to make this cake dairy-free, replace the buttermilk and milk with almond milk. Also, replace the butter and heavy cream with vegan butter and dairy-free heavy cream.
Egg-free- to make this cake egg-free, replace the eggs with ⅔ cup of applesauce.
Gluten-free - if you want to make this recipe gluten-free, simply replace the flour with gluten-free flour.
Variations
Peanuts- You can add chopped peanuts in between the cake layers for an extra crunch and extra peanut flavor!
Peanut Butter Drizzle- Add a decadent twist by drizzling creamy peanut butter over the layers of the cake before assembling. This will enhance the nutty flavor and take it to the next level.
Caramel Swirl- Incorporate swirls of gooey caramel between each layer for an extra indulgent touch.
Crushed Pretzel Topping- For a sweet and salty contrast, top your Snickers layer cake with crushed pretzels. The crunchiness adds texture and complements the flavors perfectly.
Equipment
- Mixing bowl (set of 3)
- Whisk Set (pack of 3) to whisk the ingredients together
- 8-inch cake pans.
- Cake Strips
- Electric hand mixer
- Rubber spatula
More layered cakes
Butterscotch cake- This butterscotch cake is made with moist and tender brown sugar cake layers, homemade butterscotch sauce, and topped and filled with butterscotch buttercream.
Ferrero rocher cake- This Ferrero rocher cake is made with three chocolate hazelnut cake layers, topped and frosted with hazelnut buttercream, and topped with chocolate ganache, and Ferrero rocher candy.
Oreo cake with oreo frosting- This cake is made with moist and fluffy oreo cake layers, filled and covered with oreo frosting, and topped with chocolate ganache, whipped cream, and Oreos!
If you tried this recipe, don’t forget to leave a rating and a comment below. We love hearing from you.
If you liked this recipe
📖 Recipe
The Best Snickers Cake
Ingredients
For the chocolate cake:
- 3 cups Flour
- ½ cup Cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoon Baking powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking soda
- 2 cups Granulated sugar
- 3 Eggs
- ¾ cup Vegetable oil
- 1 cup Buttermilk
- 1 cup Coffee hot
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
For the peanut butter caramel frosting:
- 15.8 oz Butter softened
- 5 cups Powder sugar
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- ½ cup Caramel sauce smooth, not natual, like skippy or Jif style
- ½ cup Peanut butter
For the chocolate ganache:
- 3.5 oz Dark chocolate or semisweet
- 3.5 oz Heavy cream
For assembly
- 10 Snickers bars
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 180 (350f) and prep three 8-inch baking pans with parchment paper.
- Into a large mixing bowl, add the eggs, oil, vanilla extract, sugar, cocoa powder, and buttermilk. Mix well until combined. Add the kosher salt and the hot coffee, and mix well until the batter is smooth.
- Add the hot coffee and mix well.
- Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda, and mix until just combined!
- Divide the mixture into three 8-inch baking pans, we suggest using cake strips for even baking. (weight the batter for better results) and bake in a preheated oven for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool completely before frosting so the frosting won't melt off the cake.
Make the peanut butter caramel frosting
- Into a big mixing bowl, add the room temperature butter, salt, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, caramel sauce, peanut butter, and milk.
- Mix with an electric hand mixer for a few minutes until the buttercream is light in color and creamy.
Assemble the cake
- Pipe a small dollop of the buttercream on the surface that you will frost on. Lay the first cake layer over the frosting dot.
- Top the first cake layer with ⅓ of the buttercream and spread an even layer of the buttercream with a spatula. Top the buttercream with the chopped snickers bars.
- Top the cake with the second cake layer. Repeat adding the buttercream and chopped snickers and top with the third cake layer.
- Frost the cake with the remaining buttercream and smooth it out with a spatula. I like scraping some of the remaining buttercream to reveal the beautiful layers of the cake for a seminaked cake look, but its not a must.
- Place the cake in the freezer to set for 15 minutes so the frosting will set.
Make the chocolate ganache
- Melt dark chocolate and heavy cream in a small to medium mixing bowl in the microwave for about 50 seconds.
- Let the chocolate and the cream sit for 10 minutes for the chocolate to melt, then mix until the chocolate ganache is smooth and silky.
- Pour the chocolate ganache over the cake and use a spatula to carefully push the ganache around the edges of the cake until a drip design forms. (you can use your favorite method for making drips)
- Top the cake with additional chopped snickers if desired. You can also make dollops of the buttercream around the edges of the cake if you dont want to use so many candy bars.
Notes
- Don’t skip the coffee in the cake, you can’t taste the coffee, it simply enhances the chocolate flavor.
- Use cake strips! Cake strips give you even and perfectly baked cake layers. Click here for the amazon link.
- Use room temperature ingredients. It is important that you use room-temperature ingredients like eggs and butter. This step ensures that your mixture mixes into a homogenous mixture and bakes perfectly. you don’t want to place cold batter into the oven.
- Measure your flour correctly! When measuring your flour, avoid scooping it with a measuring cup. Instead, stir the flour with a spoon to create as many air pockets as possible, and spoon it into your measuring cup. Finally, level it with a back of a knife.
- Don’t overmix the batter, you don’t want to develop the gluten in the flour. This step ensures you have a moist cake and not a dense and dry cake.
- Line your baking pan with parchment paper! This step helps the cake to bake evenly, and it makes sure that your loaf cake will release easily from the pan.
- Make sure that your butter is at room temperature. An hour or two before making the buttercream, take the butter out of the fridge and let it come to room temperature. The butter should be soft to the touch. If your butter is too cold, it will be harder to mix and there will be lumps of butter in the frosting.
- Be patient! I know it’s extremely tempting to frost this cake as it is pulled out of the oven, but let the cake cool for at least 1 hour so it will be firmer and won’t crumble up, and prevent the frosting from melting.
Deb B says
I made this cake today and it turned out great! Only change I made was I substituted coconut oil for the vegetable oil. Only issue with recipe was in the icing, the instructions included milk and there’s no milk listed in the buttercream ingredients. I didn’t need milk for the buttercream so I’m guessing this is a typo?