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Chocolate Snickers Cake Recipe

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★★★★★

4.7 from 74 reviews

This decadent Chocolate Snickers Cake combines rich, moist chocolate cake layers with creamy peanut butter buttercream, a luscious homemade peanut caramel with salted peanuts, and a smooth chocolate ganache drip. Topped with chopped Mini Snickers bars and sea salt, this indulgent dessert is perfect for chocolate and peanut lovers looking for an impressive homemade cake.

Ingredients

Scale

Chocolate Cake Layers

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (310g)
  • 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar (500g)
  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted (100g)
  • 2 1/2 tsp baking powder (10g)
  • 2 tsp baking soda (12g)
  • 1 tsp fine salt (6g)
  • 1 1/4 cups warm water (300g)
  • 1 1/4 cups buttermilk, room temperature (300g)
  • 2/3 cup vegetable or canola oil (150g)
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature (168g)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (8g)

Peanut Caramel

  • 2 cups granulated sugar (400g)
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter (170g)
  • 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (120g)
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt (3g)
  • 3/4 cup salted peanuts, chopped (110g)

Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting

  • 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature (339g)
  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter (250g)
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (4g)
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt (3g)
  • 7 cups powdered sugar (904g)
  • 2/3 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature (160g)

Chocolate Ganache Drip

  • 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream (80g)
  • 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips (85g)

Decoration & Assembly

  • 8 Mini Snickers bars, chopped
  • 1/2 cup salted peanuts, chopped (75g) – for the base of the cake
  • Remaining caramel reserved in piping bag

Instructions

  1. Prepare Cake Pans: Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Line four 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper rounds and spray sides with non-stick cooking spray. If fewer than 4 pans, bake layers in batches and keep batter at room temperature.
  2. Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, sift or whisk together flour, granulated sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  3. Mix Wet Ingredients: In another large bowl, whisk warm water, buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract until fully combined.
  4. Combine Batter: Gradually whisk dry ingredients into wet ingredients until smooth and just incorporated. Avoid overmixing.
  5. Bake Cake Layers: Divide batter evenly among prepared pans. Bake 22-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs.
  6. Cool Cake Layers: Let pans cool 10 minutes. Run an offset spatula around edges to loosen cakes. Freeze pans for 30 minutes to set layers or cool completely on wire rack if freezer space is limited.
  7. Remove and Level Layers: Remove cakes from pans and optionally level tops with serrated knife for even layers. If frozen, thaw about 15 minutes before assembly.
  8. Make Peanut Caramel: In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, gradually add sugar (1/4 cup at a time), stirring until dissolved and amber-colored. Remove from heat and slowly stir in butter 2 tbsp at a time. Then stir in heavy cream and salt. If butter resists, stir as caramel cools until smooth. Refrigerate to cool.
  9. Whip Caramel: Once caramel is room temperature, whip with mixer on medium-high 1-2 minutes until lighter and thicker. Reserve 1/3 cup in a piping bag. Fold chopped salted peanuts into remaining caramel. Set aside.
  10. Prepare Peanut Butter Buttercream: Beat butter and peanut butter on medium-high with paddle attachment until fluffy (about 1 minute). Add vanilla and salt, mixing on low. Gradually add powdered sugar and heavy cream, mixing low and scraping bowl sides. Adjust cream or powdered sugar to desired consistency. Reserve one-third frosting in piping bag and cover rest with plastic wrap.
  11. Assemble Cake Layers: Place first cake layer on cake board/plate. Dab with buttercream to adhere. Spread even layer of buttercream, pipe ring around edge, fill center with one-third peanut caramel. Repeat for remaining layers, flipping top layer upside down to reduce crumbling.
  12. Chill Cake: Chill assembled layers in freezer 10 minutes or fridge 20 minutes to stabilize. Then cover entire cake with remaining buttercream, smoothing with bench scraper or offset spatula.
  13. Decorate Base: Press chopped peanuts along base of cake. Chill again 20 minutes in fridge or 5 minutes in freezer to set frosting.
  14. Make Chocolate Ganache: Heat heavy cream in microwave 30-45 seconds until bubbling. Pour chocolate chips over cream; let sit 1 minute then stir until smooth. Adjust consistency by adding chocolate or cream as needed.
  15. Apply Caramel Drip: Drizzle reserved caramel from piping bag over edges of chilled cake. If caramel is too thick, rewarm briefly in microwave until squeezable.
  16. Apply Ganache: Pour ganache over top of cake and gently push over edges with small offset spatula to create drips.
  17. Final Decoration: Arrange chopped Mini Snickers bars in a ring on top of cake. Sprinkle with sea salt. Chill briefly before serving. Enjoy!

Notes

  • If you don’t have four 8-inch pans, bake cake layers in batches and keep batter at room temperature until baked.
  • Freezing cake layers after baking helps lock moisture for a more tender crumb.
  • Peanut caramel can be made up to 2 weeks in advance and refrigerated.
  • If caramel thickens too much when piping, warm gently to restore flowability.
  • Flipping the top cake layer upside down helps with a smoother frosting finish and less crumbling.
  • Adjust buttercream consistency with small amounts of cream or powdered sugar for best spreading.
  • Use a heavier-bottomed pan for caramel to prevent overheating and burning.
  • Let cake chill between decorating steps to keep layers stable and improve finishing.

Keywords: Chocolate cake, Snickers cake, peanut butter frosting, caramel, chocolate ganache, layered cake, homemade cake

Find it online: https://kitchenbyrita.com/chocolate-snickers-cake-recipe/