Snickers Cake
Tomorrow would have been – should have been – my dad’s 60th birthday. You may remember that last year on his birthday, I shared with you his very favorite cake, the one he would always request for his birthday. It’s a fabulous cake – a moist, chocolate cake with a river of cheesecake running through the middle and topped with sugared walnuts. It’s a very worthy birthday cake. However, if he were still here, I would have insisted on making something different and more elaborate than the cake he requested every year since it would be the big 6-0. I have no doubt that he would have been completely smitten with this cake and found every excuse in the world to eat piece after piece.
When we were kids, my dad apparently got some routine blood work done that showed his cholesterol as borderline high. My mom banished sweets from the house (my dad was an ice cream fanatic) and started whipping up homemade banana-nut oat bran muffins. The only problem? He went to work for eight hours a day. My dad worked for a small company not far from where we lived, so sometimes if we were out, my mom would stop by for a visit. One day we walked into his office and my sister and I saw tons of candy bar wrappers in his garbage can. Apparently, my dad was a big Snickers fan. You know little kids love to tattle… especially if they get to tattle on their parents. It took all of two seconds for my sister and I to let my mom in on our discovery. We totally busted my dad for sneaking candy at work while my mom was making batch-after-batch of bran muffins. Sorry Dad!
I’ve had the idea for this cake bouncing around in my head since last summer, but remembering that moment of finding those candy bar wrappers, I knew I wanted to save the recipe to commemorate my dad’s birthday. I’m so glad that I did – it’s definitely a special occasion cake that he would have absolutely appreciated.
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I started with the chocolate cake that I used for the six-layer chocolate cake with toasted marshmallow filling and malted chocolate frosting, only left it at three layers instead of dividing it into six. For the filling, I used the peanut nougat from the homemade Snickers bar recipe, along with a smear of salted caramel sauce. I then frosted the whole cake with a thin layer of salted caramel buttercream and topped it with a milk chocolate ganache and chopped peanuts. That’s a mouthful!
Like I said, I totally delved into “special occasion” cake territory here, and it might be one of the best cakes that I’ve ever made. It truly tastes just like a Snickers bar. If I had to guess, it’s the nougat filling that totally makes it.
As is always the case, commemorating the birthday of someone who is no longer with us is bittersweet. I love to think about the time we shared, but of course wish that he were still here. It’s been a little over 14 years since he passed away and I was only a week past my 18th birthday when it happened. As I get closer to having spent just as much of my life without him as I did with him, it’s a strange feeling, but I continue to relish all of the wonderful memories of the time I did get to share with him. This cake is a celebration of that time, and of him.
Happy Birthday, Dad! I know you would love this cake… I’ll have a slice for you :) xoxo
One year ago: Orange Cookies with Sweet Orange Glaze
Two years ago: My Top 15 Favorite Indulgences
Three years ago: Honey-Vanilla Sour Cream Pound Cake
Snickers Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 2½ cups (312.5 g) + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 3 cups (600 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (86 g) + 1 tablespoon Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) baking powder
- 1½ teaspoons (1.5 teaspoons) salt
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 1½ cups (360 ml) buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1½ cups (355.5 ml) strong black coffee, hot
- ¾ cup (163.5 ml) vegetable oil
- 4½ teaspoons (4.5 teaspoons) vanilla extract
For the Nougat Filling:
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (64 ml) evaporated milk
- 1½ cups (190.5 g) marshmallow fluff
- ¼ cup (64.5 g) creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups (219 g) salted peanuts, roughly chopped
For the Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting:
- ½ cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
- ¼ cup (56.5 g) salted caramel sauce
- 2 cups (240 g) powdered sugar
For the Milk Chocolate Ganache:
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) milk chocolate, finely chopped
- 4 ounces (113.4 ml) ½ cup heavy cream
For the Assembly / Garnish:
- Additional salted caramel sauce
- Chopped peanuts
Instructions
- Make the Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with rounds of parchment paper, grease the parchment, then flour the insides of the pans, tapping out excess; set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer (or large mixing bowl if you're using a hand mixer), sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix for 2 minutes on medium speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and mix for an additional 20 seconds (the batter will be very thin).
- Divide the batter evenly among prepared pans. Bake for 20 minutes and rotate the pans in the oven. Continue to bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of one of the cakes comes out almost clean (with a few moist crumbs), about 12 more minutes. Cool the cakes (in the pans) on wire racks for 20 minutes, then carefully turn them out onto cooling racks to cool completely.
- Make the Nougat Filling: Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar and evaporated milk, stirring until dissolved, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove the pan from heat and add the marshmallow fluff, peanut butter, and vanilla extract, stirring until completely smooth. Fold in the peanuts. Let the nougat mixture cool to room temperature before using it in the cake. You can do this leaving it at room temperature or you can pop it into the refrigerator to speed up the process. Be sure to give a stir occasionally as it cools.
- Make the Frosting: Beat together the butter and cream cheese on medium-high speed for 5 minutes (I like to use the whisk attachment for my KitchenAid stand mixer, but it's not necessary). Pour in the salted caramel and beat until combined. Reduce the speed to medium-low and slowly add the powdered sugar, a little at a time, until it has all been incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat for an additional two to three minutes, until light and fluffy.
- Assemble the Cake: If your cakes baked up uneven or have domed on top, level off the tops. Place one cake layer on a serving plate. Cover with half of the nougat filling and then spread a couple spoonfuls of the salted caramel sauce over top to evenly cover the nougat filling. Top with a second cake layer and cover with the remaining nougat filling and top with caramel sauce. Place the final cake layer on top face-down. Frost the cake with the salted caramel frosting, finishing it as smoothly as possible. Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour, until the frosting is set.
- Make the Chocolate Ganache: While the cake chills, make the chocolate ganache. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl; set aside. Place the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat and warm until it just comes to a boil. Pour the cream over the chopped chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes. Begin whisking the mixture in the center, gradually working your way outward until the ganache is completely smooth. Set aside to cool, whisking occasionally, until it has thickened slightly, yet still a pourable consistency.
- Garnish the Cake: Transfer the ganache to a 2-cup measuring cup. Slowly pour the chocolate ganache into the center of the cake, letting it push itself outward and flow over the sides of the cake. Refrigerate the cake for at least 30 minutes, giving the ganache a chance to set up. To finish garnishing, drizzle some additional salted caramel sauce over the top and side of the cake, and top with chopped peanuts. Keep the cake refrigerated, removing it from the refrigerator about 20 minutes prior to serving.
Notes
Did you make this recipe?
Leave a review below, then snap a picture and tag @thebrowneyedbaker on Instagram so I can see it!
What can i use to substitute marshmallow fluff?
What do you mean by 4 ounces 1/2 cup listed for the heavy cream amount in the milk chocolate gnauche ingredients? Is this 4 ounces of heavy cream plus 1/2 cup of heavy cream or is it either 4 ounces or 1/2 cup?
Hi Amelia, 4 ounces is the weight measurement for ½ cup of heavy cream.
SO GOOD! If you are thinking about making this cake, MAKE IT! I made it for Father’s Day. Everything about it was amazing. I ran out of vanilla extract after the cake, so I used almond extract for the nougat…I was eating it straight out of the bowl it was so good.
I made this for my husband’s birthday. The kids helped. He said “it’s the best cake I’ve ever had in his life”. Darn good.
Delicious, best cake I have made! I have made this cake numerous times for birthdays! My mum and I love it!
hi, is it possible to get this recipe with all the ingredients in grams please .I would like to make it for my partners birthday . thank you
I am not one to write a lot of reviews, but this cake was so fabulous! I made this cake for my sister in law’s birthday. It was quite possibly one of the best cakes I’ve ever made. Thank you for the awesome recipe!
Please never get rid of this recipe. I’ve made it every year for the past several years. My boyfriend LOVES Snickers, and when he requested those flavors in a cake I searched for it and came across this. The flavors are spot on, and he has requested it every year since then. It is a complex cake, but so worth it to please a loved one. Plus it’s delicious! Thank you!!!
Cried reading your story!
This was the best cake I have ever eaten! I am not usually a desert person and for birthdays I generally only eat on small piece of cake but I actually had to get more over the next few days! My husband wants to bring one to potluck at work and the kids loved it also!
Hi, I made the nougat filling ahead and am storing in the fridge. It seems rock hard is that normal? My fair is it won’t spread onto cake and furthermore when I serve it will be hard in middle. Is this normal or should I make another nougat?
Hi Carrie, It definitely should not be rock hard. I’d try taking it out at room temperature and letting it sit for 30-60 minutes and see if it softens up before having to make another batch.
What kind of marshmallow fluff do you buy or do you make your own? I bought jet-puffed marshmallow creme, but I heard the creme was different than fluff.
I buy the Fluff brand marshmallow fluff!
Just wondering if you used the Jet-Puffed Marshmallow creme instead of the Fluff. If so, was it successful? I’ve been reading through the comments, and a couple of them mentioned the nougat oozing or spilling out of the cake layers. I wonder if they used Fluff, Jet-Puffed, or the homemade version listed in comments? I watched a Youtube reviewer comparing the two, he mentioned that the Jet-Puffed had “water” listed as an ingredient, but Fluff does not. Would the water as an ingredient in the Jef-Puffed affect the consistency and ability of the nougat for this cake recipe to hold up? Maybe they used the Jeff-Puffed, and that is why it oozed? Just getting ready to make the nougat, but thought I’d check here first. Any thoughts or personal experienced with the Jet-Puffed Marshmallow creme, would be greatly appreciated !
Looks amazing and am definitely going to try out for a family friends birthday cake! I wanted to ask to see if the peanut butter can be omitted? I love it but my friend doesn’t, so I plan on leaving it out. Thanks for the great recipes!
The texture of the nougat won’t come out quite right without it. Does she like any other nut butters you could substitute, such as almond butter, cashew butter or even sunbutter?
Thurs is one of the best recipes i have ever found!!!!!
This cake is my go-to chocolaye cake recipe. And the snickers cake is amazing! My friends request it all of the time for birthdays so I have made it many times.
Could I make this recipe three 9-inch round cake pans instead of 8-inches, or would the layers be to thin?
Sorry, I didn’t read the other comments first
Omg this is an amazing recipe. Just made this for our resident Snickers fanatic and it turned out perfect. I’m always so Leary of scratch cake recipes since they tend to be so dry but am so glad I gave this one a shot. It’s hard to tell from the pictures but this cake is enormous and can easily feed 16 minimum. We are big cake eaters and most couldn’t finish their slice it’s so rich. Thank you for sharing this recipe it’s going in the book for sure!!!
I used espresso powder to make the hot coffee and I cut back on the sugar in all steps ( except the frosting). Still insanely delicious!! So moist. I cut up a Snickers bar and decorated the top with it and more peanuts. This will be my new special occasion cake! Your Dad would be so proud.
Two of us have made this cake several times and love the texture and flavor. But consistently we have the center forming a bubble and then a crater. With years of baking experience between us, we can’t figure out what we are doing wrong.
Thank you for your help.
My girlfriend made this cake for me for my birthday. I took some slices to work the next morning and my coworkers started calling it “Better than Sex Cake”! It’s sweet, it’s creamy, it’s sinful!
I just wanted to say thank you so much for sharing this recipe. My dad loves snickers, and I have made him this cake for the past few years on his birthday. He has celiac disease, so everything has to be gluten free. I have a great recipe on how to doctor up a gluten free chocolate cake mix which makes it taste just like homemade cake and you don’t even notice it’s not normal cake. Unfortunately, I have to use that instead of your cake recipe (which I’m sure is super yummy), but everything else in the recipe he can have and this cake is definitely a hit. You’ve done a great job coming up with a perfect recipe. Thanks again!
This recipe is perfect!!! You’ll smell it as soon as you slice it, true Snickers perfection. Taste will speak for itself! Thank you so much brown eyed baker.
I could only find 9in pans at the store. Will that be ok? I’ve read online to increase the recipe by 20-25% to account for the extra volume. Should I increase the volume or follow the recipe as is?
Hi Charlotte, You can use 9-inch pans, no problem! You’ll just need to decrease the baking time a little; I would start checking about 5 minutes sooner. Enjoy!
I’ve made this cake twice and it’s a hit! the salted caramel sauce is a precious little thing that I’m going to make for the rest of my life!
The nougat filling came a little different than last time, I couldn’t find marshmallow fluff so I melted mini marshmallows with some vegetable oil. It kinda of worked but the nougat came a little oily (of course) and with a weird consistency, but absolutely amazing in flavor so I can’t complain
Thank you so much for sharing!!
I made this cake for my dads 50th birthday. I followed everything exactly and it turned out perfect! I was so amazed that I could even make a cake like this! Thanks for much for sharing this. Blessings.
I’m so thrilled to hear that, Brianna! Happy birthday to your dad! :)
I gave this 5 stars, it really does taste like Snickers. It was way too rich and sweet for me, but the kids loved it. If you do decide to take this on, make sure you have some stamina! I made the cakes and caramel one day, the nougat and frosting the next, and the ganache late-night that second day. I had a LOT of caramel left over. BTW, the richness and size of this cake means it could easily feed 20. For once I was glad we have 3 boys with endless stomachs.
Hi Michelle, I absolutely adore this cake, thank you SO much for sharing it. I have used it a number of times for special occasions over the years, my mum’s retirement, my sisters 30th, everybody just loves it! It’s actually been such a hit that my sister has requested it for the wedding cake I’ll be baking for her! The only change I’ll be making is using an Italian meringue buttercream instead of cream cheese for the salted caramel frosting. Do you think this recipe would be enough for a 10inch base tier? Would the cooking time need adjusting? And do you think it would be best to cook it all in one 10inch cake pan in one go, or in layers like in this recipe? I have never made a wedding cake before so it’s going to be a real challenge! Sorry for all the questions and thank you for any advice you can give… and thank you again for your amazing recipe!!
Hi Jess, I’m so happy to hear you and your family have been loving this cake! As for the amount of batter for a 10-inch layer, I always refer to this Joy of Baking pan sizes page to figure how to best to scale recipes for different size pans. According to their chart, 8-inch pans have a capacity of 6 cups while a 10-inch pan holds 11 cups. So you may have a bit more batter than you need for one 10-inch cake pan. Cooking time might be similar, but I would start checking sooner just to be sure. As for one layer vs multiple layers, I think it just depends on what she wants for the cake? If she wants filling, etc. then you’ll want to do layers. I hope that helps a bit!
Hi Michelle, thanks so much for your helpful reply. That conversion website is great! Sorry I wasn’t very clear – so I’ll be doing 3 layers like your recipe, but 10inch each rather than 8inch, as it will be the bottom tier. Looking at the website I think I’ll just need to double your recipe as I am using springform tins, and 3 of them should hold 36 cups in total! What a lot of cake! Hopefully I’ve got that right! Thanks again :D
Any specific size eggs you use… large,extra large for the snickers cake?
Hi Jen, Large eggs!
How long will the nougat filling last in the fridge if prepared in advance?
Hi Nicola, I’d say up to 5 days.
Amazing cake!! I Live on an island inGreece and I had to make my own Marshmallow fluff and salted caramel bc we cant find these ingredients here. I made it in a two Day span but it was totally woeth it and Who ever tried it LOVED it!!! Thank you soo much!!
This is by far one of the best cakes I have ever had! Every single thing about it was amazing, and it looked incredible! This easily could be served in a 5 star restaurant! I can’t even believe this came out of my kitchen! Absolutely fabulous and if I could give it more stars I would!
Hello
Can I have the measurement in grams please? Thanks in advance