Chocolate Snickers Cake

This chocolate Snickers cake tastes just like our favorite candy bar!

Its moist chocolate cake layers are filled with fluffy peanut butter frosting and homemade peanut caramel, and then the cake is covered in milk chocolate ganache.

How to Make This Chocolate Snickers Cake

To make sure this cake turns out as amazing as possible, let’s walk through each step together! I’ve also included a video tutorial of the process below.

Step 1: Bake the Chocolate Cake Layers

The first step is to make the chocolate cake batter following the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans. Bake the layers for 22-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.

Let the pans cool for 10 minutes, then run a small offset spatula around the perimeter of the pan to separate the cake from the pan.

Place the cake layers into the freezer for 30 minutes to accelerate the cooling process. This helps lock in the steam and makes the layers extra moist. If you don’t have room in the freezer, place the cake pans on a wire rack and let them cool fully before removing them.

Once the layers are fully cooled, carefully flip the pans and remove the layers. These cake layers bake up pretty flat, so leveling them is optional, but I like to level them with a serrated knife to make the cake easier to fill and frost.

If you make these cake layers in advance and freeze them, let them thaw for about 15 minutes before making the cake. The cake layers should still be slightly cold to the touch, which will make it easier to assemble the cake.

If you’re making these in advance, you can wrap and freeze them at this point.

Step 2: Make the Peanut Caramel

Then it’s time to work on the peanut caramel. Making caramel from scratch might seem a little intimidating, but I promise it’s easier than you’d think!

Turn the stove to a medium heat and place a saucepan over the element. Once the saucepan has warmed up, gradually pour in the sugar, adding 1/4 cup at a time.

Wait until the sugar is mostly liquified, then add in the next bit of sugar. Stir as needed with a rubber spatula. As the sugar melts, it will slowly deepen in color.

If you feel like the sugar might be burning or getting too dark, remove the pan from heat and turn down the temperature a bit.

Stir as needed until the sugar is fully dissolved and is an amber color. Turn off the heat.

Slowly mix in the butter, then stir in the heavy cream and salt. The mixture will be very thin at this point, but it will thicken as it cools.

Pour the caramel into a separate container and set aside to cool.

Once the caramel has reached room temperature, whip it with a hand mixer or stand mixer fit with a whisk attachment for 1-2 minutes, until it becomes lighter in color and looks thicker.

Place 1/3 cup of caramel into a small piping bag, seal the top with a rubber band, and set aside.

Then fold in the salted, chopped peanuts into the remaining caramel. Set aside.

Step 3: Make the Peanut Butter Buttercream Frosting

As the cake layers cool, make the peanut butter buttercream.

I like to use my American buttercream (ABC) as a base because it is super easy to make, and the sweetness of the frosting pairs so nicely with the salty peanut butter.

If you aren’t a fan of ABC, I’d recommend adding 1 cup of peanut butter to a batch of my Swiss meringue buttercream or 1.5 batches of my hybrid buttercream.

This frosting can also be made in advance if needed and kept in the fridge for up to a month.

Step 4: Stack and Fill the Cake Layers

Then it’s time to assemble this cake! Stack and frost the cake layers on a greaseproof cake board or flat plate. Use a dab of buttercream to help stick the first cake layer to the board.

Spread an even layer of buttercream on top of the cake layer. Then pipe a ring of buttercream around the edge of the cake layer and fill the center with 1/3 of the peanut caramel.

Repeat with the remaining cake layers. Flip the top cake layer upside down to make the cake easier to frost and minimize crumbing.

Step 5: Chill and Frost the Cake

Once the layers are stacked, chill the cake in the freezer for 5-10 minutes to prevent the layers from sliding. Then use the remaining frosting to cover the cake.

Smooth the frosting using a bench scraper or large offset spatula, then chill the cake again in the fridge (30 minutes) or freezer (10 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.

Step 6: Make the Chocolate Ganache Drip & Decorate This Snickers Cake

The last component is the chocolate ganache.

Heat the heavy cream in a heatproof bowl in the microwave for 30-45 seconds, until it’s just beginning to bubble.

Gently pour the milk chocolate chips into the heavy cream, making sure they are fully covered with cream. Let the mixture sit for 1 minute.

Stir until the cream and chocolate are combined and smooth. If the mixture seems too thin or thick, you can add a touch more chocolate chips or heavy cream.

The type of cream and chocolate that you use can affect the consistency, along with the temperature of the ganache. Feel free to adjust as needed.

Step 7: Decorate the Chocolate Snickers Cake

Drizzle the remaining caramel that was placed in a piping bag over the edge of the chilled cake.

The caramel will seem really thick and the drips may seem short, but they should lengthen / thin out after a few minutes (see how thick mine were at first in the video!).

If the caramel has cooled off too much and is challenging to squeeze out of the bag, heat it in the microwave in 5-second intervals until it is at room temperature again.

Then pour the chocolate ganache on top of the cake and gently push it over the edge of the cake using a small offset spatula.

Press chopped peanuts around the base of the cake, then add a ring of chopped-up Snickers around the top of the cake. Top with a sprinkle of sea salt and enjoy!

Substitutions and Swaps - Chocolate Cake Layers

This chocolate Snickers cake recipe uses quite a few ingredients, and I know you might not have them all on hand. Or if you have food allergies or restrictions, I’ve got you covered.

Below are some swaps and substitutions that can be made in this cake recipe.

• All-Purpose Flour - This recipe turns out best with all-purpose flour. However, you can swap in a good gluten-free baking flour blend if needed. Just be sure to stir the batter longer than normal to help give the cake proper structure, and let the batter sit for about 20 minutes before baking it if you opt to make a gluten-free version.
• Granulated Sugar - I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar or changing the type of sugar, as it will change the texture of the cake layers.
• Baking Cocoa - I like to use the Ghirardelli or Hershey’s brand of unsweetened baking cocoa, but you can use any brand! You can also use dark or black cocoa powder.
• Buttermilk - You can also use full-fat yogurt, sour cream, whole milk, or an alternative yogurt or milk (almond, soy, oat).
• Vegetable Oil - Any flavorless oil can be used in this recipe. Canola, vegetable, or even sunflower oil would all work great. I don’t recommend olive oil, though, as it has a strong flavor and will change the taste of the cake.
• Eggs - If you have an egg allergy, you can try using a vegan egg replacer in place of the eggs, but this recipe turns out best with large eggs.

Substitutions and Swaps - Peanut Butter Buttercream

• Unsalted Butter - If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use it in place of the unsalted butter. Just be sure to omit the salt that this frosting recipe calls for. You can also use vegan butter in its place.
• Peanut Butter - I recommend making this frosting with creamy peanut butter that is shelf-stable. I usually use JIF or Skippy. Natural peanut butter that separates easily can cause the frosting to break.
• Heavy Cream - Whipping cream, coconut cream, or alternative milk (soy, almond, oat, coconut) will work fine in this frosting recipe if that’s what you have on hand.
• Vanilla Extract - Other extracts can also be used in place of the vanilla extract if needed, or it can be omitted.

Making This Snickers Layer Cake in Different Sizes

One batch of batter is about 1800g or 10 cups, so I add roughly 450g to each of my cake pans when using 4, 8-inch cake pans.

You can also use one batch of batter to make 2, 9-inch cake layers or 4, 6-inch cake layers. Bake time will be a few minutes longer at 350°F/175°C.

If you want to make Snickers cupcakes, this recipe can be used to make about 3 dozen cupcakes. Fill the liners 3/4 full and bake for 18-21 minutes at 350°F/175°C.

If you want to make a tiered cake with this recipe, check out my cake batter calculator to see how many batches of batter you’ll need.

Can This Chocolate Snickers Cake Be Made in Advance?

Short answer - yes! I highly recommend making the components of this cake in stages. It breaks the process up and makes it so much more approachable!

The cake layers can be made in advance and frozen. They taste just as great when they’re frozen as when they’re fresh, I promise!

You can also make the frosting ahead of time or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container inthe fridge for up to a month.

Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.

A frosted cake can be stored for up to a week in the fridge. The buttercream will lock all the moisture in and keep it fresh.

If you cut into the cake and have leftovers, use any remaining frosting to cover the cut section to keep it moist and store it in the fridge for up to a week.

Tips for Making the Best Chocolate Snickers Cake

• Properly measure the flour. Either spoon it into the cup measure, then level with a knife, or use a kitchen scale to measure your dry ingredients.
• Ingredients at room temperature mix together better, so be sure to set out any cold ingredients ahead of time.
• Use a scale to weigh your cake pans as you fill them. It helps the cake layers bake to the same height and bake more evenly.
• Level the room temperature or thawed cake layers with a serrated knife to make them easier to stack and fill.
• Chill the cake layers in the freezer for about 20 minutes before assembling the cake. This makes them easier to stack and frost.
• If your cake layers turn out less than perfect, check out my cake troubleshooting guide to try to figure out what happened.
• Chill the cake before adding on the crumb coat.This will help lock the filling in place and prevent the cake layers from sliding.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you make this chocolate Snickers cake recipe, I’d love to hear what you think! Let me know by leaving a rating and comment below.

And don’t forget to tag me @chelsweets and use #chelsweets if you share on social media so that I can see your amazing creations.

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