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When my son asked for something special for his birthday I knew exactly what to make this incredible chocolate Snickers cake. Picture everything you love about that classic candy bar transformed into layers of rich chocolate cake hugged by creamy peanut butter frosting rivers of homemade caramel and a blanket of silky milk chocolate ganache. It's pure candy bar magic in cake form.
Your Baking Adventure Starts Here
Let me walk you through each step of creating this showstopper. I've tested this recipe countless times in my kitchen to make sure you'll get perfect results in yours. While fancy tools are nice you can absolutely make this cake with basic kitchen equipment. I'll share all my tricks for making it work with whatever you have on hand.
Everything You'll Need
- For Those Perfect Layers: We'll need 4 8-inch cake pans. I use about 450g of batter in each pan for even layers.
- That Dreamy Caramel: Sugar butter heavy cream and salt come together to make pure magic. Watch that sugar carefully as it turns golden.
- Peanut Butter Heaven: The frosting is a dream of butter creamy peanut butter and heavy cream whipped until fluffy.
- Chocolate Topping: Heavy cream and milk chocolate chips make our glossy ganache finish.
Let's Make Magic
- Starting with Cake
- Get those chocolate layers baking at 350°F. They'll need about 22 minutes until they spring back when touched. Then we'll freeze them briefly to lock in all that moisture.
- Caramel Time
- Watch that sugar transform into liquid gold then carefully stir in butter cream and salt. Once it cools we'll whip it until it's thick then fold in crunchy peanuts.
- Whipping Up Frosting
- Beat butter and peanut butter together until they're best friends then add cream until everything's light and fluffy.
- Building Your Beauty
- Stack those cooled layers with generous swirls of frosting and pools of caramel between each one. The top layer goes upside down for the smoothest finish.
- Chill and Frost
- Give everything a quick chill then wrap the whole cake in that dreamy peanut butter frosting.
- Ganache Glory
- Pour warm cream over chocolate and watch it become silk. This is what dreams are made of.
- The Final Touch
- Drizzle with caramel pour on that ganache add some chopped peanuts and Snickers pieces. A sprinkle of sea salt makes everything pop.
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Making It Your Own
Need to skip the gluten? I've got you covered with a great flour swap. Going dairy free? Coconut milk works beautifully here. The frosting plays nice with different butters too just keep tasting until it's perfect for you.
Plan Ahead Tips
This cake is actually perfect for busy bakers. You can freeze those layers for up to a month and the frosting keeps beautifully in the fridge. Once it's all put together it'll stay fresh in the fridge for a week though it never lasts that long at my house.
Size It Up or Down
Don't have 8-inch pans? No problem. This recipe works beautifully in 9-inch pans or even as cupcakes. Just watch your baking time they'll need about 18 minutes for cupcakes.
My Kitchen Secrets
Take time to measure your flour carefully and let everything come to room temperature before starting. Level those layers with a serrated knife for the prettiest stack. A chilled cake is so much easier to frost. And remember if something doesn't look quite right I've got all sorts of tricks up my sleeve to help you fix it.
Common Questions About Cooking
- → Can I make this cake in advance?
You can make the cake layers and freeze them for up to a month. The caramel and frosting can be made a week ahead. Store completed cake in the fridge for up to a week.
- → Why do we need room temperature ingredients?
Room temperature ingredients blend together more smoothly and create a better cake texture. Cold ingredients can lead to lumpy batter and uneven baking.
- → Can I make this cake in different sizes?
Yes, the recipe works for two 9-inch layers or three dozen cupcakes. Adjust baking times accordingly - cupcakes need 20-22 minutes at the same temperature.
- → Why do you chill the cake while assembling?
Chilling helps set the frosting between layers and prevents them from sliding. It also makes the final frosting process much easier and cleaner.
- → How should I store leftover cake?
Keep the cake refrigerated and cover any cut sections with frosting to keep them moist. It will stay fresh in the fridge for up to a week.