Howdy there! I know, I know... It's been so sooo SOOOO long since I post a recipe. Thank my finals for that! They were INTENSE. But then again, so is this cake. And contrary to my academic plight, this Snickers Cake is delightful! It generated similar reactions to my pumpkin cake-- reactions that a chocolate box cake mix could never ever dream to produce! This cake is the biggest cake I've ever made and it is also the most complicated. But never fear! Just take it one step at a time (caramel, cake, filling, frosting, assembly and ganache) and at the end it will be worth it. This is not a last-minute cake though. It will take from morning to late afternoon to make. Also, seeing as the ingredient list is quite long, I suggest getting a few of your friends to pitch in and even help if you want. Look at that beautiful anatomy! Accept the challenge? ;)
If you do, then let's go!!!
First step is preparing three 9-inch round cake pans. Smear butter all over the insides, stick a circle of parchment paper in each and sprinkle them with flour. This is my favorite way of guaranteeing that the cakes don't stick to their pans. (They tend to get emotionally attached to each other in the oven.)
First step is preparing three 9-inch round cake pans. Smear butter all over the insides, stick a circle of parchment paper in each and sprinkle them with flour. This is my favorite way of guaranteeing that the cakes don't stick to their pans. (They tend to get emotionally attached to each other in the oven.)
And now it's time to do the most risky part of this cake-- the salted caramel! TAN TAN TAAAAAAAN. lol It's fairly easy to do just as long as you pay complete attention to what you're doing. This is not the time to answer the phone, check your Facebook or day dream about unicorns and marshmallows. Fix your gaze on what's happening in that heavy saucepan and be swift like a caramel-making ninja. Ok, so this is how it's done...
Get all of your ingredients together and ready to use. Add the sugar to the pan and heat on medium-high heat. As it starts to melt, whisk it constantly. Clumps will start appearing, but they will soon break down. Hakuna matata. Stop whisking when it's all melted. Swirl the pan once in a while as it cooks.
Get all of your ingredients together and ready to use. Add the sugar to the pan and heat on medium-high heat. As it starts to melt, whisk it constantly. Clumps will start appearing, but they will soon break down. Hakuna matata. Stop whisking when it's all melted. Swirl the pan once in a while as it cooks.
As soon (and I do mean as soon) as the sugar turns a deep amber color add all of the butter and whisk until it melts. It is extremely important to add the butter quickly because if not the sugar will burn in a matter of seconds. Also, don't be afraid when it bubbles up. It's supposed to do that.
Once the butter is melted, remove the pan from the heat and slowly add the cream. It will bubble up again. When it is fully incorporated, whisk in the salt and let the caramel cool. Step 1- done.
And now for the cake. Preheat oven to 350. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, coffee, buttermilk, oil and vanilla.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix for 2 minutes on medium speed. Scrape the bowl and mix it again for a few seconds. The batter will be super thin.
Divide the batter evenly between the three pans, bake for 20 minutes and rotate the pans in the oven. Bake for 12 minutes more or until toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean with a few moist crumbs. Cool the cakes in their pans for at least 20 minutes before taking them out. Step 2- Done!
While the cakes are in the oven you can get started with the nougat filling. The first thing you gotta do is melt the butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Stir in the sugar and evaporated milk until dissolved and bring to a boil.
While the cakes are in the oven you can get started with the nougat filling. The first thing you gotta do is melt the butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Stir in the sugar and evaporated milk until dissolved and bring to a boil.
When it starts boiling, set the heat to low and cook for five minutes. Once that's done, remove from heat and stir in marshmallow fluff, peanut butter and vanilla until smooth. Fold in peanuts. Step 3- DONE!
Ok, only frosting, assembly and ganache left! For the frosting, beat together butter and cream cheese for 5 minutes in medium high speed. Beat in salted caramel and in medium-low speed, slowly add powdered sugar until fully incorporated. Then beat in medium-high speed until fluffy and light, about 2-3 minutes. Step 4- you guessed it- DONE!
Now it's time to assemble this bad boy. Remove one of the cake layers and place it on a big plate. Line the borders of the plate with parchment or wax paper and tuck the strips under the cake so the frosting doesn't smear the plate. Spread half of the nougat filling and spoon some of the caramel on top of the cake. Repeat with second layer.
Place third layer on top of the filling and frost the cake with a thin layer to create a crumb coat. Stick cake in fridge for about ten minutes and then finish frosting it. Place the cake in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Aaaand Step 5??? Done!
Just one more step left, the chocolate ganache. Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Warm the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. As soon as it starts boiling pour it over the chocolate and leave alone for 2 minutes. Then stir until smooth. Whisk it a few times while the cake is setting in the fridge. STEP 6- DONE!!!
Once the cake is ready, use a measuring cup to pour the chocolate ganache over the center of the cake, letting it spread out and randomly run over the sides of the cake. Refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour and garnish with chopped peanuts and more caramel. Keep the cake in the fridge and remove it 20 minutes before serving.
Enjoy the awesomeness and Merry Christmas! :D
Here's the recipe in a printable format.
Snickers Cake
Adapted from: Brown Eyed Baker
Ingredients:
Salted Caramel Sauce:
Directions:
Ingredients:
Salted Caramel Sauce:
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 12 tbsp unsalted butter, chopped, at room temperature
- 1 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
- 1 tbsp sea salt
- 2½ cups + 1 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup + 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 tbsp baking soda
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 1½ tsp salt
- 3 eggs, at room temperature
- 1½ cups buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1½ cups strong black coffee, hot
- ¾ cup vegetable oil
- 4½ tsp vanilla extract
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup evaporated milk
- 1½ cups marshmallow fluff
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1½ cups salted peanuts, roughly chopped
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 4 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
- ¼ cup salted caramel
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 8 oz milk chocolate, finely chopped
- ½ cup (4 oz) heavy cream
- Salted caramel
- Chopped peanuts
Directions:
- Prepare three 8-inch round cake pans by smearing the bottom of the pans with butter, lining them each with a circle of parchment paper and sprinkling flour over them. Preheat oven at 350.
- Salted Caramel: Melt the sugar in a heavy sauce pan over medium heat, whisking it as you go along. It will form clumps, and then melt. Once it does, stop whisking and swirl sugar around the pan a few times while it cooks.
- AS SOON as it turns a deep amber color, add the butter. It will bubble up suddenly. Whisk until smooth.
- Remove from heat and slowly add the cream. It will bubble up again.
- Whisk in the salt and let cool for 15 minutes. Whisk once in a while so it remains smooth.
- Cake: In a large bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla.
- Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and beat for 2 minutes in medium speed. Scrape the bowl and mix again for a few seconds until fully mixed. The batter will be super thin.
- Divide evenly between three pans and bake for 20 minutes. Rotate pans in oven and bake until toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs, about 12 minutes. Cool the cakes in the pans for 20 minutes.
- Nougat Filling: Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add sugar and evaporated milk and stir until dissolved.
- Once it starts to boil, cook for 5 minutes over low heat, stirring a few times during the process. Remove from heat and stir in marshmallow fluff, peanut butter and vanilla, until smooth. Fold in peanuts. Let it cool before spreading it on cake.
- Salted Caramel Frosting: Beat together butter and cream cheese on medium high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in salted caramel.
- In low speed, slowly add in powdered sugar until fully incorporated. Then beat in medium high speed for 2-3 minutes until fluffy.
- Assembly: Remove one of the cakes from its pan and place in large plate. Line the corners with parchment paper and tuck strips under the cake so that the frosting doesn't smear it.
- Spread half of the nougat filling over first layer and spoon some caramel sauce over filling. Repeat with second layer.
- Add third layer and frost the cake with a thin crumb coat. Refrigerate for about ten minutes. Remove from fridge and finish frosting.
- Refrigerate cake for about 1 hour.
- Chocolate Ganache: Place chocolate in a medium sized bowl.
- Warm cream over medium heat. As soon as it starts boiling, pour cream over chocolate and let sit for 2 minutes. Stir until smooth. Whisk occasionally to keep it that way.
- Garnish: Using a measuring cup, pour ganache over center of the cake, letting it spread out and run over the sides of the cake. Refrigerate for 1/2 hour. Sprinkle the top with chopped peanuts. Keep the cake in the fridge and remove 20 minutes before serving.