Snickers Cake
Just like those tasty snickers (is it just me, or is it impossible to eat just one), the cake is going to have you coming back for more. Moist and rich chocolate cake layers. Fresh nougat filling made from marshmallows and peanut butter, and a peanut butter and chocolate buttercream
Ingredients
For the chocolate Cake
- 3 eggs
- 1 cup buttermilk room temp
- 1 cup hot water
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar
- 1 ⅓ cup special dark cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the nougat filling
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup evaporated milk
- 1½ cups marshmallow fluff
- ¼ cup creamy peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups unsalted peanuts chopped
For the caramel
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 3 Tablespoons light corn syrup
- ¾ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
For the peanut butter buttercream
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar sifted
- ¾ cup unsalted butter softened
- ½ cup smooth peanut butter
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
- pinch of salt
For the chocolate buttercream
- 1 cup unsalted butter chilled
- 5 oz dark chocolate chips
- 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
For the Cake
- Preheat your oven to 330 F. With either 3 8-inch pans or 4 6-inch pans, prep them by spraying the bottom, lining them with parchment paper, and then spraying again. Set aside.
- In a large bowl or a stand sized mixer with the paddle attachment, combined the flour, sugar, both cocoa powders, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix on low until evenly combined.
- In a small bowl, combined the eggs, buttermilk, hot water, vanilla extract, and vegetable oil. Whisk all the ingredients until evenly combined.
- With the mixer on the lowest speed, pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. With a rubber spatula scrape the bottom of the bowl to make sure the batter is evenly combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between the pans, and bake for 30-33 minutes. After they are done baking, let them cool for 15 minutes and then transfer them to a cooling rack and let them finishing cooling there.
- After the cakes have come to room temperature, wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze them in preparation for frosting the cake.
For the nougat filling
- In a medium size sauce pan, melt the butter. Once the butter is melted add the sugar and the evaporated milk. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook for 5 minutes, and stir occasionally.
- Turn off the heat, and fold in the marshmallow fluffy, peanut butter, and vanilla extract, and mix until evenly combined. Add the peanuts last, and mix.
- Make sure that the nougat filling has come to room temperature before putting it on the cake. If you have warm nougat filling it will cause the cake to warm up, and the buttercream to melt.
- Stir well before putting on the cake.
For the caramel
- Mix sugar, water and corn syrup in a small saucepan.
- Start boiling the water and sugar mixture on medium hight heat. This is the part when you do not want to stir. Let it boil until the mixture becomes caramelized and looks golden brown. This takes a minute, but once it starts turning color, it changes fast. So keep an eye on it.
- Heat the cream in the microwave for 1 minute.
- Once the sugar mixture has turned the correct color, turn off the heat, and add the warm cream, being careful that it doesn’t burn you. Mix the caramel mixture until evenly combined.
- Pour mixture into a heat proof bowl. Add the vanilla, salt, and butter let it sit until the butter melts, then stir.
- Let it cool down to room temp.
For the chocolate buttercream
- In a microwave safe proof bowl, Heat the cream for 1 minute. Pour the cream over the chocolate chips to melt, let it sit and then stir until smooth. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium to high speed for about 2 minutes.
- Slowly add the chocolate/cream mixture to the butter making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl a few times. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes to fully incorporate. Add the vanilla and salt. Beat on low for 30 seconds.
- With the mixer on the lowest speed, gradually add the powdered sugar. Once all of the powdered sugar is added, mix the buttercream for another few minutes on medium-high speed. You'll notice the color lighten – don't worry, it darkens as it sits out after you decorate your cake.
For the peanut butter buttercream
- In the bowl of electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter and peanut butter. Beat on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add all of the the powdered sugar to the bowl and mix on the lowest speed, and once incorporated beat on high speed for 2 minutes.
- Turn off the mixer and and add the vanilla extract, salt and heavy whipping cream, and continue to beat on high speed until very fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Beat frosting by hand with a wooden spoon to get air bubbles out
Assembly
- Place the first cake layer, top side up, on a cake board. Pipe a rim of chocolate buttercream around the edge of the cake. This will act as a wall for the nougat filling.
- Evenly spread about 1 cup of the nougat filling over the cake layer. Drizzle the caramel sauce over the bought filling, and then generously toss some crushed peanuts on top.
- Repeat these steps for the second cake layer.
- Place the final cake layer, top side down, on the filling. Apply a thin layer of chocolate buttercream around the entire cake. This is your crumb coat. Freeze the crumb-coated cake for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Once the crumb coat is set, continue to frost your cake with the remaining chocolate buttercream and the peanut butter buttercream