This Snickers Cake is pure candy-bar nostalgia in cake form — soft chocolate layers, gooey caramel ribbons, peanuts, and a rich frosting that ties it all together. It looks over-the-top but comes together surprisingly easy.
Every layer has a purpose, and small details make a big difference in how smooth, sliceable, and delicious the final cake turns out.
What’s In This Snickers Bar Cake:
Ingredient Substitution Notes
CHOCOLATE CHIPS: Milk chocolate chips would work but we do not recommend dark or bittersweet chocolate as a substitution.
PEANUTS: We used blanched peanuts but salted and roasted peanuts will also work for this recipe. We would not recommend using honey-roasted or other flavored peanuts that can be found in the nut section of your grocery store.
EVAPORATED MILK: There is no substitute for the evaporated milk in this recipe that we’ve found to be successful.
CARAMEL SAUCE: If you have a preferred homemade caramel sauce, you can use that to drizzle onto the cake.
Making The Perfect Snickers Inspired Cake
First Bake – A Cake Base That Holds Up
In this recipe, we use a boxed Devil’s Food Cake mix but the trick is how you mix it. Instead of following the box directions, you’ll be adding evaporated milk and oil (not water). This makes the cake richer and able to support the caramel layer.
Pro Tip: Whisk until smooth but don’t over-mix — just until you no longer see dry flour. Over-mixing activates too much gluten, leading to a tough texture instead of that soft, candy-bar reminiscent taste.
The Caramel Layer Secret
The heart of this cake is the caramel-peanut layer — it’s what gives it that unmistakable Snickers feel. The key is gentle heat. Melt the caramel candies slowly, stirring constantly so it stays silky and doesn’t seize. Once smooth, remove from the heat right away — letting it bubble too long makes it thick and hard to spread.
Layering Without Mixing
When you spread the second half of the cake batter over the caramel, use a gentle hand and an offset spatula. The goal is to float the batter on top rather than mix it in.
Work in small scoops across the surface and lightly connect them until the caramel is covered. This keeps the layers distinct — fudgy bottom, caramel middle, and soft top.
Bake Timing and Cooling
That final 15–20-minute bake is crucial. The top should look fully set but still slightly soft to the touch — that’s how you know the interior layers are perfectly gooey.
Let the cake cool completely in the pan before lifting it out. The caramel firms as it cools, which makes for cleaner cuts and a solid structure for frosting.
If you rush this step, the caramel can tear the cake or pull away from the edges.
Serving & Storage Instructions
Use a creamy milk-chocolate frosting rather than dark or bittersweet — it matches the Snickers profile perfectly. A drizzle of bottled caramel sauce (the kind meant for coffee or ice cream) gives that glossy finish without turning sticky.
Finish with a sprinkle of chopped salted peanuts for crunch and balance — the salt cuts through the sweetness. For an extra layer of decadence (and a visual wow factor), add chopped Snickers bars across the top before serving.
This cake slices best when slightly chilled. A short rest in the fridge (about one hour) firms the caramel just enough so you can get those clean, layered squares without losing the ooze.
To store, cover tightly and refrigerate for up to five days. Let it sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving for the perfect texture — cool enough to hold, soft enough to melt in your mouth.
More Snickers Recipes
Snickers Cake
Ingredients
- 15.25 ounces boxed Devil’s Food Cake, Duncan Hines Brand used (do not follow the directions on the back of the box)
- 1 cup evaporated milk, divided (¾ cup for the cake mix and ¼ cup for the caramel sauce)
- ½ cup canola oil
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 11 ounces Kraft brand caramel candies, unwrapped
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup chopped salted peanuts, divided (½ cup for the middle layer, ¼ cup for garnish)
- 16 ounces creamy milk chocolate frosting, Duncan Hines brand used
Garnish
- Bottled caramel sauce, Ghirardelli brand used
- Reserved chopped salted peanuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper being sure to allow for enough to overhang the sides of the pan. This allows easy removal of the Snickers cake from the pan once cooled to frost, garnish and slice for serving. Set aside.
- Whisk together in a large mixing bowl the Devil’s food cake mix, ¾ cup evaporated milk, canola oil and eggs until fully combined and no large lumps remain.
- Spread half the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Reserve the remaining half of the batter.
- While the first half of the cake is baking, add the caramel candies and remaining ¼ cup evaporated milk to a small (1.5-quart) saucepan over medium-low heat.
- Melt the caramels, stirring often to avoid scorching, until smooth. This will take between 4-6 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Remove the cake from the oven, evenly sprinkle the chocolate chips and ½ cup chopped peanuts over the surface of the warm cake.
- Pour the warm caramel sauce evenly over the cake.
- Spoon the remaining half of the cake batter evenly over the caramel sauce. Use an offset spatula to gently spread the batter as best as possible without mixing the layers.
- Return the cake to the oven to finish baking for an additional 15-20 minutes or just until the center of the top layer is fully set.
- Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan at room temperature.
- Carefully lift the cake from the pan using the overhanging parchment paper. You may need to run a butter knife along the edges to loosen the cake from the pan in any spots that the caramel may have caused it to stick. Place the cake onto a large cutting board or rectangular serving platter.
- Frost the cake with the milk chocolate frosting. Drizzle with the bottled caramel sauce and sprinkle with ¼ cup chopped salted peanuts for garnish.
- Slice into 12 (3×3 inch) servings. For cleaner slices, refrigerate the cake for 1-1 ½ hours. This will allow the caramel sauce to firm just enough to allow for cleaner slices without getting too firm.
Notes
- Any 15.25 chocolate cake mix can be substituted for the Devil’s Food variety.
- Milk chocolate chips can be substituted for the semi-sweet chips in this recipe for a slightly sweeter cake.
- Bottled caramel sauce that is used for garnishing specialty coffees or drizzling over ice cream is best for this cake. The caramel sauces in jars are oftentimes too thick for a light drizzle over the top of the frosted cake.
Nutrition
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