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Snickers Drip Cake

I’ve made various snickers cakes in the past, but this one really takes the cake (no pun intended). It’s made with super tender chocolate cake layers, a decadent peanut butter frosting, and has both a caramel AND a chocolate drip. Hence its name, the Snickers Drip Cake!!

image of snickers drip cake with both a caramel and chocolate drip decoration

Cake Flour vs. All-Purpose Flour

Now some of you might be asking, why cake flour in this snickers drip cake recipe?? Your recipes usually use all-purpose flour!

Cake flour has less protein in it (usually 7-8%) than all-purpose flour (about 11%). Why does the protein content matter? Because this protein becomes gluten as you mix it with liquid.

More protein means more gluten, which means denser, chewier baked goods (think of a chewy loaf of sourdough bread!).

Cake flour makes baked goods that are fluffier, and lighter like angel food cake. They also give baked goods a finer crumb.

All of this probably sounds super good, right? I’m totally team light & fluffy. So why not ALWAYS use cake flour??

Sometimes you need a little bit more structure, like when you’re making a tall layer cake!

I generally prefer using all purpose flour in my cake recipes. A lot of my cake recipes use a ton of buttermilk (like my vanilla layer cake recipe), and I find they’re already plenty moist and tender.

All purpose flour helps my cake layers keep their shape when they’re being stacked and/or carved in a layer cake. I also always have all-purpose flour on hand.

But I wanted this cake to be different. I wanted fluffier cake layers to help balance it all out, and to create a great variety of textures.

Why Self-Rising Cake Flour is Your Best Friend

Now onto the self-rising part. Self-rising cake flour is pre-mixed, so salt and baking powder are already perfectly incorporated into the cake flour.

I love this because it helps you skip three steps.

Rather than getting out the ingredients, placing them a in a separate bowl, and whisking them together, you just use 3 cups of your self-rising cake flour. Viola!

image of flour being leveled in a measuring cup

Surprisingly, my neighborhood grocery store ONLY carries the self-rising type of cake flour. If you forgot to grab some at the store or can’t find any, don’t worry.

For every cup of self-rising flour that this recipe calls for, measure out 1 cup of cake flour, then add 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder.

Or if you are more of a metrics person, here’s the same formula in grams.

You can swap 100 grams of self-rising flour with 100 grams of cake flour, plus 5 1/2 grams baking powder and 1 gram salt. 

Adding the Caramel and Chocolate Drip To This Cake

Whenever I make a drip cake, there are two very important steps I take to ensure I get the look I’m after! I’ve learned the hard way on this, so please learn from my mistakes.

image of chocolate and caramel drips being added to a snickers drip cake

Tip #1: Chill Your Cake

My first tip is to only add drips to a chilled cake! I mean THOROUGHLY chilled. Your buttercream should be firm to the touch.

This can take up to 30 minutes in the fridge or about 10 minutes in the freezer.

Chilling your cake will help your drips stay in place once they’re added, and help prevent them from running down too far.

Tip #2: Make A Test Drip

My second tip? Make a test drip. Take your chocolate ganache and caramel and make a single drip. Let if flow and sit for a couple minutes. See what it looks like, and how far it runs.

Are you happy with how it looks? This is your time to make changes to get it just right. Is it too thin? Did the drip run too far down the cake? Maybe you need to let your ganache or caramel cool more.

image of chocolate ganache ready to be swirled into marble cake layers

Is your drip too thick or short? You might need to pop it in the microwave for a couple seconds (seriously, don’t heat it for more than 5 seconds). Or maybe you want to add in a tiny bit more heavy cream.

This is point in the process where my eagerness can get the best of me, and I mess up sometimes. I think I’ve made the necessary adjustments, and dive right into adding all my drips.

But for all you know, you may have overcorrected! You may have actually heated or cooled your ganache too much.

image of snickers drip cake with both a caramel and chocolate drip decoration

You need to do ANOTHER test drip. I know it seems excessive, but think about it. You’ve already put all this time into making a cake from scratch!

It’s worth taking the extra five minutes of test drips to make sure your ganache is the perfect temperature.

Tips for Making the Best Snickers Drip Cake

  • Don’t overmix your batter, stir until the cake flour is just combined
  • Be sure to properly measure your flour (spoon into the cup measure, then level) or use a kitchen scale
  • Make sure your ingredients are at room temperature to help them mix together better
  • Don’t level your cake layers until they are completely cooled.
  • Make a test drip with both your caramel and chocolate ganache before adding drips all around the cake. This ensures both are at the right temperature to create perfect drips!

Making this Snicker Cake in Advance and Storage Tips

  • Make your cake layers in advance and freeze them. It breaks the process up and make it more approachable.
  • Make your frosting ahead of time too, or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.
  • A frosted cake can last in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to a month. The buttercream locks in all the moisture, keeping the cake fresh and delicious!
  • If you cut into the cake and have leftovers, use any remaining frosting to cover the cut section to keep it moist and store in the fridge for up to a week.

Let Me Know What You Think!

If you try this snickers drip cake recipe, please tag me @chelsweets. Please leave a rating, and let me know your thoughts in the comments section.

Also use the #chelsweets so that I can see your baking!

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Yield: 30

Snickers Cake

image of snickers drip cake with both a caramel and chocolate drip decoration

This snickers drip cake is a snickers lover's dream! It's made with soft, incredibly moist cake layers that are filled with peanut butter frosting, homemade caramel, and loads of snickers candy bars!

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 33 minutes
Additional Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 48 minutes

Ingredients

Homemade Caramel Sauce

  • 1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)
  • 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature (85 grams)
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream, room temperature (76 grams)
  • 1/4 tsp table salt (1 gram)

Chocolate Cake Layers

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temp (2 sticks, 226 grams)
  • 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar (500 grams)
  • 4 large eggs, room temp (224 grams)
  • 1 cup hot water (237 grams)
  • 1 cup buttermilk, room temp (240 grams)
  • 1 cup cocoa (100 grams)
  • 3 cups self-rising cake flour (360 grams)

Peanut Butter Frosting

  • 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature (339 grams)
  • 1/2 cup cream peanut butter (125 grams)
  • 7 cups powdered sugar (907 grams) - or a 2 lb bag
  • 1 tsp salt (6 grams)
  • 1/3 cup heavy cream (or whipping cream) (75 grams)

Chocolate Drip

  • 1/4 cup heavy cream (58 grams)
  • 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips (88 grams)

Additional Decorations/Tools:

Instructions

Homemade Caramel Sauce

  1. Turn stove on medium heat, and place a pot over element.
  2. Pour in sugar gradually, adding 1/4 cup at a time. Wait until the sugar is mostly liquified, then add in the next bit of sugar.
  3. As the sugar melts, it will gradually deepen in color.
  4. Stir occasionally until the sugar is fully dissolved, and is an amber color.
  5. Turn off the heat.
  6. Mix in butter slowly (2 Tbsp at a time), then stir in cream and salt.
  7. The mixture will be very thin, but will thicken as it cools.
  8. Pour into a separate container, then place in fridge to cool for 30 minutes.

Chocolate Cake Layers

  1. Begin by preheating the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
  2. Line three 8-inch round or square pans with parchment rounds, and spray with non-stick baking spray.
  3. Add the sugar and butter into the bowl of a stand mixer, and mix on high for 1 minute with a whisk attachment. The mixture should become light in color.
  4. Add in the eggs, two at a time. Mix on medium high until they're fully incorporated.
  5. In a separate bowl, combine the cup of hot water, and cup of buttermilk. Pour in the cup of baking cocoa, and whisk until no clumps remain.
  6. Next, mix in 1 cup of self-rising cake flour into the butter/egg mixture on a low speed. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula, to ensure the flour is fully incorporated.
  7. Pour in half of the buttermilk/cocoa mixture, and gently pulse the mixture to incorporate the liquid (if you don't, you'll end up splattering the cocoa mixture all over you kitchen!)
  8. Repeat with the remaining cake flour and cocoa mixture.
  9. After adding in the last cup of self-rising cake flour, mix on low until the flour is just incorporated.
  10. Pour the batter evenly between the prepared pans. I like to use a kitchen scale to ensure each pan has exactly the same amount of batter.
  11. Bake for 31-33 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  12. Allow layers to cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then run an offset spatula around the edge of the pans to help separate the layers from the pans.
  13. Place the pans in the freezer for about 45 minutes, to accelerate the cooling process. Once the layers are fully cooled, carefully flip the pans and remove the layers from the pans.
  14. Use a serrated knife to level the tops of the layers. Place the cake tops in a separate bowl to the side to snack on while you assembled the cake.

Peanut Butter Frosting

  1. While the cake layers bake and cool, make the peanut butter frosting.
  2. Beat the butter and peanut butter on a medium speed for 2 minutes with a paddle attachment until smooth. 
  3. Add in the salt and vanilla extract, and mix on low until fully incorporated.
  4. Slowly add in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Alternate with small splashes of cream.
  5. Beat on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated, then mix on the lowest speed for an additional two minutes to make it super smooth.
  6. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

Chocolate Drip

  1. Place the milk chocolate chips in a heat proof bowl, and set aside.
  2. Heat heavy cream in a heat proof bowl in the microwave for 45 seconds to 1 minute, until gently bubbling.
  3. If you don’t have a microwave or prefer to use the stove top, you can heat the cream over a medium heat in a pan until it begins to simmer. Remove from heat.
  4. Gently pour the heavy cream over the chocolate chips, making sure they are covered with cream. Allow mixture to sit for 1-2 minutes.
  5. Stir slowly until the cream and chocolate are fully combined, and ganache is silky smooth.
  6. Set aside to cool for about 20 minutes, until the mixture is just slightly warm to the touch.

Assembling This Snickers Drip Cake

  1. Stack and frost cake layers on a greaseproof cake board, using a dab of frosting to help stick the first cake layer to the board.
  2. Spread an even layer of peanut butter frosting on top of each cake layer with a large offset spatula. Drizzle with chocolate ganache and caramel. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of chopped, salted peanuts.
  3. Repeat with remaining cake layers, being sure to place to top cake layer upside down (makes it easier to frost).
  4. Cover the cake in a thin coat of peanut butter frosting. Smooth using a bench scraper, then chill the cake in the fridge (10 minutes) or freezer (5 minutes) until the frosting is firm to the touch.
  5. Add a second, thicker layer of peanut butter frosting to the cake, and smooth using a bench scraper.
  6. Add alternating sections of caramel and chocolate drips with either a spoon or a plastic bottle, and top the cake with a caramel and chocolate border.
  7. Press bits of snickers candy bars on top of the border, and sprinkle with chopped peanuts and sea salt.

Notes

Make your cake layers in advance and freeze them: It breaks the process up and make it more approachable.

Make your frosting ahead of time too, or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month, or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.

A frosted cake can last in the fridge for up to a week, or in the freezer for up to a month. The buttercream locks in all the moisture, keeping the cake fresh and delicious!

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

Leftover ganache can also be stored in the fridge for up to 3 week! Either leave it in the bottle, or place it in an airtight container.

Nutrition Information

Yield

30

Serving Size

1

Amount Per Serving Calories 802Total Fat 42gSaturated Fat 20gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 18gCholesterol 102mgSodium 557mgCarbohydrates 101gFiber 2gSugar 89gProtein 8g

Patricia

Tuesday 3rd of January 2023

Hi! I'm from the Netherlands, and sometimes it's difficult to understand the recipes. I have a question: 1 cup unsalted butter, room temp (2 sticks, 226 grams), do you mean in total 226 grams? Or two times, so 226*2=452? :-) Best regards, Patricia

Chelsweets

Sunday 8th of January 2023

Hi Patricia,

Great question, I'm sorry for any confusion! One stick of butter here in the US is 113g, so I meant 2 sticks of butter, or 226g of butter. Hope that helps, happy baking :)

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