Tessa's Recipe Rundown
Taste: Sweet but not too sweet!
Texture: Soft and fluffy cake with a smooth frosting and plenty of crunch from the Twix bars!
Ease: Not too tricky but a little bit of time needed
Appearance: Impressive
Pros: Looks and tastes fantastic
Cons: Extremely moreish
Would I make this again? A thousand times yes
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Please welcome back my girl Jess from Sweetest Menu as she shares another decadent recipe, Twix Chocolate Layer Cake! Be sure to show her some love for me. -Tessa
You guys! I’m back with a very special chocolate cake recipe. Hands up if you are a chocolate lover? I have both hands raised. But it’s not just chocolate that I am crazy about. I also love caramel and Twix bars. This cake is my new best friend. Not only does it look impressive but it tastes AMAZING! We’re talking two layers of thick and soft chocolate cake, covered in sweet and creamy caramel frosting – made using homemade caramel sauce. The final touch is an avalanche of chopped Twix bars, crushed shortbread cookies and more salted caramel.
If you have a birthday coming up or a special celebration, you have got to bookmark this cake. Not only will it wow your family and friends but it’s not complicated. The chocolate cake is a simple mix cake that can be split into two cake tins. And while the caramel frosting is made using homemade caramel sauce, you could use the store-bought kind if you are tight on time. However if you are feeling adventurous, give homemade caramel a go, it really is buttery-licious.
Once you have eaten half the frosting, oops I mean frosted the cake, you can then pile it high with all your favourite things. Be sure to pick up a few extra Twix bars so you can nibble on them as you decorate (that’s not just me is it?). I seriously LOVED this cake. I went back for seconds and had to demonstrate serious restraint not to go back for thirds. Moderation right? I’m dubbing it the perfect chocolate cake. Growing up, I only ever wanted chocolate cakes for my birthday and even though now I am partial to ice cream cakes, I think this one will go straight to the top of my birthday wish list.
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Ingredients
Chocolate cake
- 2 cups (280 grams) plain flour
- 1 cup (80 grams) cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 and 1/2 cup (300 grams) caster sugar
- 1/2 cup (90 grams) brown sugar
- 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup (240 ml) hot water
Caramel frosting
- 1/2 cup (115 grams or 1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- 2 and 1/2 cups (325 grams) powdered or icing sugar
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) [url]salted caramel sauce∞http://www.sweetestmenu.com/blog/homemade-salted-caramel-sauce[/url]
- Twix bars, chopped
- Shortbread cookies, crumbled
- Extra caramel sauce for drizzling
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 360 F (180 C). Grease and line two 8 inch round cake tins. In a large mixing bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda. Then add the sugars. Whisk together. In a separate mixing bowl, add the buttermilk, vegetable oil, vanilla and eggs. Whisk together.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Start to fold together, slowly pour in the hot water, and continue to mix until all the ingredients are incorporated. Divide the mixture into the two cake tins and bake for approximately 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted comes out clean. Leave for 10 minutes before gently removing the cakes from their tins and leave them to cool completely on a wire rack.
- To make the frosting, add the butter to a large mixing bowl and beat until smooth and creamy. Add the powdered or icing sugar and beat until smooth. Add the caramel sauce and continue to beat until creamy.
- To frost the cakes, you may need to trim off the dome of the cakes using a large serrated knife or a cake cutter. Then, add half the frosting to the top of one chocolate cake and then add the other chocolate cake on top. Frost with the remainder of the caramel frosting. Finally, top with chopped Twix bars, crushed shortbread cookies and drizzle with any extra caramel sauce.
I’ve never seen cake batter that looked like this. It was like soup, and I was certain I’d done something wrong. I definitely wouldn’t recommend making a make a layer cake. I put mine in a 13 x11” pan and that was perfect. If I’d made a layer cake the top layer would have slipped off the bottom layer. I love Twix bars but I’d also forgo putting them on top of the cake. The cake called for shortbread cookies on top which would have been nice and I’d drizzle some melted chocolate over the top. I froze half of mine because my husband didn’t like it. It was so damp I had to leave the it loose in the storage pan so it could evaporate and dry out. The recipe said it was rich but not too rich. I love my sweets but I’d only eat a brownie size portion. Lastly, just use a regular chocolate cake mix.
How should I store this? Refrigerator or room temperature?
Hi! This cake looks amazing! I am considering making 3 6 inch cakes instead of the 8 inch cakes you mentioned. Do you have advice for temperature and bake times? Thank you!!