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You guys, you guys, you guys.
I maybe, kind of sort of, got a little carried away with this Salted Caramel Apple Snickers Cake.
But sometimes I really just cannot help myself. Getting carried away in chocolate is always a fun thing. And this cake? It’s my favorite fall recipe to date. I freaking love this cake!
I kind of have a lot to say about this cake (how could I not!). Please bear with me as I ramble (and ramble) and try to convince you that you need to make this cake.
For one, I realize that this cake is well, totally high maintenance. I am not going to sit here and try to tell you that it’s quick and easy because that would just be a lie. This snickers cake recipe takes a little TLC for sure, but I think it’s a cake that is worth it. Maybe it’s only a once year cake, but that is what makes it even more special. And the time of year to make it is NOW. I am thinking Halloween, but Thanksgiving would work too. Personally, I think it’s geared more towards Halloween. It has a little spook factor to it, the caramel apples and the whole Snickers thing makes it a dead ringer for Halloween, when everything is all about candy. Although, I didn’t actually use any Snickers in this cake, it’s just Snickers flavored…. but it’s better than a Snickers bar.
Without a doubt.
Here’s the deal, the cake part is simple. It’s just a spiced apple cake, but made chocolate. I know that is not really typical, but who cares, it’s good. The cinnamon is delicious with the chocolate cake layers and the sweet flavors of the apples.
Oh, and since this cake is full of applesauce that means it’s healthy, right??
Ok, ok, fine, it’s not even close to being healthy, but hey I had to try. And hey, it’s a celebration cake so the calories don’t count anyways… reason number 101 as to why I love the months of October, November and December. These are the months when food can be whatever we want it to be. Yes to the yes.
Once you have the cake all baked, it’s time for the caramel. Now the caramel we are dividing into two parts. You are going to start off, by making one big pot of salted caramel sauce. We only need one cup of the caramel sauce, so we remove that from the pot, set it aside to cool and then reserve the remaining caramel sauce (just leave it in the pot you cooked it in) for later on in the recipe. We need the one cup of salted caramel sauce for making the frosting and drizzling the cake layers. The rest of the caramel in the pot will need to be cooked again and brought to the proper temperature to coat the apples in. Once the cake is all assembled you will cover the cake and apples in this caramel. This is the very final step though.
The next step is the frosting, which may just be the best part. The frosting is addicting you guys. If you are a frosting lover, you may just want to double the recipe. It’s “spoonful worthy” good.
The frosting is sort of the “nougat filling” and peanut layer of the cake combined into one. I really did not want to take the time to make two sets of frosting for this cake, so I just combined them into one. It worked perfectly, if I do say so myself.
It tastes sweet, but with the perfect amount of salt to balance it, and then it’s super peanutty, super creamy and so fluffy. AKA, the best frosting ever.
After you have made the frosting, you frost that cake ALL OVER. Get every nook and cranny, then drizzle every inch with that reserved one cup of caramel sauce and cover those moist chocolate cakes in full on deliciousness.
Don’t worry about the frosting looking perfect because you will be covering it in a layer of chocolate and then a thick layer of caramel. Totally insane.
The bummer part to this recipe is that it requires some chill out time in the fridge. The first chill time is short. You just want to keep the frosted cake in the fridge while you make the chocolate coating. It’s no big deal.
But the second chill time is more important. Once you have poured the chocolate coating (which is just chocolate ganache) over the cake, it is best if you can keep the cake in the fridge for at least and hour and half. I recommend overnight because it just make things easier (and less daunting) if you break the cake up into two days, but an hour and half will do too. After the cake is well chilled, it’s time to finish the caramel and make this cake GORGEOUS.
All you are doing is boiling that same caramel from earlier (that I left in the pot) and bringing it to a slightly high temp. It REALLY helps if you have a candy thermometer for this. It just takes the guessing out and makes things a little simpler. It’s not a must, but you know your caramel is ready when you use the thermometer.
Also, it is important to let the caramel cool slightly before pouring it over the cake. This will help the caramel thicken up and also prevent the cake from melting. It’s kind of annoying, but pretty important, so don’t skip it. And then just pour the caramel over the cake, dip the apples and garnish with some salt and peanuts.
The caramel on the cake + apples should never become hard. It’s should firm up into a solid, but stay soft and chewy.
Whew. I know. It’s a lot, but it’s fun and perfect for Halloween. Please don’t be freaked by the amount of time required here. It’s not a hard cake to make, it just needs a little time. And come on, how could it not be worth it??
Words cannot describe just how good this cake is. It’s so good that I wasn’t even complaining that I had to make it twice… in a two-day period. And yes, all the cake somehow managed to get eaten. Everyone from my family, to builders to friends, to random walk-ins loved this cake.
What can I say, it’s just a lovable cake.
Sorry for the giant post with too many words and WAY too many photos, but I am obviously pretty excited about this cake.
Salted Caramel Apple Snickers Cake.
Servings: 16 Servings
Calories Per Serving: 953 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 3 eggs at room temperature
- 3/4 cup canola oil
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened apple sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons strong brewed coffee hot (or warm apple cider)
Salted Caramel
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup honey or corn syrup
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) salted butter
- 1 tablespoon bourbon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt + flakey salt for sprinkling
- 3 your favorite SMALL apples * I used granny smith and honeycrisp
- 6 twigs or wooden sticks
Snickers Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter not the oily kind
- 1/3 cup salted caramel ingredients above
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup salted peanuts chopped + more for garnish
Chocolate Coating
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
Instructions
To make the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease three 8-inch (or 9 inch) round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter/spray with cooking spray.
- In a medium size bowl combine the flour, sugar, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice and salt. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand held mixer) beat together the eggs, canola oil, apple sauce, and vanilla until smooth.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients with the mixer on low until there are no longer any clumps of flour. Add the hot coffee and mix until combined. Batter should be pourable, but not super thin.
- Pour the batter among the 3 cake pans and bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are just set and no longer wiggly in the center. Remove and let cool five minutes, then run a knife around the edges of the pan. Grab 3 large flat plates, line them with wax or parchment paper and invert the cakes onto the paper lined plates. Cover and let the cakes cool completely before frosting.
To Make the Caramel + Frosting
- Place sugar, honey and apple cider in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil, boil, without stirring, 9 minutes or until light golden in color. Add the heavy cream, butter, bourbon, and vanilla, slowly stirring into pan. Boil for 10-15 minutes or until a candy thermometer reads 210 degrees F., stirring frequently. Remove the sauce from heat and add the salt. Using a heat proof measuring cup scoop out 1 cup of caramel sauce and allow it to cool. Cover the remaining sauce and set aside until the cake is ready (I just covered my pot and set it aside overnight).
- Now make the frosting, add the butter, cream cheese and powdered sugar to the bowl of stand mixer (or use a hand held mixer). Beat together until the butter is light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add the peanut butter, 1/3 cup of the cooled caramel sauce and the vanilla, beat, scraping down the sides as needed, another 2 minutes or until there are no streaks. Stir in the chopped peanuts.
To Assemble the Cake
- Place 1 layer of cake, flat side up, on a plate or cake stand. Drizzle the cake with a little salted caramel sauce (from the reserved 1 cup, not from the pot of caramel). With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and drizzle with caramel. Spread the frosting evenly on the top. Add the final layer of cake and drizzle with the remaining caramel. Frost the top and sides of the cake. Don't worry about it being too perfect as you will be covering most of it up. Place the cake in fridge.
- To make the chocolate coating. In a microwave safe bowl add the chocolate and cream. Microwave on high for 30 second intervals, stirring between each until melted. Allow the sauce to cool 3-5 minutes, and then pour the sauce onto the middle of the cake and spread to just the sides, allow the sauce to drip down the sides of the cake. Place the cake in the fridge preferably overnight, but at least 1 1/2 hours. You need the chocolate to be completely set and the frosting firm.
To Finish.
- Once the cake is cool, grab that reserved caramel sauce in the pot. Place it back over medium-high heat and bring it to a boil. Boil for 15-20 minutes or until a candy thermometer reads between 220-230 degrees F (I let mine go to 225 and it was perfect). Remove the sauce from the stove and let is cool 15-20 minutes, stirring every so often. Make sure the caramel does not become too stiff. If it stiffens too much you will not be able to dip the apples. While the sauce cools, push the twigs or wooden sticks into the top of the apples. Line a baking sheet with wax paper.
- When the caramel has cooled (it should be a little thicker now, but still pourable), pour about half the caramel over the cake and allow it to fall down the sides of the cake. Working quickly, dip the apples into the remaining caramel and place the in the center of cake. Sprinkle the cake with flakey salt and peanuts. Make room in the fridge for the cake and refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes. The caramel should never get completely hard, but should be more of a soft firm. Once the caramel is firm, store the cake in the fridge until ready to serve. Allow the cake to sit 15 minutes at room temp before serving. Please not that this is a delicate and with all the toppings it is a bit tricky to slice. Your slices will not be perfect.
Notes
*To cut the cake, I recommend removing the apples and then carefully slicing the cake. This is a messy cake guys, the slices will not be perfect. *If you prefer, you do not have to add the caramel apples to the cake. It does make the cake a little hard to cut, so you can either skip them or serve them on the side of the cake. *It is important to use small, light apples. If you use large apples, the cake has a greater chance of caving in.
Seriously? I cannot even handle it. This cake, I love this cake! So please make it – please!
This post was originally published on October 17, 2014
Made this cake tonight. It turned out great! I will be making it agsin tomorrow!
I am so glad to hear that! Thank you Susan!
I made this cake last weekend for a party, and it end-up as the center piece!!! It was so delicious!!! The tasting turned into a competition to guess the flavors in it…they even tasted coconut!!! HAHHAHA….
I do have a question though, the caramel ended up being a little harder than I expected and since it was in the fridge all the time you suggested, It made the cake a little harder than on your pictures. Since I am making another one in two days for Thanksgiving, should I just add more heavy cream if I think its still too hard…? Also, since I only have one pan to bake, how long shoud I keep it in?
Thank you in advance! You are making me so proud of myself…
Yes, just add a touch more cream to loosen it up. Sorry for the late response. Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
Gonna try and make this for thanksgiving….but I’m super psyched to make it and know I’m gonna take forever on the decorations….how early in advance do you think I could make it?
I’d say about 2 days ahead, but keep in the fridge until ready to serve! Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
I just love your photos and this recipe! I’ve been eyeing it for a while and now I’ve found to perfect opportunity to bake it! I will have to adjust for the peanut butter frosting because of friends with nut allergies, so I am thinking of adding just a hint of coffee powder to the frosting instead. I am just wondering: I have never used this many cacao powder in a cake before. Won’t it make the cake very bitter?
I have to say that it was utterly delicious and decadent. I made a mashup of this cake and this one: https://fett-weg.today/chocolate-bourbon-caramel-macaron-cake-to-celebrate-my-little-kind-of-big-secret/%3C/a%3E. It was a very big cake (I still have a lot leftover – not that I am complaining!), and the flavours where amazing. I should not have doubted the amount of cacao powder. I’ll keep this recipe in my book for future makes!
I am so glad you loved this! Thank you Esther!
Hi! I like to use Hersey’s cocoa powder, which will make the perfect cake! Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thanks! 🙂
I made this cake for my Halloween party. It was amazing! Very decadent. I was expecting a big mess when serving it, but it wasn’t. Everyone enjoyed it! Thanks.
That is amazing! Thanks!
What’s the consistency of the caramel sauce supposed to be after boiling the second time (I.e., for 10-15 minutes). Is it funnier and then will thicken, or should have most of the moisture evaporated , leaving a thick sauce pre-cool?
Hi Hannah! The sauce should thicken, but be pourable. It will thickens a little as it cools. Please let me know if you have other questions. Hope you love this recipe. Thank you! 🙂
Looks like an AMAZING cake, I am having real trouble with converting the American measurements in cups into British measurements, there are really big differences on the conversion charts from cups to grams. Could you help me out with this?
Hi Sophia! I am so happy you’re loving this cake, thank you!
I do use an online calculator to convert, so I will link the one that I think will help you best! It converts all measurements for you pretty easily. I hope this helps, but if it doesn’t just let me know and I will try to help you out further!
https://www.convert-me.com/en/convert/cooking/
That’s great! thanks for the link. Just gearing myself up for a baking extravaganza and total sugar overload…every Wednesday needs this!
Hello! I can’t wait to make this cake for a Halloween dinner party. Quick question – my refrigerator can’t fit the cake in it with the apples and branches poking out. Is the last refrigeration of 30 minutes to set the caramel necessary? Or can I place the caramel apples to the side and place them on later? Thank you!
Hi Sarah! I do recombined putting this in the fridge. It helps set the caramel and keep the cake together. Can you store the cake and apples separately and then assemble just before serving? Hope that helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thank you! ?
So excited to try and make this cake this weekend!! Quick question, I only have one cake pan.. does the baking temp or time change if I do one layer at a time in the oven?
Thank you for this recipe!!
Hi Mia! The baking temp or time should not change. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Hope you love this recipe! Thank you! ?
My sister recently passed away suddenly from cancer. At her Memorial we had a pot luck and I knew I needed something that was a “show-stopper”. I found this recipe which not only looks stunning, but has all of my late sister’s favorites. Thank-you so much for sharing the recipe, I know my sister was smiling down on us.
Hey Ken,
I am so sorry to hear that your sister passed away. I hope you and your family are all doing alright.
I am really glad you found this recipe, though. Thank you!
Hi ! Im making the cake now and all went sell until I put the chocolate on top. In melted everything away … I coolt it down for 5 a 10 min … should I wait longer? I love all the flavors already and I’m exited to see him tomorrow.
HI! Jill! I would wait until the caramel is cool enough to touch with your hands. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Hope you love this recipe! 🙂
I made this cake last week for my dad’s birthday! Needless to say it was a huge hit. ?it’s delicious and so pretty with enough going on to leave you with serious bragging rights ?
Awh, sounds so great! Thanks Laura!
I’m sure I like the idea of that much apple sauce…could I reduce and add butter?
Sure! You can use an equal amount of butter. Let me know if you have questions and I hope you love recipe! 🙂
I’m hosting BUNCO in November and this will be my showstopper at the midway break. I found your answer about coffee over apple cider. I’m not a coffee drinker, but am willing to try it. Is there a strong coffee taste? Also, can I use cake flour or does it have to be AP?
Thanks!
Hi Jill! No the coffee will not leave much of a taste at all and yes, cake flour will be great! 🙂 Let me know if you have questions. Enjoy the cake!
wah!!! what a lovely cske!!! Its decoration as well as its tasteis also very nice. Thanks!!!
I am so glad you loved this! Thank you!