Chocolate Cake with Candy Bar Filling and Peanut Butter Buttercream

So... there is this candy. 

It comes in bars.  It comes in minis.  It comes in an ice-cream treat.

And because I don't 100% understand how the laws of copyright infringement work, I refrain from putting the name on here for you.  However, I can describe it to you and you can take a guess for yourself what I've modeled this cake after.

Let's see, I would characterize this candy bar as a creamy nougat-ey center topped with a mixture of caramel and chopped peanuts.  Oh, and then completely covered in a delicious coating of milk chocolate.

Sound familiar?

If so, you have the inspiration for this cupcake.  If not, my advice is to make this cake, and taste the similarities for yourself.

Either way, make this cake.

Since I'm relatively new at baking and creative cake-building, the decorating of this cake took wayyyyyyyy longer than I anticipated.

But, in the end, it managed to turn out really nice. 

And, may I say, super delicious!

If you like candy bars, even the nameless ones, you'll love the blend of peanuts, caramel and chocolate that bring this cake to life.










Chocolate Cake with Candy Bar Filling and Peanut Butter Buttercream


Chocolate Cake: 
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup strong coffee
2 tsp baking powder
2 cups sugar
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
4 eggs

Candy Bar Filling:
1 cup finely chopped candy bars (I used "Snickers")
1/2 cup caramel topping

Peanut Butter Buttercream:

1 stick butter

1 1/2 cups Confectioner's sugar

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

 

FInely chopped candy pieces and caramel topping for decorating

Preheat oven 350F.

Combine all cake ingredients in a stand mixer.  Mix until smooth,

Distribute the batter evenly between 3 greased 9" pans.

Bake for 30 minutes.  Let cool completely.

While the cake is baking, mix ingredients for the buttercream together in a bowl.  In a separate bowl, mix the candy pieces and caramel.

Once the cake is cooled, spread 1/2 the caramel candy mixture over the top of two layers.  Stack the cake layers on top of each other to form a three-tier cake with the plain, uncovered tier at the top.  Cover the top and sides with the cake with the buttercream.  Ice the cake with any design you choose.

Sprinkle extra candy pieces over the top of the cake.  Lightly drizzle caramel topping over the top.