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So, a good friend of mine broke her foot the other day. To cheer her up, I offered to make her any type of cake she wanted. She initially asked for a Kit Kat cake. But, some subliminal messaging from another friend, as well as an earlier suggestion from one of my coworkers, made her decide instead on a Twix cake.
It was a challenge to try to capture the essence of a Twix bar – shortbread and caramel covered in chocolate – in the form of a cake. Somehow, the chocolate mousse center that I had used for the Kit Kat cake just didn’t seem like it would go as well with Twix. I toyed around with a few ideas, including making a giant shortbread cookie to be the center layer of the cake. I finally settled on the center being a later of chopped Twix bars and caramel.
You’ll want to start by baking 2 round layers of your favorite chocolate cake recipe. I used 8-inch round pans, but 9-inch will also work. You’ll just need a few additional Twix bars for the border. Allow them to cool completely before you start assembling.
Take one of your round cake layers and wrap it tightly around with parchment paper to form a cylinder around the cake (use masking tape to hold the paper around the cake). Chop up some Fun Sized Twix bars and arrange them on top of the cake. then put it in the freezer for about an hour. Pour hot liquid caramel on top, until the tops of your candy bar pieces are barely visible. You can melt Kraft caramels with about 2 tablespoons of milk, or make your own. If you’re making your own, you want to cook the caramel to the Soft Ball Stage (about 240° F). Top this with the second layer of cake. Refrigerate for 2 hours, or until the caramel feels cool and firm.
While the cake is cooling, you can start unwrapping your candy bars. For an 8-inch round cake, I used 14 regular sized packs of Twix bars.
Once your caramel has cooled down sufficiently, it should hold its shape. Carefully remove the parchment paper from around the cake. There might be some caramel runoff, but it’s nothing to worry about. It’s going to get covered up, anyway.
Spread a generous amount of chocolate frosting around the outside of the cake. Again, it doesn’t matter if it’s messy. You just need it to be thick enough to hold your candy bars upright. Start pressing your Twix bars, one of one, around the outer edge of the cake, until the entire circumference of the cake is covered. Pour some warm chocolate ganache over the top, spreading it out to cover the entire top of the cake.
You can pipe a border around the edge where the cake and the candy bars meet to hide any unsightly gaps. I was going to garnish with additional Twix, but I ran out of time. Next time!
Chocolate and caramel…a match made in heaven. This cake is super-rich, so best to cut your slices as small as you can.
While it did not magically restore her mobility, the Twix cake certainly brought a smile to her face. That alone was worth the effort. Take note that these candy bar cakes should not be attempted by those that lack patience, or are pressed for time. They take time care, but are worth the effort.
Twix Cake
Ingredients
- 1 recipe 2-layer chocolate cake (Recommended: One Bowl Chocolate Cake)
- 1 recipe caramel (or, 1 14 oz pkg Kraft caramels plus 2 tbsp milk) (Recommended: Caramels)
- 14-16 regular sized Twix bars, unwrapped
- 10-12 Fun Size Twix bars, chopped
- ½ recipe chocolate ganache (Recommended: Chocolate Ganache)
- 2 cups of chocolate frosting (Recommended: Kittencal’s Chocolate Frosting)
Directions
Prepare the chocolate cake according to the recipe directions for a 2 layer cake. Allow to cool completely.
Place 1 round cake layer on a cake board or a large plate. Wrap tightly with parchment paper to form a cylindrical barrier around the cake, and secure with masking tape. Top with chopped Twix pieces. Freeze for about 1 hour.
Prepare caramel according to package or recipe directions. While still hot, pour over the cake and Twix bars, until the tops of the candy bars are barely visible through the caramel. Any excess caramel can be poured into heat-proof molds and wrapped for future use. Top with the second cake layer and refrigerate for 2 hours, or until the caramel is completely cool and firm.
Prepare chocolate frosting according to recipe directions. Remove cake from refrigerator and carefully remove the parchment paper. Cover the outside of the cake with a generous layer of frosting. Press the Twix bars, one by one, around the outisde of the cake. If necessary, use extra frosting to ensure that the candy bars stay put.
Prepare the chocolate ganache according to recipe directions. Pour over the top of the cake, spreading evenly.
Decorate Twix Cake with additional frosting, if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve.