Celebrate with this ultimate Twix cake for a showstopping crowd-pleaser for any occasion! Candy bar inspired layers of chocolate cake, filled with caramel sauce, vanilla frosting and shortcake cookies, topped Twix finger chunks and a drizzle of chocolate ganache sauce.
Today I’ve got a cake for you that’s been whirling around my mind for a long time. I’ve scribbled and scrawled in my recipe ideas notebook over and over again, and this month I’ve finally got round to making it.
You see there was a celebration… of sorts.
My work anniversary.
I can’t quite believe that it’s been 5 years since I stepped back into office life, and 5 years in the same place. It’s flown past, so much has happened.
But enough reminiscing, you’re not here for my nostalgia…
You’re here for the cake.
And it’s one that’s worth waiting for!
Take me to the chocolate cake already!
Perfect layers for the win
I love chocolate bars or candy bars. Actually lets be honest – anything sweet and covered in chocolate.
If caramel and biscuit in the mix then we’re onto a winner. Crunchie Rocky Road always hits the spot with bouncy marshmallows as well.
But my all-time favourite, the one I’ll never turn down and make no hesitation when my hand is hovering over the snack box is a Twix bar.
Let’s talk about those crunchy, biscuity shortcake cookie fingers.
Or how about the silky smooth, gooey caramel.
And not forgetting that robe of milk chocolate.
Perfect layers, so many textures; it would be a shame not to make them as a cake, right?
Give your chocolate caramel layer cake the Twix treatment
The thing I love most about those layers is how perfectly they combine; so replicating these in cake form is the key to the ultimate Twix cake, and here’s how I do it…
- Chocolate – rich and moist chocolate sponge layers represent that milk chocolate coating. Deciding to use chocolate rather than vanilla as the cake base, gives the perfect balance with the caramel and biscuit layers, without being overly sweet.
- Caramel – there’s only one way to go with this layer, and that’s to spread a decadent and gooey layer of dulce de leche between the cakes. I went for a more creamy caramel but you could switch this out for a popular salted caramel sauce instead.
- Shortcake – that beautiful, biscuit finger in the centre of a Twix is my favourite part. To recreate this, hidden away on top of that creamy caramel are chunks of shortcake biscuits; adding that crunchy texture.
How to make the ultimate Twix cake
Full measurements and instructions can be found on the printable recipe card at the bottom of the page
I don’t need to convince you to make this cake, do I? Just take a look at it – chocolate, caramel, biscuit, cake and frosting. That’s all the convincing you’ll need. And don’t panic, it’s pretty simple too…
The cake layers
First up we’re going to make the chocolate cake layers; so grab a large mixing bowl and a hand mixer, or get your stand mixer ready to go.
If you’re short on time you can mix all the cake ingredients together as one; just make sure they’re well combined but don’t over mix. Otherwise, start with creaming the butter, sugar and sour cream, before adding in the eggs (1-2).
Next up go in for the dry ingredients, the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Then fold them all together (3-4).
Once you’ve got a beautiful silky chocolate cake batter, pour it into a non-stick cake pan; I use a 6 inch for this mix and bake for 45 minutes at 180C/350F.
Building the cake
When your cake has cooled, you’ll need to split it into three equal layers and then you’re ready to assemble.
Start with coating the top of the bottom layer with vanilla frosting, then pipe a ring of buttercream around the edge – this is our wall for holding everything in – the caramel and biscuits (5). Get a layer of each of those inside the frosting ring, then add another cake layer and repeat (6-8).
Take a look at that cake, impressive right?
Finishing touches
To finish up, it’s time for more vanilla frosting; spread it all over the sides and top of the cake then level off. Pipe the remainder of the frosting into swirls around the top (9-10).
There’s room for a final layer of caramel and biscuits, before drizzling with chocolate sauce (11-12).
Go on, take another look at your handy work… ready to eat it?
You can keep the Twix cake in an air-tight container for up to 3 days; that’s if it lasts that long. My colleagues demolished this in under an hour!!
And if you have a slice or two to spare that you want to keep hidden and safe for another day, you can freeze for up to 1 month; but make sure it is well wrapped before freezing.
Watch how to make the ultimate Twix cake
What I used to make the Twix inspired cake
- Callebaut cocoa powder – I love Callebaut cocoa powder; it is high-quality cocoa so you really get a chocolatey taste and flavour, and it is unsweetened so it’s perfect for baking. It’s so good, it’s what patisserie chefs.
- Cake edge scraper – Before I’ve used a bowl scraper, but since I’ve discovered the cake edge scraper I’ve left my original scraper in the kitchen drawer. I love that with the edge scraper not only levels the top and sides of the cake but gives a nice, sharp finish.
- Handheld mixer – whilst I can’t sing the praises of my KitchenAid enough, sometimes it’s easier to get out my trusty old handheld mixer. Especially when it comes to making a chocolate cake when I don’t want to risk overbeating the batter which could give you a dry cake.
Recommended equipment
Handy hints for a showstopping Twix chocolate cake
- Add sour cream to keep your cake moist – Getting a moist chocolate cake can sometimes be tricky even for the best baker – too much cocoa powder and it will give the cake a dry texture; too little and you won’t get the chocolate flavour you’re after. Adding sour cream to the batter mix helps keep it moist and brings out the chocolatey flavour.
- Make a buttercream frosting wall – to keep the beautiful, gooey layer of caramel and those chunks of shortcake in place, and to help the cake layers stay together, pipe a ring of buttercream frosting around the outer edge of cake sponge to add as a barrier.
- Chill the crumb coat – cover the outside of the cake, top and sides, with buttercream frosting, and level off with a spatula. After the first coat, chill the coated cake in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before adding a second crumb coat. This will help give your cake a smooth finish.
Looking for more recipe inspiration?
Then why not check out these other ultimate layer cakes…
The Ultimate Twix Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 250 g Butter
- 250 g Soft Dark Brown Sugar
- 50 ml Soured Cream
- 1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
- 4 Eggs Medium
- 200 g Self-Raising Flour or Cake flour
- 50 g Cocoa Powder
For the Frosting
- 250 g Butter Salted
- 500 g Icing Sugar or Powdered sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Bean Paste
- 2 tbsp Whole Milk
To decorate
- 100 ml Dulce de Leche or Caramel sauce
- 100 g Shortcake Biscuits or Butter Cookies, Crushed
- 3 Twix Fingers
- Chocolate Sauce
VIDEO
Instructions
- Make the cake: Preheat oven to 180C/350F and line a 6 inch cake tin with baking parchment or three individual 6 inch cake tins.
- Using a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until softened. Alternatively, you can make the cake batter, in a large mixing bowl, by hand or with an electric hand whisk.
- Add the dark brown sugar, soured cream and vanilla bean paste beat until well mixed. Then add the eggs and beat well until the mixture is thick.
- Sift the flour and cocoa powder, and gently mix together until the cake batter is soft and smooth.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes if individual cakes/ 45 minutes for one cake, until a skewer inserted comes out clean.
- Allow the cake(s) to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the butter until soft.
- Add the half the icing sugar and half the milk, then beat together. Add the remaining icing sugar and milk. Beat until smooth. If the frosting is too stiff, add a tbsp of whole milk and mix.
- Assemble the cake: Using a large serrated knife, level the top of the cake and split into 3 layers of equal thickness, or if baked in 3 cake tins level each layer.
- Fix the ‘bottom’ layer to a 6 inch cake board with a little of the frosting. Using a palette knife, spread about 3-4 tablespoons of the frosting evenly across the bottom layer. Using a round piping nozzle, pipe a ring of frosting around the edge of the cake.
- Spread a layer of the dulce de leche in the middle of the cake, then sprinkle with crushed shortcake biscuits. Repeat for the next layer.
- Top the cake with the final layer, bottom-side up, and spread the vanilla frosting on the top and sides of the cake. Use a palette knife or cake side scraper to take off the excess buttercream and give a smooth finish. Chill the frosted cake for 15 minutes in the fridge, to allow the layer of frosting to firm up.
- Add another layer of frosting to the top and sides of the cake, and remove the excess. Chill the frosted cake for another 15 minutes in the fridge.
- Using a star nozzle pipe swirls of frosting around the top of the cake; then spread another layer of dulce de leche, and sprinkle with crushed shortcake.
- Top each swirl with a piece of Twix fingers and drizzle with chocolate sauce.
Notes
- The Twix cake will keep in an air-tight container for up to 3 days, or you can freeze for up to 1 month; but make sure it is well wrapped before freezing.
- Adding soured cream to the batter mix helps keep the chocolate cake moist and brings out the chocolatey flavour.
- Pipe a ring of buttercream frosting around the outer edge of cake sponge to act as a barrier to stop the fillings from creeping out the side of the cake as you ice it.
- After the first crumb coat, chill the coated cake in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before adding a second crumb coat. This will give your cake a smooth finish.
Nutrition
DISCLAIMER
The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
going to attempt this bad baby tonight’s is the sourd cream wrote in receipt sour cream? or is this sourd cream something I haven’t hear of ? also the dulcet de leche sold at stores ?
Hi Kristy – thanks for your comment. I can confirm that sour/soured cream is the same thing – you can use regular sour cream. If you can’t get hold of sour cream, you can substitute with natural or greek yogurt. For the dulce de leche, I’m based in the UK and we can buy this in stores in a can or jar. If you’re in the USA, I believe you can buy it in stores as well – it might also be be called caramel spread and in the same aisle location as condensed milk. Nestle La Lechera Dulce de Leche is the US version of the Carnation Dulce de Leche caramel I use.
Hope that helps and good luck!
Lou