Description

This Salted Caramel Apple Snickers Cake is a decadent layered dessert featuring moist chocolate cake infused with warm spices and hot coffee, layered with a rich Snickers-inspired peanut butter cream cheese frosting, and drenched in homemade salted caramel sauce. The cake is topped with a smooth bittersweet chocolate ganache and crowned with caramel-dipped apples for a show-stopping presentation. Perfect for special occasions, this cake combines classic flavors of apple, caramel, peanut butter, and chocolate in a luscious, multi-textured treat.

Ingredients

Scale

Cake

2 1/4 cups 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 teaspoons 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 tablespoons 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 plus flakey salt for sprinkling
3 small apples (e.g. 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 sauce (from above, cooled)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup salted peanuts, chopped plus more for garnish

Chocolate Coating

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup heavy cream

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Instructions

Prepare the Cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line three 8 or 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and grease or spray the paper. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, and salt. Set aside. In a stand mixer bowl, beat the eggs, canola oil, applesauce, and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just combined without lumps. Add the hot coffee or apple cider slowly until the batter is pourable but not thin. Divide the batter evenly among the pans and bake 20 to 25 minutes until the cake tops are set and not wobbly in the center. Cool five minutes, run a knife around edges, invert onto parchment-lined plates, and let cool completely before frosting.
Make the Salted Caramel: In a large saucepan, combine sugar, honey (or corn syrup), and apple cider. Bring to a boil without stirring and cook for 9 minutes until light golden. Slowly add heavy cream, butter, bourbon, and vanilla while stirring. Boil for 10-15 minutes until a candy thermometer reads 210°F, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and stir in kosher salt. Scoop out 1 cup of caramel sauce in a heatproof container and let cool for frosting. Cover and set aside the remaining caramel (can be refrigerated overnight).
Prepare the Snickers Frosting: Using a stand mixer, beat softened butter, cream cheese, and powdered sugar for about 4 minutes until light and fluffy. Add peanut butter, 1/3 cup of cooled caramel sauce, and vanilla extract. Beat for another 2 minutes until smooth and no streaks remain. Fold in chopped salted peanuts.
Assemble the Cake: Place one cake layer flat side up on a plate or cake stand. Drizzle with some reserved salted caramel sauce (not from the pot). Spread a layer of Snickers frosting evenly on top. Add the second cake layer rounded side up, drizzle with more caramel, and frost the top. Add the final cake layer, drizzle with remaining caramel, and frost the entire top and sides. Chill the cake in the refrigerator.
Make the Chocolate Coating: In a microwave-safe bowl, combine chopped bittersweet chocolate and heavy cream. Microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until melted and smooth. Let cool for 3-5 minutes. Pour the chocolate ganache over the center of the chilled cake and spread to the sides, letting it drip down. Refrigerate the cake preferably overnight or at least 1.5 hours until the chocolate sets and frosting firms.
Finish with Caramel Apples: Reheat the reserved caramel sauce in the pot over medium-high heat until boiling. Boil for 15-20 minutes until temperature reaches 220-230°F (225°F ideal), stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and let cool 15-20 minutes while stirring intermittently to keep it pourable but thickened. Insert wooden sticks into apples. Line a baking sheet with wax paper. Pour about half the caramel over the cake allowing it to drizzle down the sides. Quickly dip apples in remaining caramel and place them on top of the cake’s center. Sprinkle the cake with flaky salt and additional chopped peanuts. Refrigerate until firm, at least 30 minutes. Let the cake sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving. Note the cake is delicate and slicing will be imperfect due to toppings and caramel apples.

Notes

To cut, remove the caramel apples first to avoid uneven slicing. The cake is messy with sticky toppings, so slices won’t be perfect.
Caramel apples are optional; omitting them makes slicing easier. Alternatively, serve apples on the side.
Use small, lightweight apples to prevent the cake from collapsing under their weight.
The caramel should remain soft-firm to allow dipping apples and drizzle over the cake without hardening completely.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 slice (1/16 of cake)
Calories: 520
Sugar: 45g
Sodium: 300mg
Fat: 28g
Saturated Fat: 12g
Unsaturated Fat: 14g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 58g
Fiber: 3g
Protein: 6g
Cholesterol: 65mg