This Twix cake is a rich chocolate layer cake filled with homemade salted caramel and chopped Twix bars, finished with chocolate cream cheese frosting and a caramel drip for an indulgent, candy-bar inspired dessert.
If you love Twix, this cake turns that favorite candy bar into a show-stopping cake with crunchy chopped Twix in the filling and plenty of salted caramel. It’s perfect for birthdays or any celebration where you want a homemade, nostalgic dessert. The recipe includes helpful tips, step photos, and straightforward instructions to guide you through the process.
Tips for making the cake
A few practical tips will help the cake turn out moist, stable, and beautifully finished.
- Measure flour correctly: Spoon flour into the measuring cup and level it off rather than scooping. Scooping can compact flour and lead to a dry cake.
- Watch the caramel closely: Caramel can change color quickly once the sugar melts. Keep the heat moderate and remove it from the heat as soon as it reaches an amber color to avoid burning.
- Match ingredient temperatures for frosting: Make sure the butter and cream cheese are both at the same room temperature before mixing to prevent the frosting from splitting.
Assembling the cake
For more candy-inspired cakes, try similar recipes from the same baker to explore different flavor combinations.
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Recipe Video
Twix Cake
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Ingredients
Chocolate Cake
- 2 1/2 cups All-purpose flour
- 1 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 3/4 cups White granulated sugar
- 2 tsp Baking powder
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- 1 tsp Salt
- 3/4 cup Oil
- 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
- 4 Large eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup Buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 cup Hot water, steaming
Salted Caramel
- 1 cup White granulated sugar
- 4 TBSP Unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup Heavy cream
- 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp Salt
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 1/2 cups Unsalted butter, room temperature
- 8 oz Cream cheese, room temperature
- 5 cups Powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp Pure vanilla extract
- 3 cups Chopped Twix
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
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Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray two 8-inch cake pans with nonstick spray, line the bottoms with parchment, and spray again.
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Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and sugar together; set aside.
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Heat water until steaming. In a large bowl combine oil, vanilla, eggs, and buttermilk. Slowly add hot water and mix until just combined; the batter will be thin.
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Fold the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Divide batter evenly between the pans.
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Bake 32–36 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack and cool completely before decorating.
Salted Caramel
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Start the caramel while the cakes bake or ahead of time. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the sugar and whisk until crystals dissolve.
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When the sugar turns amber, remove from heat. Work quickly—the color can change in seconds.
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Add half the cubed butter and whisk vigorously, then add the rest. Heat the cream until hot and slowly whisk it in. Stir in vanilla and salt.
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Return to heat and simmer 5–7 minutes to thicken. Pour into a glass bowl and cool.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
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Sift powdered sugar and cocoa. Beat butter on high for 2 minutes, add cream cheese and beat 1 minute.
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Scrape the bowl, add half the powdered sugar and mix on low until smooth. Add the rest, mix until smooth, then add vanilla.
Assembly
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Trim domes from the cake layers so they sit flat.
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Place the first layer on a board. Spread 3/4 cup frosting over it and pipe a frosting border around the edge. Spread 1/2 cup caramel inside the border and add about 1 1/2 cups chopped Twix. Pipe a few small frosting dollops over the Twix to secure the top layer.
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Place the remaining layer on top, with its bottom facing up, and freeze 10 minutes to set the filling.
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Frost the cake smoothly with the chocolate cream cheese frosting.
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Optional caramel drip: chill the frosted cake 10 minutes, then use a piping bag to create caramel drips around the edge, spread extra caramel on top, and finish with more chopped Twix.
Notes
High altitude: Add an extra 2 TBSP flour.
Dairy: Remove butter and cream cheese from the fridge about 2 hours before baking to reach room temperature.