Chocoholic: (Noun) A person who is excessively fond of chocolate.
Do you have a chocoholic in your family? I myself am a lover of chocolate. And so is my husband. But I wouldn’t say that we are chocolate-obsessed. When I think of a chocoholic, one person in my family always springs to mind…my step-dad. I’ve never met another person who loves chocolate as much as he does. So, when his birthday rolls around each year, I usually don my apron and bake a birthday cake that contains as much chocolate as possible. This year, I made a delectable Kit Kat Cake!
A couple of years ago I made an Ultimate Death by Chocolate Brownie Cake. This cake was so chocolaty, I think we were all buzzing about for at least a week. π It was three layers of chocolaty-goodness (cake, brownie, cake) with a hefty layer of chocolate frosting and chocolate chips in between each layer. The entire cake was then frosted with chocolate frosting and covered in semi-sweet chocolate chips. Death by chocolate indeed!
Last year, I tried my hand at a Triple Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake. Mayonnaise cakes are known for being extremely moist, and this particular triple chocolate version did not disappoint.
Each year I set out to try something new…to bake a different birthday cake than the year before. It is always nice to learn new techniques, try new ideas, and get creative. Plus, I like a bit of a challenge. When I logged on to trusty ole’ Pinterest this year and typed in “chocolate cake ideas” I was inundated with numerous types of Kit Kat cakes. I loved the added burst of color that the M&M-filled Kit Kat cakes provided, and I thought to myself…I can do that!
It was settled. On his birthday this year, my step-dad was getting a Kit Kat Cake! Two layers of moist chocolate cake (with a layer of chocolate frosting in between), covered in more chocolate frosting, surrounded by crisp, chocolate-covered Kit Kat bars, and topped with an array of colorful, chocolate M&M’s. Yum!
Kit Kat Cake
Ingredients:
- 1 (15.25 oz.) Box Betty Crocker Super Moist Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix
- 1-1/4 Cups Water
- 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
- 3 Eggs
- 1 Tub Betty Crocker Chocolate Frosting (If you like a lot of frosting on your cakes, I would recommend getting a second tub)
- Approximately 9 Full-Size Kit Kat Bars (I purchased 12 and had to open all of them, since a few bars were broken in the packaging)
- 1-1/2 – 2 Cups Milk Chocolate M&M’s
- Ribbon (Optional, but highly recommended)
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 325Β° F for dark or nonstick pans (350Β° F for shiny metal or glass pans). Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and coat the bottom and sides with flour (to keep the cakes from sticking to the pans). Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cake mix, water, oil and eggs. Mix on medium speed for approximately 2 minutes (scrapping the sides as necessary) or until the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
- Divide the cake batter between the two cake pans. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. Let the cakes cool in the pans for at least 10 minutes, before removing them from the pans. Let the cakes cool completely before frosting.
- Once the cakes are cool, cut the tops off of each cake to make them nice and flat. Place one cake on a cake plate and spread a layer of chocolate frosting on top. Gently place the other cake on top.
- Frost the entire cake with the remainder of the chocolate frosting. Keep in mind that you need a good amount of frosting on the sides of the cake, to act as the glue for your Kit Kat bars.
- Once the cake is frosted, open up your Kit Kat bars and break each bar in two. Line the outside of the cake with Kit Kat bars, pressing firmly to lock them in place.
- Carefully tie your ribbon around the Kit Kat bars (making sure that the ribbon is in the middle of the bars, otherwise it will cause your Kit Kats to bend one way or the other). Tie in a decorative bow and trim any excess. The ribbon will also help hold the entire cake together, especially when you pour in your M&M’s.
- Refrigerate the cake for 30-60 minutes, to help the Kit Kats set.
- Lastly, pour the M&M’s into the well on top of the cake. Ta Da!
Make sure to remove the ribbon prior to slicing and serving.Β
This Kit Kat Cake turned out perfectly! What I loved most about making this cake, is the fact that the quality of the frosting application is completely irrelevant. Frosting cakes is not my strong suit, so a cake that is entirely covered with chocolate bars and chocolate candies is a winner in my book. π
My little kitchen assistant was more than happy to help me pour all of the M&M’s onto the cake. And she was super excited to present the masterpiece to her Grandpa D!
She enjoyed eating it as well…we all did!
If there’s a chocoholic in your life, and you have a stellar chocolate cake recipe, I would love to hear about it. I will need new ideas for next year. π
