Kit-Kat Cake

This Kit-Kat Cake will be the talk of all of your get-togethers! A peanut butter cake, frosted with chocolate-peanut butter frosting, surrounded by Kit-Kat bars, and filled with Reese’s Pieces candy.

Kit-Kat Cake

First, a little backstory about this recipe: A few years ago, I suggested this cake to my son, Elijah, for his 16th birthday. Yes, it is sugar overload! Elijah decided HE wanted to make this cake by himself for his birthday. I told him what to do, but he pretty much did all the work. I was very proud of him and thought he did such a great job!

As you may have guessed, a Kit-Kat Cake is a baked and frosted cake that is surrounded by Kit-Kat candy bars and is generally filled with some kind of small candy.

In this version, we make a semi-homemade peanut butter cake and cover it in homemade chocolate-peanut butter buttercream frosting before adding candy and a ribbon.  This cake is great for birthday parties, potlucks, summer cookouts, or for a fun, sweet treat at any time. For a different variation, use a chocolate cake, with chocolate frosting, and fill the center with M&M candies!

Recipe for Kit-Kat Cake

FOR THE CAKE

• creamy peanut butter
• butter, softened
• large eggs
• golden butter cake mix
• water

FOR THE PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

• creamy peanut butter
• butter, softened
• confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)
• milk or water
• vanilla extract

FOR THE CHOCOLATE FROSTING

• butter, softened
• unsweetened cocoa powder
• confectioners’ sugar
• milk
• vanilla extract

TO ASSEMBLE

• full-sized Kit-Kat bars
• Reese’s Pieces candy
• Ribbon

How to make a Kit-Kat Cake

For the cake:

1. Preheat oven to 325° F. Grease and flour two 9-in. cake pans. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, cream the peanut butter and butter with an electric mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until just combined. Add half of the cake mix and ⅓ cup of water. Mix until just combined. Add remaining cake mix and remaining ⅓ cup of water; mix until just combined.
3. Pour batter evenly into the prepared cake pans. Bake for 25 minutes or until cake tests done.
4. Allow cakes to cool 10-15 minutes in the pan, then invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

For the Peanut Butter Frosting:

1. Cream the peanut butter and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer.
2. Add sugar, 3 tbsp. milk and the vanilla extract. Mix with an electric mixer on low for 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and mix until well combined and fluffy.
3. Add the additional tablespoon of milk if frosting needs to be thinned out.

For the Chocolate Frosting:

1. Cream butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer.
2. Add cocoa powder and blend on low speed until well combined. Add the sugar, milk, and vanilla. Mix with an electric mixer on low for 1 minute. Increase speed to medium and mix until well combined and fluffy.
3. Add more sugar or milk 1 tablespoon at a time, if necessary.

To assemble:

1. Place one layer of the cooled cake on a serving plate.
2. Top with ⅓-½ of the peanut butter frosting. Spread close to, but not over the edge.
3. Combine remaining peanut butter frosting with the chocolate frosting. Coat the outside of the cake – top and sides – with the Chocolate-Peanut Butter Frosting. You may not need all of the frosting.
4. Carefully break each Kit-Kat bar in half along the lines into 2 piece sections. Start placing the Kit-Kat sections around the edge of the cake. When you get to the end you may need a 1-piece section to fill in the gap.
5. Wrap the ribbon around the Kit-Kats and tie into a bow.
6. Fill the top of the cake with Reese’s Pieces.
7. Refrigerate until serving time. Remove from refrigerator about 10-15 minutes prior to serving. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Kit-Kat Cake: Questions and Answers

• What are some other things I can fill the top of my Kit-Kat Cake with?

M&M’s candy, Smarties, Jr. Mints, fresh strawberries, Oreo cookies … there are lots of possibilities! Let your imagination run. 

• Can I use a from-scratch cake?

Yes! Feel free to mix up the cake flavor or use a homemade recipe for unlimited possibilities!

Other recipes you may enjoy

• Snickerdoodle Cake
• Lemon Lover’s Bundt Cake
• Soft and Easy Buttery Rolls
• Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
• Cornbread Pancakes

4.50 from 12 votes

Servings: 18 servings

Kit-Kat Cake

By Jamie Sherman

This Kit-Kat Cake will be the talk of all of your get-togethers! A peanut butter cake, frosted with chocolate-peanut butter frosting, surrounded by Kit-Kat bars, and filled with Reese's Pieces candy.

Prep: 1 hour hr

Cook: 25 minutes mins

Inactive Time: 30 minutes mins

Total: 1 hour hr 55 minutes mins

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Equipment

• mixing bowl
• hand mixer
• cake stand

Ingredients 

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For the cake

• ▢ ½ cup creamy peanut butter
• ▢ ½ cup butter, softened, 1 stick
• ▢ 4 large eggs
• ▢ 1 box golden butter cake mix, 18.25 oz.
• ▢ ⅔ cup water

For the Peanut Butter Frosting

• ▢ 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• ▢ ½ cup butter, softened, 1 stick
• ▢ 2 cups confectioners’ sugar, powdered sugar
• ▢ 3 – 4 tablespoons milk
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the Chocolate Frosting

• ▢ ½ cup butter, softened, 1 stick
• ▢ ⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• ▢ 3 cups confectioners’ sugar
• ▢ ⅓ cup milk
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

To assemble

• ▢ 11 – 12 full-sized Kit-Kat bars
• ▢ 1 bag Reese's Pieces candy, 17.25 oz
• ▢ Ribbon

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Instructions 

For the cake:

• Preheat oven to 325° F. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, cream the peanut butter and butter with an electric mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until just combined. Add half of the cake mix and ⅓ cup of water. Mix until just combined. Add remaining cake mix and remaining ⅓ cup of water; mix until just combined. Pour batter evenly into the prepared cake pans. Bake for 25 minutes or until cake tests done. Allow cakes to cool 10-15 minutes in the pan, then invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

For the Peanut Butter Frosting:

• Cream the peanut butter and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer. Add sugar, 3 tablespoons milk and the vanilla extract. Mix with an electric mixer on low for 1 minute. Increase the speed to medium and mix until well combined and fluffy. Add the additional tablespoon of milk if frosting needs to be thinned out.

For the Chocolate Frosting:

• Cream butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer. Add cocoa powder and blend on low speed until well combined. Add the sugar, milk, and vanilla. Mix with an electric mixer on low for 1 minute. Increase speed to medium and mix until well combined and fluffy. Add more sugar or milk 1 tablespoon at a time, if necessary.

To assemble:

• Place one layer of the cooled cake on a serving plate. Top with ⅓-½ of the peanut butter frosting. Spread close to, but not over the edge. Combine remaining peanut butter frosting with the chocolate frosting. Coat the outside of the cake – top and sides – with the Chocolate-Peanut Butter Frosting. You may not need all of the frosting. Carefully break each Kit-Kat bar in half along the lines into 2 piece sections. Start placing the Kit-Kat sections around the edge of the cake. When you get to the end you may need a 1-piece section to fill in the gap. Wrap the ribbon around the Kit-Kats and tie into a bow. Fill the top of the cake with Reese’s Pieces.
• Refrigerate until serving time. Remove from refrigerator about 10-15 minutes prior to serving. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Notes

• M&M’s make a great substitution for the Reese’s Pieces candy.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 795kcal, Carbohydrates: 97g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 42g, Saturated Fat: 22g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 13g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 86mg, Sodium: 390mg, Potassium: 371mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 75g, Vitamin A: 565IU, Calcium: 146mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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Originally published on August 7, 2012. Updated on June 8, 2020.