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Kit-Kat Cake

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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.

finished Kit Kat Cake recipe

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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 think he did such a great job!

However, we did have one little incident ….. that required vacuuming out the oven. ? Why would anyone vacuum their oven you ask?! Well, when the cakes were finished baking, Elijah took the first one out just fine …. the second one, however, didn’t quite make it – it ended up all over the oven and between the door. ? I scooped as much of it up as I could with a spatula … but those crumbs were everywhere! I figured it would just be easier to vacuum them out. 

After we cleaned out the oven, we had to remake the cakes. My husband was even nice enough to go to the store and get us another box of cake mix! ❤ The second go-round was a success and we’ve made this cake many, many times since! It’s always a hit and people love how fun this cake looks!

kit-kat cake with slice taken out

Kit-Kat Cake

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!

kit-kat cake slice on plate with milk and finished cake in background

Recipe for Kit-Kat Cake

Here is everything I used to make this Kit-Kat Cake Recipe:

** Ingredients are at a glance. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for the full amounts and printable recipe. **

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

step by step how to make kit kat cake

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.

closeup of Kit-Kat Cake slice

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!

finished Kit-Kat Cake with orange ribbon

Other cake recipes you may enjoy:

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finished Kit-Kat Cake wrapped in an orange ribbon

Kit-Kat Cake

Yield: 18 servings
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Inactive Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 55 minutes

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.

Ingredients

For the cake

  • 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 (18.25 oz.) box golden butter cake mix
  • 2/3 cup water

For the Peanut Butter Frosting

  • 1 cup creamy peanut butter
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
  • 2 cups confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar)
  • 3-4 tbsp. milk
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract

For the Chocolate Frosting

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 3 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract

To assemble

  • 11-12 full-sized Kit-Kat bars
  • 1 bag (17.25 oz) Reese's Pieces candy
  • Ribbon

Instructions

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. 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:

  1. Cream the peanut butter and butter in a medium bowl with an electric mixer. 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. 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. 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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.


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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 18 Serving Size: 1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 439Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 49mgSodium: 157mgCarbohydrates: 59gFiber: 3gSugar: 47gProtein: 9g

Please note that the nutritional information listed on this page is an estimation based on the products I used. Ingredients and nutritional information can vary greatly between brands. Always be sure to read labels.

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© Jamie Sherman
Cuisine: American / Category: Dessert

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

Reader Interactions

Comments

  5. Julie

    Thanks for hosting another great party! The cake looks wonderful. I'm not a fan of Kit Kat bars but I think I would try this cake. 🙂

    Julie

    Reply

  7. Winnie

    Hi Jamie 🙂
    I've already seen this gorgeous cake on your FB – and loved it. I've never made a cake like this, and thanks for the inside photo – very impressive!

    Thanks for another party!

    Reply

  21. jonesygal

    My daughter practically drooled on my desk when she saw the Kit Kat Cake. She did, however, suggest you use a *K* on cake also! Will try this soon. Thanks for sharing!!

    Reply

  22. Winelady Cooks

    Hi Jamie, Thanks so much for hosting this great party. There are so many fabulous recipes. I'm always making something new.

    Your cake looks so awesome I'm sure everyone enjoyed it.

    Reply

  26. lizy b

    How fabulous that your son wanted to take this on! His cake looks so delicious, I love kit-kats! So glad I found your blog-new follower-and thanks for hosting the party!

    Reply

  37. [email protected]

    Your kit-kat cake looks so good – I would be a bad guest I would be picking off the M&M from the top, then you would be mad at me and not invite me back. so it's best I see you cake on screen! looks so very good! Thanks for sharing your creative inspiration with Sunday’s Best – you helped make the party a success!

    Reply

  41. Natasha In Oz

    Many thanks for sharing your post at my Say G'day Saturday Linky party. I just pinned this yummy idea and will give it a +1 too.

    Hope to see you again this weekend!

    Best wishes,
    Natasha in Oz

    Reply

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Love Bakes Good Cakes delivers delicious and simple family-friendly meals. Find everything from healthier recipes to over the top desserts!