Kit Kat Cake

Here we are in May already, can you believe it? Which means that the backyard parties, picnics, graduations, birthdays, and more are in full force. This is not the time to panic or despair. With a little bit of imagination and patience, your next cake can be the star of the party and hopefully this recipe will help you feel less overwhelmed about what to share  at your next gathering.

My son just turned fifteen and I had a house full of teenagers for a birthday party. He had specifically asked me for some family recipes to be made for his party and didn’t seem to care much about a cake this year. It’s very unusual for Brazilians not to have a cake on their birthdays. When my older sister, the chef, heard me saying there would be no cake on her nephew’s fifteenth birthday, I heard nothing on the other side of the line.

 I had great reasons why not to make him a cake: the best one was I had made grandma’s Portuguese treats plus 2 more desserts! That didn’t convinced my sister at all. She then suggested a Kit Kat cake. I knew I couldn’t pass up her idea because ever since my children were small, they have always had a  birthday cake.

 I was crazy enough to ask my children every year: “what do you want mommy to bake for you?” and they were innocent enough to share their cake ideas. Somehow I always managed to give them what they asked, like this Despicable Me cake my son wanted one year. After 7 hours of work and a little sleep, it magically appeared on our kitchen table the next day. His smile was priceless.

I promise you, if you don’t know how to bake or frost a cake this recipe is for you. The Kit Kats will hide it all. The Kit Kats will save your day, and wait! Did I mention you get to use M&Ms, too? Every little kid will start to call you aunt and praise you when you arrive with this cake. The adults will call you Martha Stewart, and you and I will start enjoying this baking gig. 

Let’s start this adventure, shall we?

Kit Kat Cake

Level of difficulty: easy

Ingredients:

 1 box of classic yellow cake mix (15.25-ounce)

1 cup milk

⅓ cup melted coconut oil

3 eggs

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line three 6” round cake pans with parchment paper (bottom and sides) — if you don’t have parchment paper, grease and flour your pans.

Add the cake mix, milk, and eggs in a bowl and mix them  on low speed, add the cooled melted coconut oil, and continue to mix it for about two minutes on medium speed.

Divide the batter evenly between the three cake pans and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for a few minutes then  transfer the cake layers to a wire rack to cool completely.

Note: This recipe can easily be made with two 8” cake pans. I chose a small cake for my son’s party because he already had requested way too many desserts. 🙂

Homemade Cream Cheese Frosting

Level of difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

2 packs softened cream cheese (8 ounces)

2 sticks softened butter

4 cups of good quality powdered sugar

Directions:

 In a large bowl, mix the cream cheese and butter at medium/ high speed until creamy, then decrease the mixer speed to low and add the powdered sugar a cup at a time. Increase the speed again to medium and mix everything until creamy and smooth.

 Cup the tops off each cake layer to make it a flat top. Make sure the combined height of the cake layers are lower than the Kit Kats.

Decorations: 

4 king size Kit Kat packs (32 Kit Kat sticks)

2 cups of M&Ms

Ribbon

Directions:

Frost the cake layers as you normally do, stacking the layers on top of each other. Frost the entire cake and stick the Kit Kat’s to the side of the cake (break them in twos) making sure no frosting will be showing and no space is between the Kit Kats. Wrap a ribbon around the cake as a decoration and to secure the Kit Kats in place. Fill the top of the cake with M&M’s and refrigerate it for a couple hours before serving. Remove the ribbon before cutting the cake and enjoy it!

Note: For an 8 inch cake, you will use approximately 36 kit kat sticks, 2 ½ cups of M&Ms, and a bigger ribbon.

 And not only  for birthday parties! This cake can be use for any occasion you like.  Enjoy it!

Kit Kat Cake

Print

Ingredients

• 1 box of classic yellow cake mix (15.25-ounce)
• 1 cup milk
• ⅓ cup melted coconut oil
• 3 eggs
• 2 packs softened cream cheese (8 ounces)
• 2 sticks softened butter
• 4 cups of good quality powdered sugar
• 4 king size Kit Kat packs (32 Kit Kat sticks)
• 2 cups of M&Ms
• Ribbon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line three 6” round cake pans with parchment paper (bottom and sides) -- if you don’t have parchment paper, grease and flour your pans.
3. Add the cake mix, milk, and eggs in a bowl and mix them on low speed, add the cooled melted coconut oil, and continue to mix it for about two minutes on medium speed.
5. Divide the batter evenly between the three cake pans and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for a few minutes then transfer the cake layers to a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Make the frosting in a large bowl, mix the cream cheese and butter at medium/ high speed until creamy, then decrease the mixer speed to low and add the powdered sugar a cup at a time. Increase the speed again to medium and mix everything until creamy and smooth.
9. Cup the tops off each cake layer to make it a flat top. Make sure the combined height of the cake layers are lower than the Kit Kats.
11. Frost the cake layers as you normally do, stacking the layers on top of each other. Frost the entire cake and stick the Kit Kat's to the side of the cake (break them in twos) making sure no frosting will be showing and no space is between the Kit Kats.
13. Wrap a ribbon around the cake as a decoration and to secure the Kit Kats in place. Fill the top of the cake with M&M's and refrigerate it for a couple hours before serving. Remove the ribbon before cutting the cake and enjoy it!
15. Note: For an 8 inch cake, you will use approximately 36 kit kat sticks, 2 ½ cups of M&Ms, and a bigger ribbon.