Twix Cake
If you're a Twix lover like me, you're going to absolutely love this homemade twix cake. This cake features layers of soft chocolate sponge brushed with a lightly spiced syrup, stacked with creamy caramel filling, shortbread cookie crunch, and finished with a smooth chocolate ganache. It's like your favorite candy bar, only bigger, softer, and ready to party.
This twix cake is the ultimate dessert for birthdays, holidays, or anytime you want to impress a crowd. In this post, I'll walk you through how to make the fluffy sponge cake, caramel filling, and glossy ganache topping, plus give you tips on assembling it so every slice is perfect.
Why I Love This Cake
- Candy bar flavors in cake form - chocolate, caramel, and cookie crunch all in one.
- Beautiful layers - looks impressive but is totally doable at home.
- Perfect balance of textures - soft cake, creamy filling, and crunchy cookies.
Ingredients
You'll need a handful of pantry staples to make this twix cake:
- Eggs
- Sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Cocoa powder
- Water, sugar, cloves, cinnamon (for syrup, optional)
- Sweetened condensed milk
- Butter
- Shortbread cookies
- Semisweet chocolate chips
- Heavy cream
The sponge layers are light and airy thanks to the whipped eggs, while the soaking syrup adds a touch of moisture and a hint of spice. The caramel filling is rich and creamy, with chopped shortbread cookies for crunch, just like a Twix bar. And finally, the ganache frosting brings it all together with a smooth chocolate finish.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Cake Layers
- Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and flour three 6-inch pans.
- Beat eggs and sugar until pale and frothy.
- Sift flour and cocoa together. Add gradually to the eggs.
- Gently fold with a spatula, keeping as much air in the batter as possible.
- Divide into pans and bake 25-30 minutes. Cool completely.
Soaking Syrup
- In a saucepan, bring water, sugar, cloves, and cinnamon to a boil.
- Cook 2-3 minutes until sugar dissolves.
- Bring to room temperature before using.
Filling
- Crush shortbread cookies into small chunks (not fine crumbs).
- In a saucepan, cook condensed milk, sugar, and butter over medium-low heat until thickened (about 5-7 minutes).
- Cool filling, then fold in cookie pieces.
Assemble the Layers
- Place one sponge on a plate and brush with syrup.
- Spread caramel filling and sprinkle with cookie pieces.
- Repeat with remaining layers.
- Wrap cake in plastic wrap and chill for 2 hours before frosting.
Make the Ganache Frosting
- Place chopped chocolate in a bowl.
- Heat cream until just bubbling. Pour over chocolate chips.
- Stir until smooth. If the ganache is too thick, add 1-2 tablespoon extra heavy cream.
- Cool to room temp or until spreadable.
Finish the Cake
- Frost chilled cake with ganache using a spatula.
- Decorate with crushed cookies and Twix pieces, if desired.
💡 Baker’s Tips
- Whip the eggs and sugar thoroughly for a fluffy sponge. The mixture should triple in size from the original amount.
- Don't over-crush the shortbread. The bits and chunks will add that signature Twix crunch to the cake.
- Chill the assembled cake before frosting so the filling stays in place.
Variations & Substitutions
- Swap shortbread cookies for digestive biscuits or graham crackers.
- Use dark chocolate chips for a richer ganache or a mix of milk and dark chocolate.
- Add a pinch of sea salt to the caramel filling for a salted caramel Twix cake.
Storage & Freezing Info
- Store cake in the fridge, covered, for up to 4 days.
- Let slices sit at room temp for 20 minutes before serving for best flavor.
- Freeze unfrosted cake layers for up to 2 months.
Ingredients
For the dough
- 6 large eggs at room temperature
- 1 cup sugar 200g
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour 180g
- 2 tablespoon cocoa powder 15g
For the soaking syrup
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup sugar
- 2-3 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
For the filling
- 2 cans condensed milk
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoon butter 30g
- 1 cup shortbread cookies, finely chopped 200g
For the frosting
- 1 ¾ cup semisweet chocolate chips 300g
- ½ cup heavy cream 100g
Instructions
For the batter
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 degrees Celsius) and grease and flour three 6-inch pans
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the eggs with the sugar until light yellow and frothy.
- Sift the flour and cocoa powder together and gradually add it, about 1-2 tablespoons at a time, to the beaten eggs.
- Gently fold everything together with a spatula or whisk, being careful not to deflate the batter.
- Divide the batter between the pans and bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until done.
For the soaking syrup
- In a saucepan, bring the water, sugar, cloves, and cinnamon to a boil and boil for about 2-3 minutes, or until the sugar dissolves completely.
- Let it come to room temperature before using in the cake.
For the filling
- Crush the cookies in a food processor. If you don't have a food processor, you can place some of the cookies in a ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
- It's important that they don't end up like fine crumbs, but rather with some larger pieces. Set them aside.
- In a saucepan, mix the condensed milk, sugar, and butter, bringing it to a boil over medium-low heat.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to low and continue cooking it for another 5-7 minutes or until it thickens.
- Transfer the filling to another bowl and let it come to room temperature.
To assemble the layers
- In a serving plate, place one of the cake layers, and use the soaking syrup to moisten it. Add a thin layer of the caramel filling and sprinkle crushed cookies on top.
- Repeat with the remaining cake layers, then cover the cake with some plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours to chill the cake before finishing.
For the frosting
- Chop the chocolate and set it aside in a medium bowl.
- Heat the heavy cream until the first bubbles appear.
- Pour the heavy cream over the chopped chocolate and stir until completely melted.
- If the ganache is too thick, add 1-2 more tablespoons of heavy cream to make it more fluid (but not too thick). Let it come to room temperature to thicken.
- Remove the cake from the refrigerator and, using a spatula, cover the cake with the ganache.
- Finish with the remaining crushed cookies and Twix pieces, if desired.
FAQ
Can I substitute the shortbread cookies?
Yes! You can use graham crackers, Maria cookies or digestible biscuits, depending on where you live or to your particular preferences.
Can I make this twix cake ahead of time?
Definitely. Bake, assemble, and chill overnight.
Can I use store-bought caramel instead of making it?
You can use dulce de leche instead, just make sure it's spreadable but on the stiffer side. If it has a pourable consistency, it will leak from the cake.
What size pans should I use for twix cake?
This recipe uses three 6-inch round pans, but you can bake in two 8-inch pans with an adjusted baking time (at the same temperature!). The cake won't be as tall but it will be delicious all the same.
