Snickers Cake
I have made the Snickers cake several times, especially when I needed something substantial for a large meal or an office party. It's not a quick recipe, and the taste is intense, very sweet, clearly appealing to those who prefer serious desserts. I always serve it with black coffee, as it balances the sweetness, but you can cut it into small pieces, as otherwise it's quite hard to finish a whole slice.
Quick info
Total time: about 3-4 hours (includes cooling)
Preparation time: 60-90 minutes
Baking time: 25-30 minutes for the base, 5-10 minutes for roasting the hazelnuts
Servings: 40-50 pieces (tray 40x30 cm)
Difficulty: medium to high
Recipe type: occasion cake, dessert for festive meals or large events
Ingredients
Base:
12 egg whites
1 pinch of salt
8 tablespoons raw sugar
6 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
250 g ground walnuts
Glaze 1:
400 g white chocolate
3 tablespoons oil
Caramel cream:
12 tablespoons raw sugar
200 g hazelnuts, coarsely ground
1 pack of butter (250 g)
8 egg yolks
8 tablespoons raw sugar
Glaze 2:
400 g dark chocolate
3 tablespoons oil
Preparation method
1. Preparing the base
Separate the egg whites from the yolks, if you haven't done so already. Put the egg whites in a large bowl, add a pinch of salt, and beat them until stiff. When they reach meringue consistency, gradually add the 8 tablespoons of raw sugar, mixing after each addition. You should obtain a firm, shiny meringue.
Mix the flour with the baking powder. Incorporate the flour with the baking powder and the ground walnuts, alternately, into the meringue, using a spatula and wide, upward movements. Don't overmix, just enough to no longer see any visible flour.
Line a tray of approximately 40x30 cm with baking paper. Pour the mixture, level it, and place it in the preheated oven at medium heat (approx. 170-180°C) for 25-30 minutes. It's done when the edges of the base turn slightly golden and it no longer wobbles when touched.
Remove the tray and let the base cool completely, in the tray or on a rack.
2. White chocolate glaze
While the base is cooling, place the broken white chocolate in a double boiler with the 3 tablespoons of oil. Stir until completely melted and fluid.
After the base has completely cooled, place a new sheet of baking paper in the used tray (or use the same paper if it hasn't torn), place the base, and pour the white chocolate glaze over it. Level with a spatula. Place the tray in the refrigerator to let the glaze set.
3. Preparing the caramel cream
Roast the hazelnuts for a few minutes in the oven at medium heat. Don't leave them unattended, they burn quickly. Once cooled, coarsely chop them with a knife or in a food processor.
In a thick-bottomed saucepan, place 8 tablespoons of raw sugar and let them melt over low heat, without stirring too early, to prevent crystallization. When the caramel forms, add the butter cut into pieces and quickly stir until homogenized.
Separately, lightly beat the egg yolks with the remaining 8 tablespoons of raw sugar. Gradually pour them over the caramel and butter mixture, over low heat, stirring continuously. Keep stirring until it thickens and achieves a creamy consistency, like soft pudding.
Finally, add the roasted and chopped hazelnuts. Mix well, then remove the pot from the heat. Let the cream cool to room temperature.
4. Assembling the layers
Remove the tray with the glazed base from the refrigerator. Pour the caramel cream over the white chocolate layer and level it. Place it back in the refrigerator to let the caramel layer set well.
5. Dark chocolate glaze
Melt the dark chocolate with the 3 tablespoons of oil, again using a double boiler. When the caramel cream has cooled and set, pour the dark chocolate glaze over the cake, level with a spatula, and place it in the refrigerator one last time.
6. Portioning
When all layers have set well (ideally a few hours in the cold), cut the cake into suitable pieces. For easier portioning, use a long knife dipped in hot water and wiped after each cut.
Why I make the recipe often
It's a good recipe for meals with many guests, being very filling and transport-resistant. It has never dried out or become unpleasantly soggy. It's suitable for when there are many leftover eggs from other dishes.
Tips and variations
Tips
- Don't leave the hazelnuts in the oven too long, they burn easily and become bitter.
- Caramelize the sugar patiently, over low heat, without burning it.
- If you want a less sweet cake, you can slightly reduce the sugar in the caramel cream, but the texture will be different.
- For clean portioning, the cake must be very well cooled.
Substitutions
- You can use white sugar instead of raw sugar if you don't have brown sugar on hand.
- Butter can be replaced with margarine, but the taste will be different.
- If you don't have white or dark chocolate, you can improvise with other types, but the cake will not retain the classic taste.
Variations
- You can add pieces of caramel to the cream for added texture.
- You can sprinkle coarse salt over the caramel layer for an interesting contrast.
- You can reduce one layer of chocolate if you want it less sweet.
Serving ideas
- Cut into small cubes, with coffee or on a platter with other cakes.
- It works as a main dessert for festive meals or parties with many guests.
- It can be placed in a gift box, being quite resistant to transport.
Frequently asked questions
1. What can I replace hazelnuts with if I don't have any?
Regular chopped walnuts work as an alternative, but the final taste will be different from the original version.
2. Is white chocolate necessary, can I use only dark chocolate?
You can, however, the white chocolate layer balances visually and adds extra sweetness. Without white chocolate, the cake will have more cocoa flavor and be less sweet.
3. Can I use only half of the recipe?
Yes, you can halve all quantities and use a smaller tray. Adjust the baking time as well; it may need a little less time.
4. Can I freeze the Snickers cake?
I do not recommend it, as the texture of the caramel cream and chocolate changes quite a bit after freezing and thawing.
5. What type of butter should I use?
Butter with at least 80% fat is sufficient; there is no need for special baking butter.
Nutritional values (estimated)
For one serving (from a 40x30 cm tray, approx. 40-50 pieces):
Calories: 250-300 kcal per piece
Protein: 4-5 g
Carbohydrates: 25-30 g
Fats: 15-18 g
These are estimates, as they vary depending on the chocolate, type of sugar, and butter used. It is a dense cake, high in calories and fats, but filling – you rarely manage to eat two slices at once.
Storage and reheating
The Snickers cake stores well in the fridge, covered, for up to 5-6 days. Reheating or freezing is not recommended, as the glaze and caramel may separate. If left too long at room temperature, the layers may soften. It is best served cold or at room temperature, not warm.
We beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they stiffen. We add the sugar and continue beating until we obtain a stiff meringue. We add the flour with baking powder and walnuts alternately, gently mixing with a spatula until well incorporated and the mixture becomes homogeneous. We take a baking tray lined with parchment paper and pour in the mixture, leveling it nicely. We bake in a preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes at medium heat. Meanwhile, we melt the white chocolate and dark chocolate in a double boiler separately. We keep it on the double boiler. We roast the hazelnuts a bit in the oven. Be careful not to forget them like I did; a few minutes is enough! In a pot, we melt 8 tablespoons of raw sugar, being careful not to burn it. We add the butter and mix vigorously until well incorporated. We beat the egg yolks with the remaining sugar and add them to the caramel, stirring continuously. We mix and mix until we get bored :)))) just kidding! We mix until the mixture starts to thicken a bit. We add the hazelnuts and mix a bit more. We set the mixture aside. We take the cake layer out of the oven and let it cool completely. In the same tray where we baked the layer, we place a sheet of baking paper and the layer over which we pour the white chocolate, leveling it nicely and putting it in the fridge to harden the chocolate. After it has been in the fridge long enough and the white chocolate has hardened, we take the tray out and pour the caramel, leveling it if necessary, and put it back in the fridge. After it has hardened, we take the tray out and pour the dark chocolate glaze and put it back in the fridge one last time. We portion and serve with coffee or however each prefers. It is an extremely sweet and caloric cake, but very filling. I used a tray of approximately 40 x 30 cm.
Ingredients: 12 egg whites, 1 pinch of salt, 6 tablespoons of flour, 8 tablespoons of raw sugar, 250g ground walnuts, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, glaze 1: 400g white chocolate, 3 tablespoons of oil, caramel cream: 12 tablespoons of raw sugar, 200g coarsely ground hazelnuts, 1 pack of butter (250g), 8 egg yolks, glaze 2: 400g dark chocolate, 3 tablespoons of oil.
