Snickers Cake Vegan

The Incredible Snickers Layer Cake {That Also Happens To Be Vegan!}

An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott

Preparation time: 120 minutes plus cooling time

Cooking time: 55 minutes

Serves 12 (or more)

For the chocolate cake

• 4 cups cake flour*
• 4 cups brown sugar
• 125g/4ozs. cocoa powder
• 4.5 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
• 4.5 cups water
• 1.5 cups oil (not a strongly flavoured one like olive oil)
• 4 tablespoons white vinegar
• 3 tablespoons vanilla
• 250g/8.8ozs. finely chopped dark chocolate

For the peanut butter caramel

• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2.5 tablespoons smooth peanut butter

For the peanut buttercream

• 250g/8.8ozs. vegan spread
• 250g/8.8ozs. smooth peanut butter
• 3 cups icing or powdered sugar, sifted
• Pinch of salt to taste

For the chocolate ganache

• 400g/14ozs. dark chocolate
• 1.5 cups coconut cream
• 1 cup icing sugar, sifted

To assemble

• 125g/4ozs. roasted peanuts, roughly chopped
• Gold sprinkles

To make 1 cup of cake flour, replace two tablespoons of plain all purpose flour with cornflour/fine cornstarch

Step 1 - First make the chocolate cake. Preheat oven to 180C/350F and line 3x20cm/8inch round tins on the base and sides. In a very large bowl (the largest you have), whisk the cake flour, brown sugar, cocoa powder and bicarb until evenly distributed.

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Step 2 - In a large jug measure the water, oil, vinegar and vanilla and whisk together. Make a well in the dry ingredients and mix in the liquid and chopped chocolate until just combined. Do not overmix. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the centre springs back to the touch. Cool completely - you can make these the day before, cool and just wrap these well to prevent drying out.

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Step 3 - Make the peanut butter caramel. Melt the coconut oil in a jug or bowl and add in the maple syrup and peanut butter. Use a stick/immersion blender and blend until thick. As this cools, it will thicken and if you keep it in the fridge it sets quite firm. Set aside at room temperature.

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Step 4 - Make the peanut buttercream. Place the vegan spread and peanut butter in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat until smooth. Then on low speed mix in the sifted icing sugar and salt and beat until smooth. Set aside at room temperature.

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Step 5 - Start assembling the cake. Trim off the edges to make it flat and place it on a serving plate. Spread some of the peanut buttercream on the base and then add some to a piping bag and pipe around the edge to create a little edge. Spoon the peanut butter caramel into the centre and sprinkle with half of the peanuts. Place in the freezer to set. Then spread some more peanut buttercream on top of this to seal off the layer. Repeat with the other cake and end on a single cake layer. Place the whole cake in the fridge to set the caramel.

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Step 6 - Place the dark chocolate for the ganache in a large bowl. Heat the coconut cream until almost boiling and then pour over the chocolate and stir to melt all the chocolate. Add in the sifted icing sugar. It should be spreadable and not too runny. Spread around the cake on the top and sides. I did this in two layers and refrigerated the cake for 15 minutes between layers. Use a large scraper to smooth the sides.

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Step 7 - Decorate the cake with sprinkles - I used a paintbrush to apply the very small balls. I also topped it with actual Snickers which aren't vegan but you could probably find a vegan version of these.

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