The best party cakes make people smile the second they see them. This Kit Kat Smarties cake does exactly that. You bake one chocolate cake, split it, fill it with chocolate mousse, and cover the outside with Kit Kats and a bright layer of Smarties.
It looks big and festive, but the decorating is much easier than it seems. The mousse holds everything in place, the Kit Kats cover the sides, and the Smarties make the top colorful without any careful piping.
Why You'll Want to Make This
This cake has real party impact without fussy decorating. You do not need a perfectly smooth finish, because the Kit Kats cover the sides and the Smarties finish the top. The flavors are easy to love too.
You get soft chocolate cake, creamy chocolate mousse, crisp Kit Kats, and candy on top for crunch and color. It is sweet, playful, and made for birthdays, school parties, or a table with kids and grown-ups around it.
My assignment for the food blog swap of November was to bake a recipe from the blog of Marina's Bakery (Dutch blog). This blog is completely devoted to baking.
What You Need
Ingredients Chocolate Cake
- Dark chocolate: Gives the cake a soft chocolate flavor. Use good-quality dark chocolate (> 72 % cocoa) that melts smoothly.
- Milk: Helps melt the chocolate into a smooth mixture and keeps the cake soft.
- Butter: Makes the cake rich and tender. Use room-temperature butter for the batter so it creams well with the sugar.
- Sugar: Sweetens the cake and helps create a soft crumb. Regular granulated sugar works well here.
- Eggs: Give the cake structure. Add them one at a time so the batter stays smooth.
- Self-rising flour: Gives the cake its structure and lift. Fold it in gently so the cake stays tender. You can substitute it with 1 ⅔ cup of flour and 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
- Vanilla extract: For a bit of vanilla flavor, which is great in chocolate cake. Make vanilla extract easily yourself.
- Salt: It balances the sweetness of the cake.
Ingredients Topping and Filling
- Chocolate mousse: Used as both filling and frosting. Make sure it is firm enough to spread and hold the Kit Kats. You can also use homemade chocolate mousse.
- Mini Kit Kats: These form the border around the cake. Mini Kit Kats are easier to press neatly against the sides.
- Smarties: Add color and crunch on top. You can swap them for another small chocolate candy, but Smarties give the cake its classic look.
How to Make It
- Step 1: Make the chocolate cake batter.
- Step 2: Bake the cake and let it cool completely. Then slice it into 2 layers
- Step 3: Fill the cake with chocolate mousse and spread mousse over the top and sides.
- Step 4: Press Kit Kats around the sides, scatter Smarties on top, and add a ribbon.
Top Tips
- Let the cake cool all the way before slicing or frosting. Warm cake will make the mousse too soft.
- Do not worry about making the mousse perfectly smooth on the outside. The Kit Kats cover the sides, so it only needs to be even enough to help them stick.
- Use a skewer to check the cake near the end of baking. If it comes out clean and dry, the cake is ready.
- Chill the mousse if it feels too soft to spread. It should hold its shape before you add the Kit Kats.
- Add the Smarties close to serving if you want the colors to stay at their best.
Serve with
This cake does not need much next to it. Coffee, tea, milk, or lemonade all work well.
- For a birthday table, serve it with Homemade Vanilla Lemonade. The fresh lemon and soft vanilla flavor make a nice contrast to the rich chocolate cake.
- If you want a fresher cake serve next to it, Strawberry Quark Cheesecake is a good choice. It is a no-bake cheesecake with strawberries and works well for birthday parties or special occasions.
- For smaller treats on the same table, add Mini Cheesecakes with Forest Fruit Jelly. They are single-serve desserts with a Biscoff base, creamy cheesecake, and a fruit swirl, which gives a lighter option next to the chocolate cake.
📖 Recipe
RECIPE CARD
Recipe Help
Two easy tools to make cooking even easier. Cooking mode keeps the screen on. The easy-step recipe displays the recipe step by step, including the ingredients needed. And you can adjust servings easily
Ingredients
- 6½ oz. dark chocolate, minimum 72 % cocoa
- ½ cup milk
- 1¾ stick butter, room temperature
- ½ cups sugar
- 3 eggs, large
- 1⅔ cups self-rising flour
- 3 cups chocolate mousse
- 14 oz. kit kat, mini's
- 9 oz. smarties
All my recipes are written both in Metric (gram / ml) and US Customary (cups / pounds). Here you can select which type of amount you would like to see.
Instructions
Prepare Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 ℉. Line the bottom of a 7-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Grease the sides of the pan.
- Melt the chocolate with the milk au bain-marie *. Let the chocolate mixture cool for five minutes.6½ oz. dark chocolate, ½ cup milk
- Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy for 3 minutes.1¾ stick butter, ½ cups sugar
- Add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition. Mix in the cooled chocolate mixture.3 eggs
- Fold in the self-rising flour.1⅔ cups self-rising flour
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 to 55 minutes, until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely.
Preparing Kit Kat Smarties Cake
- Slice the cake horizontally into 2 layers.
- Spread half of the chocolate mousse over the bottom layer. Place the top layer back on.1 ½ cups chocolate mousse
- Spread the remaining chocolate mousse over the top and sides of the cake.1 ½ cups chocolate mousse
- Press the Kit Kats around the sides of the cake. Scatter the Smarties over the top.14 oz. kit kat, 9 oz. smarties
- Tie a ribbon around the cake for a neat party finish.
Notes
- Refrigerator: Keep the cake covered in the fridge for up to 2 days.
- Serving: Serve chilled or let it stand briefly at room temperature before slicing.
Nutrition
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