Buckets of M&M's Kit Kat Birthday Cake Recipe

Impress your guests with this super fun Buckets of M&M's Kit Kat Birthday Cake Recipe!

Create your edible bucket with Kit Kat candy bars around the sides of your cake, then add a ton of M&M's on top.

The Best Kit Kat Birthday Cake Ever

I have been wanting to make this cake for the longest time. And I finally had the perfect occasion.

I was asked to donate a cake for a charity golf tournament over the weekend. The cake would be auctioned off to raise money for a young man named Trent Jones who was in an automobile accident and is now a quadriplegic. (Click here to learn more about his story and donate to his injury fund.)

WHY I LOVE THIS Kit Kat Cake Recipe

• Underneath all the candy is the most delicious chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream frosting!

• It also travels well. Since the frosting is covered by candy, it is easy to wrap it in clear plastic to hold it together until it reaches its destination.

• I have a thing for M&M's. I love baking with them! They're so colorful. And not to mention, super yummy!

• This Kit Kat Cake is such a fun party cake! It would be perfect for any holiday or next birthday party. It would be so cute using limited edition M&M's for various holidays and adding coordinating ribbon colors. How cute would a Christmas Kit Kat Cake be? It's a cake that all family members can enjoy!

INGREDIENTS NOTES

• Kit Kat Bars- Kit-Kat candy bars come in a wide variety of different flavors from just the regular kit kats. Feel free to play around with the different flavors! Unique flavors like lemon KitKat candy bars can be found at a specialty grocery store or World Market.

• Chocolate Frosting - I used Pillsbury store-bought for this recipe, but if you want to make homemade, try The Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting recipe.

• Chocolate Cake Mix - Same goes for the cake batter. I used a box cake mix but if you'd like to make a regular chocolate cake from scratch I have the best chocolate cake recipe right here; Chocolate Birthday Cake

• 8-inch Cake Pans - You can also use a square pan if that's what you have on hand (but then it won't look like a bucket, still cute though).

HOW TO MAKE A KIT KAT CANDY BAR CAKE

• Step 1 - Line cake pans with parchment paper

The first thing I always do when baking a cake is cut parchment paper to line the bottom. I simply place the pan on top of the article, trace the shape of the pan onto the paper with a permanent marker and cut it out. I cut about an ⅛" inside the line to make it fit perfectly. Then spray the pan with nonstick spray. Spray on the bottom and sides of the pan. Place the paper liner, then spray more on top of the liner. That baby will not be sticking to your pan. No way, no how!

• Step 2 - Bake the cake

Since this cake is sort of umm... EPIC, I thought it would be a good idea to use a cake mix. You know, to save some time. I used two 8-inch round cake pans and divided the batter from one cake mix equally between the two pans. Then baked them according to the package instructions.

• Step 3 - Freeze the cakes

After the cakes are baked and cooled, cover them with plastic wrap and freeze them for about an hour. They're easier to work with that way. Then they need to be leveled. Using a large bread knife, slice horizontally across the top of the cake, just so you can remove the dome-like shape.

• Step 4 - Make the frosting

For the frosting, I used a little shortcut. Let's call it semi-homemade chocolate frosting. Start by adding one can of chocolate fudge frosting (I used Pillsbury) to a large mixing bowl. Then add 1 stick of softened butter. Beat with an electric mixer on medium for about a minute. With the mixer on low speed, gradually add half a bag of powdered sugar and ¼ cup, plus 2 tablespoons of heavy cream. Once all is combined, turn up to medium and beat for 2 minutes.

• Step 5 - Frost the cake & add the candy bars

Place one cake on a 12-inch cake board or large round plate. Frost the first layer, then add the second layer and spread frosting all over the layers of cake. After you unwrap all of the Kit-Kat bars (it takes a little bit of time, be patient), then you can start pressing them into the side of the cake. If the icing has formed a crust, then you will need to take a butter knife and rough up the edges a bit to get the candy bar to stick. Place the chocolate bars side by side, all the way around the sides of the cake until the outside of the cake is covered.

And voila! Your candy bar cake fence or bucket is complete. You should be left with about an inch and a half of vertical space to add your M&M's.

• Step 6 - Tie a ribbon around the cake, and add M&M's

Before adding the M&M's, carefully wrap a ribbon around the cake and tie in a bow. To measure the ribbon, I used a very technical method. I eyeballed it!

I used almost two entire large bags of M&M's to fill the cake. Each bag was 19.20 ounces.

EXPERT TIPS

• If you wanted to get fancy, you could color coordinate your ribbon and your M&M's by going to the candy store and picking out your custom colors. For a baby girl shower, you could use pink ribbon and several shades of pink and white M&M's. Of course, the M&M's are more expensive that way.

• Alternative to the M&M's, you could add chocolate chips, white chocolate or to be on the healthier side, add fresh fruit like fresh strawberries or blueberries for the filling!

• If you are having issues with the Kit Kats being too soft at room temperature, refrigerate them for an hour or so before use. Then use a sharp knife to break them apart to avoid breaking into Kit Kat pieces.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• How many Kit Kats will fit around the cake?  I used about 11 Kit Kat bars or 42 sections for the entire cake.

• How to store? Keep in an airtight container. You can bake them 3 days ahead or even freeze them for up to 2 weeks.

• Looking for some more festive cake ideas for your next party? Here are some of my favorites...

Patriotic American Flag Layer Cake

Ugly Sweater Cake

Peek-A-Boo St. Patrick's Day Cake

Halloween Pumpkin Cake

Rainbow Tie Dye Surprise Daisy Cake

Mardi Gras Party Cake

related recipes

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Kit Kat Candy Bar Cake

Chocolate layer cake with chocolate buttercream frosting, surrounded by Kit Kat candy bars, then topped with M&M's and tied with a big bow for a festive, fun party cake!

4.86 from 7 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes minutes

Servings: 16 servings

Calories: 907kcal

Author: Lise Sullivan Ode

Ingredients

For the cake

• ▢ 1 box chocolate cake mix, prepared according to package instructions (I used Pillsbury) 15.25 ounce

For the frosting

• ▢ ½ cup unsalted butter, softened 1 stick
• ▢ 16 ounces chocolate fudge frosting I used Pillsbury
• ▢ 3 ¾ cup powdered sugar 1 pound
• ▢ ¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons heavy cream more if needed

For the decorations

• ▢ 11 1.5 ounce Kit Kat candy bars you'll need 42 sticks total
• ▢ 2 bags M&M's I used 19.20 ounce bags
• ▢ 12- inch cake board
• ▢ Ribbon of your choice (I found mine at the dollar store)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with non-stick cooking spray. Line with pre-cut parchment paper (trace shape of pan onto paper and trim to fit in pan). Spray more cooking spray. Set aside.
• Prepare cake mix according to package instructions. Fill prepared pans equally with cake batter. Bake according to package instructions. (I used Pillsbury and baked the cakes for 28-30 minutes.) Let them cool. Then cover and put in freezer for 1 hour. You can skip this step, but the cake is much easier to handle when it is chilled and firm.
• Meanwhile, scoop the chocolate fudge frosting into a large bowl. Add the butter. With an electric mixer, beat on medium for a minute. Turn mixer to low and gradually add the sugar and cream. Beat for 2 minutes on medium. If it's too thick, add a little more cream. Stir to combine.
• Place chilled cake on cake board or large plate. Using a large bread knife, slice horizontally to remove the dome shape of cake. You have a nice flat surface. Frost top of cake. Level second cake and place on top. Frost all over top and sides of cakes.
• After unwrapping all of the candy bars, stick Kit Kat's to the sides of the cake, lining them up vertically, side-by-side. If the frosting has formed a crust, just use a butter knife to spread it again, making it sticky. Wrap a bow around the cake, securing the Kit Kat's. Fill the top of the cake with M&M's. You should have about 1 ½ inches of vertical space above the cake to add the M&M's. You might have a few extra left over. I had about ½ cup left over.
• I think it's best to keep the cake at room temperature because when the candy gets cold, it will sweat when you take it out of the refrigerator. Store covered for up to 3 days. Or if you must refrigerate, it will last a few days longer. Remove bow before cutting the cake.

Notes

You can substitute homemade chocolate frosting if you wish. Try this recipe for The Best Chocolate Buttercream Frosting.

Nutrition

Calories: 907kcal | Carbohydrates: 133g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 40g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 34mg | Sodium: 391mg | Potassium: 216mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 113g | Vitamin A: 415IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 165mg | Iron: 3mg

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