Twix Bar Cake Recipe with Caramel & Chocolate

Homemade Twix cake — a candy-bar inspired dessert that layers a tender vanilla cake over a buttery shortbread cookie crust. This easy yet impressive layer cake is filled with salted caramel and finished with a shortbread-flavored buttercream, then topped with a milk chocolate ganache and a caramel drip for an indulgent finish.

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Do you have a favorite candy bar? Mine includes a soft spot for Twix: the combination of a crisp shortbread base, silky caramel and milk chocolate is irresistible. If you enjoy the shortbread-caramel-chocolate trio, this Twix-inspired cake brings those flavors together in a showstopping layer cake.

I created this dessert for a Sunday dinner when I wanted something simple to assemble but still impressive to serve. It strikes a nice balance — straightforward enough for home bakers, yet rich and layered so it feels special.

Why you will love this candy-bar inspired cake

• A buttery shortbread crust forms the base for my reliable vanilla cake batter.
• The batter bakes in a single 8×8 pan, so cleanup is minimal.
• Layers are filled with a homemade salted caramel for authentic, rich flavor.
• The shortbread flavor is echoed in a cookie-studded buttercream.
• A semi-naked finish keeps the cake approachable for decorators of every level.
• A milk chocolate ganache and caramel drizzle complete the Twix-style presentation.

This Twix-inspired cake is a great choice for birthdays, holidays, dinner parties or whenever you crave a caramel-chocolate treat. It slices nicely and tastes best when served at room temperature.

Twix cake ingredients and substitutions

• Shortbread cookie crumbs — crushed to fine crumbs. Use a store-bought vanilla shortbread or homemade shortbread if preferred.
• Unsalted butter — used melted for the crust and room temperature for cake and buttercream. If using salted butter, reduce or omit added salt.
• Granulated sugar — for the cake batter and as the base for the caramel.
• Eggs — use room-temperature eggs for best results.
• Vanilla extract — enhances flavor in cake, buttercream and caramel.
• All-purpose flour — spoon and level when measuring, or weigh for accuracy.
• Cornstarch — keeps the cake crumb tender.
• Baking powder — for lift.
• Kosher salt — adjust amount if using table salt or salted butter.
• Buttermilk — tenderizes the crumb; store-bought is convenient, or make a quick substitute with milk and a splash of vinegar or lemon juice.
• Salted caramel — homemade is recommended for the best flavor, but a quality store-bought caramel can be used as a shortcut.

Pro tip: Freeze leftover buttermilk in ½-cup portions for future baking projects.

Overview: steps to make this candy cake

1. Make the salted caramel (about 15 minutes; can be made a day ahead).
2. Prepare the shortbread crust and bake the vanilla cake in an 8×8 pan (about 30 minutes baking).
3. Make the shortbread buttercream (10–15 minutes).
4. Prepare the milk chocolate ganache and let it cool slightly (about 10 minutes).
5. Assemble and decorate the cake (15–20 minutes).

Although the recipe has several components, each step is straightforward and the layers come together quickly. The semi-naked finish gives the cake an elegant but unobtrusive look.

How to make the shortbread cookie crust cake

Preheat the oven and line an 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper. Crush your shortbread cookies to fine crumbs using a food processor or a zip-top bag and rolling pin. Combine the crumbs with melted butter and press firmly into the prepared pan to form an even crust.

Make the vanilla cake batter by creaming butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then adding the egg, egg white and vanilla. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk until just combined.

Spread the batter over the shortbread crust and bake until the edges are lightly golden and a tester comes out with a few moist crumbs. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack so the shortbread crust is facing up while the cake cools completely. Score the shortbread gently down the middle to make it easier to cut the cake into two layers when cold.

Ingredients for shortbread buttercream and milk chocolate ganache

• Milk chocolate — a baking chocolate bar works well for the ganache; use milk chocolate for a Twix-style flavor or swap dark chocolate to taste.
• Unsalted butter — used partly melted in the ganache and room temperature for the buttercream.
• Confectioners’ sugar — for smooth shortbread buttercream.
• Vanilla extract — for flavor in the buttercream.
• Heavy cream — thickens both the buttercream and the ganache; half-and-half can substitute in a pinch.
• Shortbread cookie crumbs — folded into the buttercream for crunchy, authentic flavor.

How to make shortbread buttercream

Beat room-temperature butter on high for five minutes until light and silky. Add confectioners’ sugar on low until incorporated, then add heavy cream and beat on high for another five minutes. Fold in finely crushed shortbread crumbs, vanilla and a pinch of salt, then beat briefly until evenly mixed. The result is a fluffy buttercream with subtle cookie flavor.

Finish by folding in the cookie crumbs and a final brief beat to create a spreadable buttercream perfect for piping or smoothing.

Let’s assemble this Twix cake

Make the milk chocolate ganache and let it cool until thick but still pourable. If you want to keep the serving plate clean, tuck small strips of parchment under the cake edges and remove them after decorating.

Cut the cooled cake into two equal layers. Place the bottom half on your serving plate with the shortbread crust facing upward. Pipe a double-layer buttercream dam around the edge to contain the caramel, then spoon in the salted caramel and smooth a thin layer of buttercream over it. Top with the second cake half, shortbread side down, and cover the cake with the remaining buttercream in a semi-naked style.

Once the ganache reaches the right consistency, pour it over the top of the cake and gently coax it to drip over the edges if desired. Warm any remaining caramel to a drizzle consistency and add it over the ganache for that classic Twix look.

How to serve and store

Serve slices at room temperature for the best texture and flavor. Store the cake covered at room temperature for up to two days, or refrigerated for up to one week. If chilled, allow the cake to sit at room temperature for a short while before serving so the caramel and ganache are soft.

Enjoy sharing this Twix-inspired cake with friends and family — its layers of shortbread, caramel and chocolate make it a memorable dessert that’s easier to make than it looks.

More candy-bar inspired desserts to try

• Milky Way–style layered cake
• Caramel and brown sugar shortbread
• Peanut butter bar treats
• Chocolate caramel slice bars

If you try this recipe, please come back and leave a review — feedback helps others and is very much appreciated.

Yield: 12 servings

Twix Cake

A layered vanilla cake baked on a shortbread crust, filled with salted caramel and finished with shortbread buttercream, milk chocolate ganache and a caramel drizzle.

Prep Time
45 minutes

Bake Time
30 minutes

Cooling Time
1 hour

Total Time
2 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

Salted Caramel filling

• 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (70g)
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature (120mL)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt

Shortbread Crust

• 16 shortbread cookies, crushed (244g)
• ¼ cup unsalted butter, melted (57g)

Vanilla Cake

• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (156g)
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch (24g)
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature (113g)
• ¾ cup granulated sugar (150g)
• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 1 large egg white, room temperature
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• ⅔ cup buttermilk, room temperature (160mL)

Shortbread Buttercream

• 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, room temperature (170g)
• 1 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar (196g)
• 3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream (45mL)
• 4 shortbread cookies, crushed (60g)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract (15mL)
• Pinch of salt

Milk Chocolate Ganache

• 3 ½ ounces milk chocolate baking bar, chopped (100g)
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter (42g)

Instructions

1. Make the salted caramel: Heat 1 cup granulated sugar in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium, stirring constantly until the sugar melts into a deep amber liquid. Carefully stir in 5 tablespoons room-temperature butter until incorporated, then slowly add ½ cup room-temperature heavy cream while whisking. Boil for one minute, remove from heat and stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla and ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Cool to room temperature.
2. Make the shortbread crust: Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8×8 pan with parchment. Crush 16 shortbread cookies to fine crumbs, mix with ¼ cup melted butter and press into the pan. Set aside.
3. Prepare the dry ingredients for the cake: Sift together 1 ¼ cups flour, 3 tablespoons cornstarch, 2 teaspoons baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt.
4. Make the vanilla cake batter: Cream ½ cup butter and ¾ cup sugar until light, add 1 whole egg, then the egg white and 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla. With the mixer on low, alternate adding the flour mixture and ⅔ cup buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour. Spread batter over the shortbread crust and bake about 30 minutes, until a tester shows a few moist crumbs. Cool in the pan 15 minutes, then turn out and cool completely. Score the shortbread across the center to ease cutting into two layers once cool.
5. Make the shortbread buttercream: Beat 1 ½ cups butter on high for 5 minutes. Add 1 ½ cups plus 2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar on low, then add 3 tablespoons heavy cream and beat on high 5 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon vanilla, crushed shortbread cookies and a pinch of salt; beat 2 more minutes.
6. Make the ganache: Melt 3 tablespoons butter with 3 ounces chopped milk chocolate in a double boiler, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the remaining ½ ounce chocolate until smooth. Cool until thick but pourable.
7. Assemble the cake: Cut the cooled cake into two layers. Place the bottom layer shortbread side up, pipe a double buttercream dam around the edge, fill with about ¾ of the salted caramel, then spread a thin layer of buttercream over the caramel. Place the second layer shortbread side down. Frost the cake in a semi-naked style with remaining buttercream. Pour the ganache over the top and allow drips down the sides. Warm remaining caramel if needed and drizzle over the ganache. Remove any parchment and serve.

Notes

*Use a quality store-bought salted caramel if you prefer a shortcut. If substituting a different brand of cookies, use gram measurements for accuracy. To make a quick buttermilk substitute, add about a tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar to a measuring cup and top with milk to reach ⅔ cup, then let sit briefly.

If the ganache becomes too thick, gently rewarm until pourable. Store leftover cake covered at room temperature up to 2 days or refrigerated up to one week.

Nutrition Information

Yield:

12

Amount Per Serving (estimate)
Calories: 761
Total Fat: 56g
Saturated Fat: 33g
Cholesterol: 161mg
Sodium: 357mg
Carbohydrates: 61g
Protein: 5g

The nutrition information is an estimate only.