Some cakes just don’t seem to get out of your head. Just like this one…. I have been fancying a Barrel Cake, I just don’t know since when! I just love the way it looks.. so pretty with all the Kit Kats around it and the colorful M&Ms on top of it. I tried to make one when Azza was turning one. I bought the Kit Kats and M&Ms and was hoping to make the cake, however since my oven was new and I was literally not used to it, the cake turned out to be a dud and therefore I had to adjust with some whipped cream frosting on top to camouflage the terrible cake. It is more than three years now but that mishap still scares me… hehe… Then I got the chance to bake a better one when Rasha’s birthday last month.
This time, I wouldn’t say that the experience was smooth. I was actually supposed to make a sprinkle cake. And I did it… however the sprinkles just melted into the cake and lend an added sweetness to it. Thankfully, I had not added too much sugar so the sweetness was perfect. I must say the highlight was the chocolate buttercream. Absolutely loved it, over and above the strawberry buttercream I had tried at the beginning of the year! After baking and frosting the cake, I realised that the cake was not high enough for the Kit-Kat fingers and it was literally going to look like a well, more than a barrel! That is when HD came to the rescue. He just casually hinted to put a half in between two full and that’s the final design that was chosen! I feel this looks more lovely than the full barrel design… Or am I the one who is feeling it? 🙂 I had a tough time pulling Azza out of the fridge each time to protect the M&Ms on top. Finally when we cut and had the cake after our lunch, we all loved it, though the chocolates on the sides and top do make you go on a chocolate overload! Rasha simply commented, “Ummi, it is nice, but too much chocolate!” Is there a phrase called “too much chocolate”??? Hehe… secretly, I did agree to her and thanked the One above for not making me bake a chocolate cake or else it would have been a literal overload!
I guess I stop my blabbering and move onto the recipe… 🙂 Recipes adapted from here and here
Kit-Kat Barrel Cake ~ Vanilla Cake with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- FOR THE CAKE:
- 1 2/3 cup all purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 120 gm butter melted
- 2/3 cup raw sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup yogurt
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- FOR THE CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM:
- 120 gm butter softened
- 3 ounces cream cheese
- 3/4 pound powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 200 gm dark chocolate melted
- FOR DECORATION:
- 6 x 4 bar + 1 x 2 bar Kit Kat
- 180 gm pack M&Ms
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Grease a 6 inch pan well and set aside.
- Combine the dry ingredients into a bowl and whisk well.
- Beat the melted butter and sugar till well dissolved.
- Add in the egg and beat. Add in the yogurt, milk and vanilla extract and whisk till well combined.
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold till well combined.
- Pour into the prepared tin and bake for an hour or till the skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan for 10 minutes, flip onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
- For the buttercream, beat the butter and cheese till fluffy.
- Add in the sugar little by little and continue to beat at medium to high speed, till all the sugar is used up and completely incorporated.
- Now add in the milk and vanilla extract and beat for a couple of minutes. The mixture will loosen up but don't worry.
- Add in the melted chocolate and beat on high speed till it nicely comes together. Leave in the fridge till cold.
- To assemble the cake, On a cake stand or plate, keep parchment papers on four sides and keep the cake on the top. This makes it cleaner to frost.
- Cut off the top to level it off. Cut into the centre. Slather sufficient buttercream in the centre and spread to flatten. Keep the other half on the top.
- Start covering all over the cake thickly and coat well all over using a flattening spatula.
- Stick the Kit-Kat on the sides, I used one whole and one half alternatively. It will stick to the side well.
- Put in the M&Ms in the center. Tie a ribbon around the Kit-Kats.
- Leave in the refrigerator for a couple of hours for it to set well.
Notes
The above mentioned buttercream was too much for the cake. I used only half of it. The remaining half went on an attempt to make a checkerboard cake, which would never appear on the blog for sure... hehe...
Loved it… I like the idea of tying the ribbon around…. Cakes always tend to make me go nuts… This one is super cute
Thank you so much Febina…
belated wishes to your daughter,sure hit among kids with those colourful MM
Thank you so much Babitha…
wow!! this looks absolutely scrumptious!
Thank you so much Priya…
u made a beautiful cake, perfect for the occasion
Thank you so much Razina…
wow this cake is simply fabulous! wonderful job Rafee
Thank you so much Jyothi…
lovely pics
Thanks a lot…
That is definitely is one yummy looking slice. Love the fencing around the cake too 🙂
Thank you so much Meena… 🙂
Perfect colourful cake.Super moist
Thanks a lot Sathya…
The cake looks so yummy…Very neat work
Thank you so much Gloria…
Excellent cake …..looks awesome, moist and great presentation…
Thank you so much Jeena…
Beautiful and yummy cake……… u made it perfectly……. Wonderful one dear…….. 🙂
Thank you so much Remya… 🙂
I want that gorgeous cake. Well done…
Thank you so much dear…
Beautifully presented scrumptious cake!!
Thanks a lot Padma…
loved the cake,superb must say especially the neat cut slice!!
Thank you so much Julie…
Belated Birthday Wishes n tis is such a wonderfully made cake ..too much cholocate is what i love about
Thank you so much Kalpana…
yummy
Thanks a lot akka…
Love the idea of kitkat cake and that too so neatly made….I am sure ur bday girl loved it 🙂
Thank you so much Anupa… 🙂
Beautiful cake, looks awesome.. 🙂
Thank you so much Sona… 🙂
Perfectly Done!!!…. Love the cake..
Thank you so much Jasira…