Cakes are the iconic centerpiece for any celebration: birthdays, weddings, office promotions, high-tea Thursday afternoons… But they’re all tried and tested, and you’re looking for something new, fun, and heavenly candyful.
Whether the cake is inspired by candy, made with candy, or simply wrapped up candy bars, then this list has them all.
Continue reading for our delicious recommendations, and don’t forget to bookmark this page–you will definitely want to come back!
Chocolate Candy Sheet Cake
Sheet cakes are easy cakes to bake. You can have a party of 24 served a piece of delicious cake within the hour. Cake canceled? Cake fell over? Or you just love spontaneous parties? Sheet cake’s got your back.
Our recommended Sheet Cake Recipe comes from the Food Network. The best thing about it is you can easily add candy to make it extra sweet. Try out these variations:
Chocolate Galore
Cover your cake with M&Ms and chopped up Mars Bars and Hersheys. Finish off with a helping of chocolate sprinkles.
Nut-tastic
Replace the icing with a layer of peanut butter decorated with diced Snickers Bars. Consider chopping up some peanuts to sprinkle over the top.
Coco-Loco
Add in coconut flakes throughout the whole recipe, or to go the extra mile, use chopped Bounty Bars to decorate and delight your party.
Marshmallow Candy Cake
Ever see those towering marshmallow candy cakes and just want to take a giant bite out? Well, now you can make your own. We understand that not everyone is a Bake-Off finalist, and many prefer to watch and eat over create, so we have two versions for you to explore here.
DIY
You can make your own marshmallow, and no, it won’t end in a nightmare clean-up. Once again, look to the Food Network for a simplified recipe to get the basics.
Want a bit of a challenge? Repeat this process with different flavors and food dyes. Finish with four other blocks to create your marshmallow oeuvre d’art.
Tip: Try substituting the gelatin with arrowroot for some vegan candy cake.
Store-bought
First off, you need a block of marshmallow for your base. Then go crazy and buy all the different types available. Remove all the packaging and stick your marshmallows together with melted marshmallows. We recommend cutting your base into a circular form, then microwaving the cut-offs to be used as your gluing agent.
Tip: If you can’t find a block, buy a couple of packets of plain ‘mallows, melt them together in a microwave and pour into a prepared dish to cool and come together overnight. Prepare the dish with vegetable oil, dusted with a mixture of equal parts icing sugar and cornstarch.
Hidden Candy Pound Cake
Place a pound cake in front of your family or guests, and you won’t get a big reaction. But if you like to surprise people, add your favorite candies to the mix. There’s nothing sweeter than seeing the look of happy surprise on your loved ones’ faces when they realize your cake is infiltrated with sweet gummy or chocolate candies.
We suggest using this recipe from The Spruce Eats. However, any basic cake recipe will suffice.
Suggested Candies:
- Jujubes
- Malteasers
- Gummy Bears
- Milk Duds
Candy Cupcakes
You don’t need to be an Icing Queen (or King) to make colorful candy cupcakes. A simple icing dribble works as your best gluing agent to decorate your cupcakes with your favorite gummy or chocolate candies (or marshmallows; now you know how to make your own).
Cupcakes are very versatile. You can make them with chocolate, banana, lemon, have them vegan and/or gluten-free, and represent every color under the sun—great options for all types of fun events.
We suggest using this simple cupcake recipe for All Recipes as your base point. Then get creative!
Rock Candy Geode Cake
Warning, only to be attempted by seasoned bakers–or those who love a sweet challenge. These cakes are a work of art, combining skill, patience, and a lot of sweetness. You can decorate it however you wish, but be sure everyone is watching when you cut the cake. The crystallized inside will have mouths drop in awe and drool drooling with anticipation.
We have a step-by-step Rock Candy Geode Cake recipe and method for you to follow to succeed with this marvelous creation.
Leftover Candy Cake
Candy rarely becomes “leftover,” but it’s a real phenomenon, especially after Halloween and birthday parties. Luckily, you can repurpose that unused candy with something just as sweet: cake.
This cake is like a giant cookie – what more could you want? Just bake it up, top it with the candy in your cupboard, and dig in.
Candy Bar Wrap
Know someone who loves candy bars? This simple “cake” will win over their hearts any day of the week.
- Buy a square box of chocolates.
- Line up different candy bars all around, still in their wrappers.
- Use a touch of glue to keep them in place.
- Stack up some boxed candies for more cake layers.
- Wrap with colored ribbon.
Simple, practical, and homemade!
And one last cup of candy…
Even for the baking novice, candy cakes are very doable in your home kitchen. You can experiment with your favorite candies, gummy or chocolate or marshmallow, and truly delight your guests. You don’t need to qualify for The American Baking Competition just yet.
Our advice? Make a mess. Enjoy the baking experience. Experiment and get the whole family involved.
In the famous words of Marie Antoinette, “Let them eat cake.”
Tempted to buy some candies? Browse our full selection of chocolates, gummies, and more. You might just find your next cake inspiration.
