Milky Way Cake

Milky Way Sheet Cake is a rich, buttery chocolate 9×13 cake made with melted candy bars and topped with a glossy marshmallow fudge frosting. It's an easy, old-fashioned dessert that's perfect for potlucks, holidays, and chocolate lovers and one of our favorite cake recipes!

A No-Fuss Chocolate Cake That Always Gets Talked About

This is the kind of cake that feels like it came straight from a church cookbook. It's sweet, nostalgic, and unapologetically rich. The melted Milky Way bars bake right into the batter, creating a soft chocolate crumb with hints of caramel throughout. Then it's finished with a warm, pourable frosting that sets into a shiny, fudge-like layer on top.

 

It's simple to make, feeds a crowd, and tastes even better the next day.

FAQs

Ingredients

For the Cake

• Fun-size Milky Way candy bars - Chopped and melted into the batter for chocolate and caramel flavor throughout then use extra for topping if desired.
• Unsalted butter (divided) - One stick melts with the candy bars, the rest creates a rich, buttery cake base.
• Granulated sugar - Sweetens the cake and helps create a soft, tender crumb.
• Large eggs - Add structure and richness.
• Milk - Keeps the cake moist and smooth.
• All-purpose flour - Gives the cake its structure.
• Baking soda - Helps the cake rise properly.
• Vanilla extract - Rounds out the chocolate flavor.
• Chopped pecans (optional) - Add texture and a slight nutty crunch.

For the Frosting

• Unsalted butter - Forms the rich base of the frosting.
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips - Melt into a smooth, chocolatey layer.
• Sweetened condensed milk - Makes the frosting creamy and slightly fudgy.
• Marshmallow cream - Gives that glossy, old-fashioned fudge finish.
• Powdered sugar - Sweetens and thickens the frosting to the perfect spreadable consistency.

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 9×13-inch baking pan and set aside.
• In a small saucepan over low heat, melt one stick of butter with the chopped Milky Way bars. Stir constantly until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool.

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and baking soda.

• In a large mixing bowl, cream together the remaining butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

• Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.

• Add the flour mixture to the batter, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix just until combined.

• Stir in the cooled Milky Way mixture until fully incorporated. Fold in the pecans if using.

• Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.

• Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs and the center springs back lightly when touched.

• Cool completely before frosting.
• In a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and chocolate chips together, stirring until smooth.

• Stir in the sweetened condensed milk until fully combined.

• Mix in the marshmallow cream until smooth.
• Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until the frosting is smooth and pourable.

• Immediately pour the warm frosting over the cooled cake and spread evenly.
• Allow the frosting to cool a few minutes if adding more chopped candy bars on top, so they “stick” in the frosting instead of slide off, and so they settle in while the frosting thickens more. Then allow it to set completely before slicing. The top will firm up into a glossy, fudge-like finish.

Tips

• The frosting may want to run off/out of your baking pan, so pour slowly to make sure it doesn’t overflow. (This will all depend on how deep your 9×13 baking pan is.)
• Melt the candy bars over low heat to prevent the caramel from scorching.
• Do not overmix once the flour is added.
• The cake is done when the toothpick shows moist crumbs, not wet batter.
• If the frosting thickens too quickly, gently rewarm it over low heat and stir until pourable.
• This is one of those cakes that tastes even better the next day.

Milky Way Sheet Cake is a rich chocolate candy bar cake baked in a 9×13 pan and topped with warm marshmallow fudge frosting. It's a nostalgic, crowd-pleasing dessert that's perfect for sharing.

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