CopyCaturday: Copycat Kandy Kakes Edition
Somewhere in the wilds of Instagram, someone crowned Saturday as Caturday. 😹 We adore our feline overlords, so let’s be honest—we feature them daily, not just on Saturday! Plus, they mostly spend every day judging us in silence!
So we gave it a twist: welcome to CopyCaturday, where we test-drive copycat recipes each week. We’re not big on fast food, but we are fans of homemade takes that spark nostalgia and bring back those childhood memories of sneaking treats from lunch boxes.
This week’s spotlight? A childhood favorite that had us diving headfirst into chocolate chaos: our ambitious attempt at a copycat Kandy Kakes recipe inspired by TastyKake’s iconic chocolate-covered peanut butter cake bars. What could possibly go wrong when attempting to recreate one of America’s most beloved snack cakes at home?
We dove in with confidence (and chocolate ambition). Full disclosure: our tempering technique is still in “aspirational” mode. We’ve watched plenty of baking shows—haven’t quite joined the chocolate elite just yet. But hey, how hard could it be to recreate those perfectly smooth, chocolate-coated rectangles of peanut butter heaven?
That said, the cake baked up beautifully. The yellow cake base came together without a hitch, rising evenly and filling the kitchen with that nostalgic vanilla aroma. Next time, I might shave a few minutes off the oven time; it got a little dense post-fridge treatment. Lesson logged for future copycat adventures.
The Peanut Butter Phase: Surprisingly Cooperative
Once cooled, we popped the cake out of the pan (because logic said “warm cake = peanut butter soup”). The peanut butter layer is what makes Kandy Kakes so irresistible—that creamy, sweet filling that perfectly complements the cake base. Our homemade version needed to nail this component.
The spreading process went smoothly—as long as we didn’t overwork it. That cake’s delicate! We mixed powdered sugar with creamy peanut butter and a touch of vanilla, creating a spreadable consistency that reminded us exactly why TastyKake’s version became such a Philadelphia institution.
We were feeling pretty smug at this stage. “Copycat Kandy Kakes recipe mastered!” we declared, admiring our perfectly smooth peanut butter layer. The cake looked bakery-worthy, and we could practically taste victory.
Cue messy reality check…
Chocolate Coating Chaos: Where Dreams Go to Melt
Here’s where our copycat Kandy Kakes recipe took a dramatic turn. I had it in my head that slicing the cake first would make the chocolate coating process easier. Spoiler alert: it absolutely didn’t. The original recipe recommends leaving it whole during the chocolate phase, and now I understand why with painful clarity.
The chocolate mixture—a combination of melted chocolate chips and shortening designed to create that signature glossy coating—was being an absolute diva. Way too thick to dip elegantly, impossible to pour with any semblance of grace. This is where professional candy makers earn their keep, and where home bakers like us learn humility.
What followed was part sculpture, part salvage operation, and entirely educational. I pieced the slices back together like a chocolate-covered puzzle, smeared on a second coat with the determination of someone who refuses to admit defeat, and gave it my best “now pretend this was intentional” face.
The real TastyKake Kandy Kakes have that impossibly smooth, even chocolate shell that speaks to industrial precision. Our homemade version looked more like abstract art—delicious abstract art, but still.
Copycat Kandy Kakes Results: Nailed It… Or Not?
↘↘Nailed It!↙↙
But in reality ~ A very very very far cry from this ↙
Complete Copycat Kandy Kakes Recipe
TastyKake Kandy Kakes (Copycat)
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 ½ cups peanut butter
- 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 2 tbsp shortening
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Grease and flour a 10x15 baking dish.
- In medium bowl, combine eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Beat with mixer until creamy.
- Sift together flour and baking powder and add to bowl gradually, keeping mixer on low speed.
- In a small saucepan, heat milk and 2 tablespoons butter, until it begins to bubble.
- Fold milk/butter mixture into cake batter until combined
- Pour batter into the prepared baking dish.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool to room temperature before spreading peanut butter evenly over the entire cake.
- Refrigerate to set. Should be set in an hour.
- Melt chocolate and shortening in a double boiler until smooth. Spread melted chocolate evenly over the peanut butter layer.
- Allow chocolate to harden and set before cutting and serving.
This copycat recipe attempts to recreate the beloved TastyKake treat with a yellow cake base, creamy peanut butter filling, and chocolate coating. While our execution may have been imperfect, the flavors definitely captured that nostalgic Kandy Kakes experience we were chasing.
Taste Test: How Close Did We Get?
The tastes were there, mostly. Our homemade version was obviously fresher than the packaged variety, which sounds like a win but honestly felt like a disappointment when you’re craving that specific processed perfection. The peanut butter layer had the right sweetness and texture, and the cake base was actually superior to the original—more tender and flavorful.
Where we fell short was in the chocolate coating technique and that intangible “snack cake” quality that comes from commercial production. Sometimes there’s just no substitute for the original, especially when it comes to childhood favorites like Kandy Kakes.
Will We Attempt This Copycat Recipe Again?
Nope, nope, and once again, nope! This copycat Kandy Kakes recipe was pretty much an utter disaster for us in terms of execution. We made the conscious decision to just leave it to the professionals at TastyKake. Some things are better left to the experts, and apparently, perfectly smooth chocolate-coated snack cakes are one of them.
That said, the experience taught us valuable lessons about chocolate tempering, the importance of following recipe instructions exactly, and the impressive skill that goes into commercial baking. Our kitchen adventure may not have produced picture-perfect results, but it certainly produced great memories (and surprisingly tasty, if ugly, treats).
More CopyCaturday Recipes and Resources
There is a site called Top Secret Recipes that has a ton of available fast food and restaurant copycat recipes. It is not a free site! You can buy recipes in different ways, individually or buy one of the books, there is also a membership that you get 8 free recipes a month, you get the picture! Click on the chef below to check it out!
Another great resource is Copykat.com. Here you will find TONS of FREE copycat recipes! She also has a few books available on Amazon! Either way, it’s a win for anyone looking to recreate their favorite restaurant and snack foods at home! 😋
Whether you’re attempting copycat Kandy Kakes or tackling other nostalgic treats, remember that the journey is often more entertaining than the destination. Sometimes the best stories come from the biggest kitchen fails!
