Kit Kat Cake -- The Chocolate Wedding Cake We Made Together

First week of May. The wedding is two weeks out. Hannah and I are in the rhythm of intensive prep. The kitchen is in production mode. The pantry is filling with prepped components. The freezer has the empanadas, the stocks, the smoked meats.

Tuesday I smoked a whole hog. Adam Pigeon delivered the pig Monday — a smaller one this time, a hundred and forty pounds, sized for the wedding crowd. I started the smoke at four in the morning Tuesday. Twelve hours over apple and pecan. Pulled it apart in the afternoon. Twenty-five pounds of meat. Vacuum-sealed. Frozen.

Wednesday I made the wedding cake. Hannah and I made it together — three layers, chocolate with cherry preserves between, frosted with a buttercream Hannah developed over the years from her mother's recipe. The cake was Miriam's request. She had asked specifically for chocolate and cherry. We made the layers Wednesday and assembled and frosted Saturday. The cake is beautiful. It will sit in the cooler at the cultural center until the day.

Friday I had my final pre-wedding lunch with Caleb. We went to a barbecue place in Pryor. I had brisket. He had pulled pork. He said: I'm getting married in eight days. I said: yes. He said: I'm not nervous. I said: that's right. He said: I want to thank you. I said: don't. He said: yes. He said: I want to thank you for the Saturdays in 2040 and the casseroles I started bringing and the whole thing. I said: you don't have to thank me. He said: I have to thank you. I said: I love you. He said: I love you. We ate. The barbecue was decent. The conversation was the meal.

The three-layer cake Hannah and I built for Miriam and Caleb—chocolate, cherry preserves, Hannah’s mother’s buttercream—was made for one moment, for one day, and it belongs to them. But the spirit of that bake, the deliberateness of it, the act of putting something beautiful together for people you love, is something worth carrying into any kitchen. This Kit Kat Cake channels that same celebratory energy: a solid chocolate base dressed up into something that feels like an occasion, whether you’re feeding a wedding crowd or just the people sitting at your table on a Friday night.

Kit Kat Cake

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 35 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes | Servings: 12

Ingredients

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup strong brewed coffee, cooled
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (for frosting)
• 3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (for frosting)
• 3–4 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (for frosting)
• 10–12 full-size Kit Kat bars
• 1 bag (12 oz) M&Ms or chocolate candies, for topping

Instructions

1. Preheat and prepare. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans, then line the bottoms with parchment paper.
2. Mix dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.
3. Mix wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, cooled coffee, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until smooth.
4. Combine batter. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined — do not overmix. The batter will be thin; that’s expected.
5. Bake the layers. Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto wire racks and cool completely.
6. Make the chocolate buttercream. Beat softened butter on medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add sifted cocoa powder and powdered sugar one cup at a time, alternating with heavy cream. Add vanilla and beat on high for 2 minutes until light and spreadable. Adjust consistency with additional cream if needed.
7. Assemble the cake. Place one layer on your cake board or plate. Spread an even layer of buttercream on top. Set the second layer over it and press gently. Apply a thin crumb coat of frosting over the entire cake and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
8. Frost and finish. Apply the final coat of chocolate buttercream over the entire cake, smoothing the sides and top. Press Kit Kat bars vertically around the outside of the cake, covering the sides completely.
9. Top with candy. Pile M&Ms or your chosen chocolate candies generously on top of the cake. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 680 | Protein: 7g | Fat: 31g | Carbs: 97g | Fiber: 4g | Sodium: 390mg