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This Triple Layer Chocolate Toffee Cake has layers of tender chocolate cake sandwiching a rich fudgy buttercream frosting with toffee bits!

You’ll love every bite of this Chocolate Layer Cake with the sweet crunch of toffee! It’s a perfect dessert for the holidays or any celebration! A little slice goes a long way with this decadent show-stopper!

Triple Layer Chocolate Toffee Cake on a white cake stand.
Table of Contents hide
1 Why You Must Make
2 Expert Tips
3 How to Make
4 Frequently Asked Questions
5 You May Also Like:
6 Triple Layer Chocolate Toffee Cake

Why You Must Make

  • The extra layer makes this cake a show-stopper!
  • Sour cream and whole milk in the cake make it super moist.
  • Loads of chocolate buttercream plus the toffee bits add even more deliciousness!!!

With Valentine’s Day and the beginning of Lent converging on the same Wednesday, I knew I’d have to treat the family to an, especially decadent dessert ahead of the holiday. Since I usually give up something like cookie dough or chocolate, it was definitely the time for a splurge. This triple-layer chocolate toffee cake sounded just about right!

Expert Tips

  • Use a kitchen scale to weigh the batter in each of the 3 pans to help make your layers the same size.
  • You will know your cake layers are almost done when you start smelling a delicious aroma coming from your oven.
  • To make sure they’re done baking, insert a toothpick in the middle of one of the cakes. If the toothpick comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs, it’s time to remove from the oven.
  • Cool the layers completely before frosting and assembling.
  • To frost, pipe a barrier around the perimeter of two of the layers, then fill the middle of each cake with about one-third of the frosting.
  • Try to reserve some frosting if you want to pipe some swirls on top of the cake to garnish.
Overhead view of aTriple Layer Chocolate Toffee Cake on a white cake stand.

How to Make

  1. Preheat the oven and prep the cake pans.
  2. Mix together the cocoa and hot water, set aside, then whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside.
  3. In a mixer, beat the butter and sugar, then add eggs, vanilla, then cocoa mix.
  4. Alternate dry ingredients with the milk, starting and ending with the flour mixture.
  5. Evenly divide the batter between the pans.
  6. Bake as directed.
  7. Cool briefly, then remove from pans to cooling racks.
  8. Make frosting, assemble and garnish. PRO-Tip: Use an open star tip to pipe decorative frosting swirls on top of the cake.

I have loved English toffee since my first bite as a girl at our annual Christmas Day visit to our neighbors around the corner. Now if there’s any excuse to add toffee to a recipe, I’m all for it. The hubby, though, is not a fan. He did comment that this cake would be better without the crunchy stuff. Sigh.

He thought they were nuts, which I immediately denied claiming it was just sugary candy. Those Heath bits may say they have almonds in them, but you’d need a microscope to find any evidence. He seemed to accept that explanation and ate his fair share of this decadent chocolate layer cake. I’d call that a positive endorsement. Do you like toffee? How about nuts in your desserts? My vote is yes!

Full side view of a Triple Layer Chocolate Toffee Cake on a white ceramic cake stand.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Toffee?

Toffee is a candy made by cooking sugar, butter, water, or cream until it reaches a hard crack stage. It’s often topped with chocolate and nuts.

What’s a Substitute for Heath Bars or Heath Bar Bits?

Skor is another brand of toffee bars that is sold in the US. These can be chopped to make toffee bits.

How Do You Make Even Layers for a Layer Cake?

There are a couple of ways to make sure your layers are the same height when making a layer cake. You can always weigh your pans after you fill them with cake batter. If one is a bit heavier, move some of the batter to another pan.
You can also use a toothpick as a measuring stick and check the depth of the batter by inserting a clean toothpick into each cake pan. Assess the depth by eying how much batter is on each of them and adjust as needed.

Why Do You Alternate Wet and Dry Ingredients When Making a Cake?

First, whisking or sifting together all the dry ingredients helps to evenly mix the leavening agents into the flour, preventing specks of bitter baking soda or powder in your cake.
Then alternating the wet with the dry prevents overmixing which decreases gluten activation, making for a more tender cake.

How Should this Layer Cake Be Stored?

Since the top and sides are exposed to air, this layer cake needs to be covered to prevent it from drying out. It should stay fresh for 3-4 days if kept relatively airtight.
Keep it at room temperature. Wrap well in plastic wrap. PRO-Tip: Insert toothpicks into the top of the cake to elevate the plastic wrap above the decorative frosting.

You May Also Like:

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Triple Layer Chocolate Toffee Cake | 3 rich chocolate layers filled with chocolate buttercream and toffee bits
The Recipe:

Triple Layer Chocolate Toffee Cake

Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Yield 12

This Triple Layer Chocolate Toffee Cake has three scrumptious layers of chocolate cake which sandwich a rich, fudgy buttercream frosting plus a bonus of toffee bits to add a sweet crunch.

Ingredients

Cake:

  • ¾ cup cocoa powder
  • 1 cup boiling water
  • 1 ¾ cup flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • ¾ cup whole milk
  • ¼ cup sour cream

Frosting :

  • 1 ½ cups (3 sticks) butter, at room temperature
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • ¾ cup cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • A pinch of salt
  • ¼ cup heavy cream
  • 1 bag Heath bar bits

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°.  Spray 3 8-inch round baking pans with non-stick cooking spray, line bottoms with parchment paper, spray again and set aside.
  2. In a small bowl whisk together the cocoa and boiling water until smooth. Cool.
  3. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
  4. In a mixer, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, and then mix in vanilla. Slowly add the cocoa mix.
  5. Add a third of the flour mix, then the milk. Then another third of the flour and the sour cream. Then, add the remaining flour and mix until well combined.
  6. Divide the batter equally between the pans. Bake for 28-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
  7. Cool for about 10-15 minutes, then remove from pans to cooling racks. Remove parchment and let cool to room temperature.  You can wrap and freeze at this time to finish the cake at a later date.
  8. To make the frosting, beat the butter and powdered sugar in a stand mixer for about 5 minutes. Add cocoa powder, vanilla, and salt.
  9. Slowly mix in heavy cream, a little at a time, then beat for 3-5 minutes on high or until frosting is fluffy.
  10. To assemble, place one layer on a cake plate. Pipe or spread on one-third the frosting time. Sprinkle on Heath bits (as many or as little as you want).
  11. Top with the second layer and repeat toppings. Top with the third layer and pipe on the remaining frosting (I used a star tip and topped with swirls of frosting) and sprinkle with more Heath bits.

Notes

Alternating the wet and dry ingredients helps make a tender cake.

Having eggs and butter at room temperature ensures easier incorporation.

Recommended Products

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

12

Serving Size:

1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 470Total Fat: 9gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 63mgSodium: 267mgCarbohydrates: 93gFiber: 3gSugar: 72gProtein: 6g

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© Liz Berg
Cuisine: American / Category: Cakes