M&M Kit Kat Cake Recipe

This M&M Kit Kat Cake Recipe is a chocolate lovers’ dream dessert! It is perfect for a birthday cake but it can also be a very festive cake for any occasion by using different colored M&M’s.

This cake is a winner in our house! It is made with M&M’s and Kit Kat bars, two of our favorite kinds of candies. You can never go wrong with those two mixed into a recipe!

The M&M Cake is very easy to make and it looks so pretty once it’s finished!

We have made this for birthdays using regular colored M&M’s, at Christmas with red and green M&M’s, and for the Fourth of July using red, white, and blue. 

If you can’t find the festive colored M&M’s at your local store, you can most likely find them on Amazon.

I use a store-bought white cake mix and frosting or chocolate cake mix and frosting to save time when making this cake. Use your favorite!

However, if you would rather make the cake and frosting from scratch, here is a great recipe for a layer cake and frosting from Sally’s Baking Addiction.

Ingredients Needed

• 1 box cake mix
• 1 container of frosting
• 1-2 packages of M&M’s (depending on how many M&M’s you want on the cake)
• 12 KitKat candy bars (you will need about 42-46 individual Kit Kat bars in total)
• Ribbon to place around the cake, optional

How to Make an M&M Kit Kat Cake

Start with making your cake according to the box directions for either the 8 or 9″ cakes (I use 9″ round cake pans for this recipe). You will need two round cakes to make a two layer cake.

Let the cake layers cool completely before decorating them.

While the cakes are cooling, unwrap the KitKat bars and set them aside. When I use a 9″ cake pan, I use 12 – 4 piece candy bars (or 42-46 individual Kit Kat bars).

Once the cakes are cooled, remove them from the pans. Place each one on a dinner/serving plate (with one being the plate you plan on serving the cake on) and frost the two individual cakes.

Frost the cake that is on the serving plate first and then place the other cake on top and frost that one.

The chocolate frosting does not need to look perfect as it will be covered with candy.

Break the Kit Kat bars into two pieces and gently place them vertically along the edge of the cake. Try to keep them in order of breaking them so that the cracks in the bars will match up.

Pour the M&Ms onto the cake until the top of the cake is covered with the candy.

Optional: Once you have all the candy on the cake, take a ribbon and wrap it around the cake, tying it loosely. Doing this makes the cake look more festive, though the frosting should hold the Kit Kats in place if you choose not to use the ribbon.

Make a Kit Kat Birthday Cake

Use white Kit Kats with funfetti cake mix and funfetti frosting to make a Kit Kat birthday cake!

Recipe Tips

Look for festive colored candy a few weeks ahead of the holiday that you are making this for. Sometimes the stores run out when it gets closer to the holiday day.

When breaking the Kit Kat bars, keep them in order so that the cracks on the sides of the bars match up and it looks neater.

Make sure you add the Kit Kat bars and M&M’s right after frosting the cake. 

The frosting acts like a glue to hold the candy to the side of the cake, so you want to add them right away.

Making this on a warm day?

Place the KitKat bars in your refrigerator until you are ready to use them. Otherwise, they might start to melt a little from the warmth of your hands in the heat.

Keeping the cake in the refrigerator after you add the candy helps so the chocolate does not melt if it is a warmer day.

Looking for More Chocolate Lover Recipes?

Dark Chocolate Raspberry Banana Bread, Homemade Brownies, or Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Pie would be great recipes for you to try!

Did you make this recipe? If so, please leave a comment and rating below. I love hearing from you. 

Update Note: This recipe was originally posted in 2015, but was published again in 2019 to include step by step directions and new photos.