Homemade Tandy Cake Bars is a recipe recommended to me by Louise, who grew up in Tastykake country and was lucky enough eat their products growing up. Tandy Kakes, which were later renamed Kandy Kakes, were one of their most popular. They are little cakes topped with icing and enrobed in chocolate. This recipe is modeled after Peanut Butter Kandy Kakes.
While the actual Tastykake Kandy Kakes have quite a different shape, this homemade knock-off is supposed to taste similar to the real thing. Not that I'd know. I grew up in Little Debbie country! Or Hostess....or Lance. I don't remember seeing Tastykakes as a kid and by the time I did, I'd grown out of the snack cake market. Anyhow, now I need to try one to compare with this.
Homemade Peanut Butter Kandy Kakes Recipe
Tandy Cake Bars start with a thin layer of tight crumbed sponge cake.
You then top them with a layer of peanut butter. Aesthetically speaking, creamy. Crunchy was okay, though.
Then you pour on a final layer of your favorite type of milk chocolate.
The mock Tandy Cake Bars are really fun to make and I enjoyed the different textures of the cake, peanut butter and milk chocolate. Thanks again to Louise for telling me about the recipe. If you Google it, you'll see different versions, but this is how I made it the first time. I probably wouldn't change a thing.
Tandy Cake and Kandy Kakes Update
About a year ago we moved to Tastykake country and I can now buy their products whenever I want. I recently purchased a box of Tastykake Kandy Kakes, and oh my goodness they are so good. With all apologies to Little Debbie, Kandy Kakes are pretty fabulous as far as snack cakes go.
Here's a picture of one I gutted. The peanut butter is so soft, the chocolate coating actually has some flavor to it and the cake is velvety soft and crumbly.
Now that I've tried the real thing, I may try making these as small rounds by cutting out rounds of sponge cake, layering on some creamy peanut butter and coating the whole thing in chocolate. Stay tuned!
Small Batch Tandy Cake Bars
I recently started making these in small batches using my trusty little ⅛ sheet pan. It's a great size for small batch desserts, and holds a quarter batch of these bars just perfectly. To make the small batch version, use the recipe as written, but quarter it. Instead of baking at 350 degrees F, bake at 325 degrees F. for about 23 minutes.
Recipe
Homemade Tandy Cake Bars
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- 2 cups granulated sugar (400 grams)
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (28 grams)
- 1 ¼ cups peanut butter
- 12 oz milk chocolate candy bar chopped**
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10x15 inch pan. If halving the recipe, use a 9 inch square metal pan. You can also quarter the recipe and use a ⅛ sheet pan.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. Also, combine your milk and cut up pieces of butter in a microwave-safe cup so they'll be ready to go!
- In a mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, begin beating the eggs on medium speed. Gradually add the sugar, increasing speed of mixer a bit and beating until mixture is thick and lemon colored. Beat in the vanlila.
- Add the flour mixture and stir by hand or using lowest speed of mixer until fully blended. Don’t over-beat.
- Heat the milk and butter in the microwave just until it begins to boil. This won't take long, so watch carefully! Pour the hot milk into the batter and stir by hand or beat on very low speed until blended and smooth.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.
- Bake on center rack for 20 to 25 minutes (20 if halving), or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Drop dollops of peanut butter all over the still-warm cake and spread evenly to the edges. Let cool at room temperature for about 20 minutes, then refrigerate to set the peanut butter (about 1 hour).
- In a microwave-safe dish, melt chocolate (for milk chocolate, I use a lower setting) and spread evenly over peanut butter layer. Refrigerate to allow chocolate to harden, but be careful because if the chocolate hardens too much it will crack when you slice the cake. Refrigerate it just until firm or you could even let it set at room temperature, which of course takes longer and which I very seldom do since I am so impatient!
- Slice into bars.
Anna says
I think you could make them one day ahead and serve them on day 2. I usually just freeze them and then take them out to thaw on serving day.
Jennifer says
How far ahead can these be made and stored?
Anna says
I wish you could share a picture!
Tracey Hartley says
Perfect copycat recipe! I am from PA and these taste better than the originals! I used a big pizza cutter to cut them after they cooled and it worked great! Highly recommend this recipe. Would share a picture of mine if I could.
Anna says
Monica, thanks for leaving a comment! This recipe has been on my mind lately, and I'll probably make the bars again this week so I can take a new photo. Thanks for the pizza cutter tip.
Monica H Berger says
Love them. I use a pizza cutter to cut them, works great.
stellamex says
My mom made these all the time when I was growing up. Her recipe is almost the same as yours, except she used a little less sugar and just melted chocolate chips for the topping. Don't forget, after refrigerating the chocolate layer for 20 minutes, score the chocolate into squares (without cutting the cake). This will allow you to cleanly cut the cakes after the chocolate has hardened without breaking and cracking the chocolate. Also, we never measured the peanut butter....just spread a thin layer on top of the warm sponge cake. I'm about to make these again! 🙂 Can't wait!
Mal says
Just read this blog yesterday and I'm baking them today. I hope mine look as yummy as yours !!! Thanks
yatesy says
just so all you guys know, you can order tastykakes form their website: http://www.tastykake.com
the company is kinda struggling right now so any orders could help them out. they are a HUGE philly based legendary landmark company.
Lisa says
I grew up in Lancaster PA and Peanut Butter Kandy Cakes were my favorite Tasty Cake. This recipe looks very promising...can't wait to try them.
If any one reading this is from South Florida, Big Al's Steaks (Philly Steak Sandwich restaurant) sells Tasty Cakes.
Thanks for the recipe!
vanillasugarblog says
never heard of tastycakes! both versions look so good though. lucky louise grew up with some good snacks!
Caroline says
Oh my goodness, peanut butter? Chocolate? Cake? Well, hello there. These would be dangerous in my house, haha. I'm not sure I've ever had the namesake of these treats, but from what I can tell, I would love every last morsel of it!
Stephanie says
So on the suggestion that it may very well be "gilding the lily" -- I have this bookmarked in my favorites...
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/2009/10/27/look-up-in-the-sky-its-a-cookie-its-a-cake-no-its-the-cookie-cake/
Think you could combine the tandy cakes with the cookie bottom?
Debbie says
I love this recipe and I'm definitely going to give this a try soon! This sounds so good. Thanks for sharing this!
Julie says
I don't think I grew up around tasty kakes either, but I'd sure love to give these a try...yum 🙂
Upstate NY Native says
I ADORE Tastykakes. When we have visitors form VA they always bring tons of them and I put them in the freezer so I can ration them until their next trip. I'm off on Friday and this is what I'll be doing with my morning!!
Thanks Louise and Anna!!
Adam says
This looks great and simple. I love snack cakes but rarely eat them since I try not to eat too many sweets that I didn't bake myself. Definitely the front runner for next weekend :). Thanks!
Anna says
Esther, the edges were fine. I don't have the type of brownie pan you are referring to, but that's an interesting idea.
Jennie, I'm not sure how I outgrew snack cake. I used to love all types (except snoballs) and now I buy them, eat one, and think "Meh".
Jennie says
I live in TastyKake region. I need to know how you outgrew the snack cake!! They do not compare to Little Debbie or Hostess. They are just the best. And the kandy kake is my absolute favorite. So much so... I think I need to go buy some! 😉
I second Louise's advice... it has to be creamy pb. I would use Ghiradelli chocolate over Hershey's but the creamy pb is key.
Thanks for the recipe.
Katrina says
Never had Tastykakes either. We were also in Little Debbie country.
Maris (In Good Taste) says
This looks better then any Tastykake I have seen. Great job!
Jae says
Hi! I'm a 18 year old highschool senior who's just started reading your blog a couple weeks ago, as well as being a baking fiend whose just started to truly bake from scratch. I just wanted to say that I love your blog and the amazing goodies you come up with, and I will go through many of them in the near future. Thank you for having such an amazing blog that makes me drool,and I look forward to reading more~
Carole says
Since I will be alone tomorrow I'll make in the afternoon. May try dark chocolate instead of milk.
Cookie Sleuth says
I've never had Tastycakes, but I'm sure this is better!
Avril says
Well, HELLO there yumminess! I will so be making this lovely looking treat of a cake! 🙂 Fun to find you blog...I have a feeling from this recipe you have a wealth of other fabulous recipes. Looking forward to discovering more!
Esther says
That looks soo good. I wish I could have some of that right now. Did the crusts, the edge of the cake I mean, taste good? Because I'm thinking of baking that in those brownie square pan for miniature pieces and neat edges, but if the edges aren't good I wouldn't want to do that. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
jessielou says
at first I thought it was Millionaire's Shortbread but this looks just as tasty! I'm interested in giving this a go...
Betty @ scrambled hen fruit says
When I was younger, I used to see commercials on tv for tastycakes but they weren't available anywhere around where I lived. We had all the hostess treats instead. I'll have to make these to see what I was missing all those years. 🙂
Mackenzie@The Caramel Cookie says
Never heard of this but it sure looks delicious!
Louise says
Sounds like I need to send some. Thanks for trying the recipe. This snack cake has been a hit at picnics, large informal family get-togethers, etc. for many years. To get a real Tandy Cake clone, milk chocolate bars such as Hershey's should be used, never chocolate chips. And, of course, creamy peanut butter. 🙂
Kathy says
Looks like fun, and I just happen to have peanut butter and chocolate bars to use up!