If you like toffee, you will love this old fashioned Heath Bar Cake! It has a soft and tender homemade cake that’s topped with a toffee crumble. Whipped cream on top is a must!
Candy bars meet cake in this classic recipe for Heath Bar Cake!
I found the recipe in a 1970s church cookbook, so it’s been around for at least 50 years, and probably longer. The cake employs an interesting technique of using a pastry crumble (butter, flour, and brown sugar) for the base. It creates a soft and tender cake, which is topped with Heath bars, more crumble, and walnuts for extra crunch.
It seemed fitting to use Cool Whip for topping the cake, but you can use whipped cream if you’d like. It really completes the cake!
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Ingredients
- This recipe uses brown sugar to create a moist, tender crumb for the cake.
- Flour and butter combine with the brown sugar to create a crumble for both the cake and the topping.
- The topping is made with Heath toffee bits and walnuts for lots of crunch! I used Bits O’ Brickle, which are just the toffee bits. If you’d like chocolate in the cake, you can substitute 6 Heath candy bars (chopped) OR they now make chopped Heath “English toffee bits” that have chocolate.
How to Make a Classic Heath Bar Cake From Scratch
- Cut a stick of butter into half-inch pieces. Place the butter in a large bowl along with the flour and brown sugar. Use your fingers to work the butter into the flour and sugar until the butter is in pea-sized clumps. Reserve 1 cup of the mixture and set aside.
- In another bowl, whisk together the egg, milk, and vanilla.
- Stir the salt and baking soda into the crumble. Then pour in the egg/milk mixture. Stir gently just until combined. Pour into a 13×9-inch pan.
- Place the reserved 1 cup of crumble in a large bowl, along with the walnuts and Heath toffee bits. Stir to combine.
- Gently distribute the crumble mixture evenly over the cake batter. Bake for 35–40 minutes.
- Serve while warm or at room temperature, with a dollop of whipped cream or Cool Whip.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Substitute 6 chopped Heath Bars for the Heath toffee bits.
You can omit the nuts and proceed with the recipe as directed. Or you can substitute another type of nut, such as chopped pecans, instead of the walnuts.
To freeze the cake, bake it as directed and let it cool. Cut into slices and transfer to a freezer-safe container or plastic freezer bag. Freeze for up to two monthes. Defrost on the countertop at room temperature.
📖 Recipe
Classic Heath Bar Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 2 cups light brown sugar
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold
- 1 egg
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup chopped walnuts
- 1 (8 oz) bag Heath bits (or 6 chopped Heath Bars)
- To serve: whipped cream or Cool Whip
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 13×9 inch pan with cooking spray.
- Cut the butter into ½ inch pieces.
- Place the flour, brown sugar, and butter in a large bowl. Mix with a fork until a shaggy dough forms. Reserve 1 cup for the topping.
- In another bowl, whisk together the egg, vanilla, and milk.
- Add the salt and baking soda to the remaining brown sugar mixture. Stir to combine. Stir in the milk mixture. (There will be lumps of butter—that is ok!)
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
- Mix the reserved crumbs with the walnuts and Heath toffee bits. Sprinkle over the cake batter.
- Bake for 35–40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool before serving with whipped cream.
This is a delicious moist cake with an old fashioned feel. This not overly sweet but it has a buttery caramel taste with the sweet crunch of Heath bars. With whipped cream, ice cream or naked it is a keeper!
Thanks for your review, Kristi!
Can this cake be frozen?
Yes! It should be fine a month or so in the freezer.
Hi Kate, Your Heath Bar Cake recipe is almost identical to one my husband’s grandmother used to make, except hers calls for 2 eggs. I’ve tried both versions recently, but the topping sinks into the cake and solidifies at the bottom. Any suggestions? I’m beginning to think his grandma might have baked the cake and topped it with the Heath Bar crumble after it was done.
Hi Nancy! I love hearing how recipes have evolved over the years. 🙂 I’m stumped on what might be going on—it makes me think the cake might be too wet somehow? Are you using a glass measuring cup for the milk, and a large-sized egg?