My friend Jess (who’s from London, England) went to BC for the first time this summer and fell in love. It’s so her scene; lots of biking, hiking, and nature plus good food, exploring and shopping. She even went to Nanaimo, BC where she had her first Nanaimo Bar and became obsessed. I immediately knew what cake I would make her for her birthday this month, since this recipe that Dinner with Julie posted two years ago has been stuck in my brain ever since. It’s like I just knew I’d need to celebrate a Nanaimo lover one year, and it never left my mind.

Like the original bars, this cake has the classic three Nanaimo Bar layers consisting of a) a kind of cookie type base with graham cracker crumbs, coconut and nuts b) a custard frosting, and c) chocolate topping, plus a bonus layer of a chocolate cake between the base and the frosting. I loved the way this turned out, but my only note is about the base layer. In regular Nanaimo Bars, you don’t actually bake the base, so it’s more crumbly and soft, but here, it gets baked for an hour underneath the cake so turns into a crunchy crust. Not that it’s bad or wrong, it’s just different. If I ever made this again, I’d consider baking the cake separately and maybe adhering it to the crust with a thin layer of the chocolate topping.

If you have any Nanaimo-obsessed people in your life, this is the perfect treat for them. I brought these to work and everyone was fascinated. It was also really easy to slice and serve in its loaf formation, which I loved. Of course, I also covered them in sprinkles, glitter and Beyonce lyrics!

Nanaimo Bar Cake

Source: Dinner with Julie

Ingredients

Base Layer

  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
  • 1 cup shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts (pecans, walnuts or almonds)

Chocolate Cake

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup hot coffee (or hot water)
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Custard Frosting

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
  • 4 cups icing sugar
  • 1/4 cup custard powder
  • 1/4 cup whipping cream, half & half, or milk

Chocolate Topping

  • 1 1/3 cups (8 oz) chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
  • 1 cup whipping cream

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare two 8″x 4″ loaf pans by lining them with parchment paper (this is for easy removal later).
  2. For the base layer, stir together the melted butter, cocoa powder, sugar and egg in a large bowl. Stir in the graham cracker crumbs, coconut and nuts until everything is evenly combined. Divide the mixture among the two pans, and press into an even layer across the bottom.
  3. For the cake layer, stir together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl (you can use the same bowl as above – no need to wash!). In a separate medium bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the hot coffee/water, vegetable oil, vinegar and vanilla. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk until just combined. Divide the cake batter among the two pans, pouring it over the base. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cakes comes out clean. Let cool completely. I found my cakes had an aggressive dome which I didn’t think would look great, so I leveled them with a cake layer, but you can also use a serrated knife to do this.
  4. For the custard icing, mix all ingredients on medium speed with an electric mixture until light and fluffy. Divide among the pans and spread into an even layer. Chill the cakes at this point until the icing starts to firm up, about 30 minutes.
  5. For the chocolate topping, add the chocolate chips and whipping cream to a medium microwave safe bowl, and heat for 1 minute. Whisk gently until smooth and all the chocolate chips are melted, sticking back in the microwave for 15-20 seconds if needed. Set aside for about 30 minutes so the chocolate won’t melt the butter in the custard icing. Once cooled down, pour over the chilled cakes, and spread into an even, glossy layer. Chill until set.