Chocolate Salted Caramel Cake

This luscious chocolate salted caramel cake is the ultimate decadent dessert! It's moist, richly flavored, and simple to make!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 35

Total Time 1 5

Servings -8

Author Voula

Equipment

deep, heavy saucepan that has a capacity of at least 3 quarts (about 3 liters)
whisk
three 6 inch (15cm) pans or two 8 inch (20cm) pans
parchment paper to line the pans
hand mixer
piping bag and tip (I use Wilton 1M)
bench scraper or large offset spatula

Ingredients

For the salted caramel sauce (Makes about ¾ cup. Double the ingredients if you want to keep extra sauce in the fridge.)

¾ cup heavy whipping cream (200ml)
¾ cup granulated sugar (150g)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed (45g)
½ teaspoon salt (or more to taste)

For the cake layers

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Dutch-processed) (60g)
½ cup boiling water (or strong brewed coffee) (125ml)
2 cups all-purpose flour (250g)
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
¾ cup light brown sugar (150g)
¾ cup granulated sugar (150g)
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup light vegetable oil (60ml)
½ cup buttermilk (125ml) (or regular milk mixed with ½ tablespoon vinegar)
2 medium eggs, at room temperature
3-4 tablespoon rum for bushing the cakes (optional)

For the filling and garnish

about ½ cup salted caramel sauce (from above) (140g)

For the salted caramel buttercream

⅔ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (150g)
1½ cups powdered sugar, sifted (200g)
¼ cup salted caramel sauce (from above) (70g)

Instructions

Make the salted caramel sauce

Heat the cream, but don't boil it. Place it close to the stove, together with all the other ingredients.
¾ cup heavy whipping cream (200ml)
Put the sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium heat.
¾ cup granulated sugar (150g)
Don't stir the sugar. After about 3 minutes or so, the sugar will begin to melt around the sides. Use a whisk or a heat-proof spatula to stir the sugar so it all melts.
When it bubbles in the middle, add a little cream and whisk continuously. DO NOT ADD ALL THE CREAM AT ONCE. You could get burnt.
Then add a little more cream and continue whisking.
Take the saucepan off the heat and add the remaining cream. Whisk until it’s well combined.
Add the butter and salt continue whisking to combine everything. (Let the caramel cool for a few minutes before tasting it to see if you want to add more salt.)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed (45g), ½ teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
Pour the caramel into a bowl to cool. Set it aside.

Prep the oven and the pans

Preheat the oven to 350℉ / 180℃. Butter three 6 inch pans (or two 8 inch pans) and dust with cocoa powder or flour. Then line the bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.

Make the chocolate cake layers

Whisk together the cocoa powder and boiling water in a small bowl until it's smooth. Set it aside to cool.
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Dutch-processed) (60g), ½ cup boiling water (or strong brewed coffee) (125ml)
In another bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Then add the sugars and salt and whisk to combine.
2 cups all-purpose flour (250g), 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder, 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda, ¾ cup light brown sugar (150g), ¾ cup granulated sugar (150g), ¼ teaspoon salt
To the flour mixture, add the oil and buttermilk and mix with a hand mixer until everything is combined. I start on low speed and slowly increase as needed.
¼ cup light vegetable oil (60ml), ½ cup buttermilk (125ml)
Add the eggs and cocoa mixture all at once and mix until just combined. You don't want to overmix the batter.
2 medium eggs, at room temperature
Divide the batter between 3 pans (I like to weigh the batter first so the cakes are the same size.)
Bake for about 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Remove the cakes from the oven when they're done and let them cool in the pans for about 10 minutes.
Run a rubber spatula around the edges of the pans and then flip them over a wire rack. Remove the parchment paper and let the cakes cool completely.
Refrigerate the cakes for at least one hour and then trim the tops.
Brush each cake layer with rum (if using). Set aside.
3-4 tablespoon rum for bushing the cakes (optional)

Make the salted caramel buttercream frosting

Beat the butter in a large mixing bowl on medium speed until it's smooth and creamy.
⅔ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (150g)
Add the caramel sauce ( ¼ cup) and beat until its well incorporated.
¼ cup salted caramel sauce (from above) (70g)
Add half of the powdered sugar and beat on low speed until everything is well combined.
1½ cups powdered sugar, sifted (200g)
Mix in the remaining powdered sugar and beat on low speed. Gradually increase the speed to medium beat for about another minute. You may need to adjust the consistency of the frosting by adding more powdered sugar if it's too thin or more caramel (a tablespoon at a time) if it's too thick.
Put the frosting in a pastry bag to make it easier to assemble the cake.

Assemble the cake

Place the first cake layer on a cake stand or plate and add a layer of frosting across the surface. Then pipe a border of frosting around the edges.
Spoon about ¼ cup of the caramel sauce inside the border of frosting and use a rubber spatula to spread it out, starting from the middle. Don't add too much caramel or it will spill over.
Add the second cake layer on top and repeat the process.
Refrigerate the cake for at least 30 minutes. This is important so that the cake layers stay in place. If the frosting is too warm, they might easily slide off.
Take the cake out of the fridge and top with the final cake layer. Spread a thin layer of frosting on top. If you want to make rosettes on top like I did, make 1.5 x the amount of frosting (See Notes below for the exact amounts).
Use a bench scraper or a large offset spatula to remove any frosting from the sides of the cake for a smooth, rustic, naked cake look.
Finish off by drizzling some more salted caramel sauce on top and let the caramel drip over the sides.
Enjoy!

Notes

1. In this recipe, I made half a batch of my salted caramel sauce , which is about ¾ cup. For extra caramel sauce to serve with the cake, just double the ingredients.
2. Weigh your ingredients. Use a digital scale for the best results possible.
3. I find that it's a lot easier to trim the tops of the cakes after chilling them for at least an hour. You could also put them in the freezer for about 15 minutes before leveling the tops.
4. The cakes need to be COMPLETELY cool before adding the caramel or making the frosting.
5. Baking times vary, so keep an eye on your cakes while they're baking.
6. For a sweeter cake with lots of rosettes on top, you'll need to make 1.5 x the amount of frosting, which is 1 cup (226g) butter, 2 ¼ cups (300g) powdered sugar and about ½ cup (105g) salted caramel sauce.

Storage Tips

Store the finished cake (covered) in the refrigerator for up to about 5 days. Before serving, leave it out at room temperature for at least half an hour.

Freezing Options

You make the cake layers, wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze them for up to 3 months.

You can also freeze decorated slices of cake for up to about 3 months. Wrap them in plastic wrap individually and then place them in freezer bags or freezer-safe containers. Let them thaw in the refrigerator before serving.

Picture Tutorial & Tips

I have a detailed picture tutorial in my post to help you out with each step of the recipe as well as lots of tips to ensure success.

Baking Measurements

I have used weight measurements for all the recipes on this website. Even though I have also included American volume measurements for convenience, I highly recommend using a digital kitchen scale to weigh all ingredients for the most accurate measurements. Digital kitchen scales are more precise than cups, which is so important in baking, and they give the most accurate, consistent results. Happy baking!

©Pastry Wishes