This post may contain affiliate links.
The most delicious Caramel Chocolate Cake! Super soft and moist chocolate cake topped with a smooth caramel buttercream and homemade salted caramel sauce. It will send you straight to dessert paradise.
This caramel chocolate cake recipe is for any caramel fans! This cake has incredible soft and moist chocolate cake topped with a smooth caramel buttercream frosting and lots of homemade caramel sauce.
This delicious salted caramel chocolate cake is perfect to serve for friends and family and bring to any party.
For more sheet cake, try Chocolate Sheet Cake with Mascarpone Frosting, Lemon Pistachio Cake and Apple Crumb Cake.
Jump to:
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- Easy to make: This cake is a no-fuss kind of cake. It is super simple and easy to make, and the assembling of this cake, takes no time
- Chocolate Cake: This cake has the most soft and moist chocolate cake, and is so easy to make. It requires no mixer, just a whisk and two bowls.
- Salted Caramel: The caramel is used in the buttercream and is loaded on top of it.
INGREDIENT NOTES
These are some of the key ingredients for this recipe. For a full list of ingredients, check out the recipe card below.
- All-purpose flour: Gives a light and airy cake. I prefer using all-purpose flour with a protein amount that is between 10-11%
- Cornstarch: Helps give a light and soft cake
- Sugars: The granulated sugar helps sweeten, as well as give moister to the cake. The brown sugar helps add extra toffee flavor to the cake.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Help leaven and rise the cake, so it has light and fluffy texture.
- Salt: Helps enhance the flavor of the chocolate cake.
- Egg: Take it out of the fridge 1-2 hours before baking, so it comes to room temperature. (depending how warm your kitchen is).
- Coffee: Use freshly brewed coffee. The coffee helps boost the chocolate flavor. It can be replaced with hot water if you don't want to add coffee to the cake.
- Oil: Use a flavor neutral oil, such as canola oil.
- Sour cream: Sour cream gives lots of moister to the cake, as well as helps give the cake a great structure.
- Unsweetened Cocoa powder: I use high quality dutch process cocoa powder for the best flavor, my favorite is from Valrhona.
- Butter: The butter is used in the buttercream. Bring it out and let it come to room temperature.
- Pure vanilla extract: It is used in both the chocolate cake and buttercream.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS - CHOCOLATE CAKE
Here is how to make and bake this Caramel Chocolate Cake. This recipe needs a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or a hand mixer. You will need a 20x20 cm/8x8-inch square pan lined with parchment paper.
For the complete list of quantities and ingredients scroll down to the recipe down below in the recipe card.
Before starting preheat the oven to 170ºC/ 340ºF conventional oven. Prepare a 20x20 cm/ 8x8 inch square pan with parchment paper.
STEP 1: In a bowl, sift all of the dry ingredients together. Give it a stir to make sure everything has been combined. In another mixing bowl add all of the wet ingredients, and with a hand whisk, whisk them together until combined.
STEP 2: Slowly pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients while gently stirring it all together. Make sure there are no lumps left in the batter.
STEP 3: Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan and bake it for 35-40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cake cool on a wire rack. After 10 minutes, gently remove the cake from the baking pan and let the cake cool down completely.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS - SALTED CARAMEL AND BUTTERCREAM
STEP 1: In a medium saucepan, slowly melt the granulated sugar and water over medium heat until golden brown. At the same time in another small saucepan, heat the heavy cream to a boil and turn it off.
STEP 2: Once the caramel is golden brown, stir in the butter until it has melted into the caramel. Then add the heated heavy cream, a little at a time while stirring. It will bubble up strongly so be careful of your fingers. Stir constantly until it has gathered. Let it cool down in a shallow bowl in the fridge.
STEP 3: Once the cake and caramel have cooled down make the buttercream. In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, start by creaming the butter and 25 g of the homemade caramel for 2 minutes on medium speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix 1 minute more.
STEP 4: On low speed, add the sifted powdered sugar and vanilla extract, mix it at low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and mix for 2 minutes on low/medium speed.
STEP 5: Place the cake on a serving dish and add the buttercream on top of the cake and even it out. Add as much of the caramel as you’d like, and with a spoon or offset spatula swirl it into the buttercream.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
- Use a kitchen scale: My default setting for my recipes is grams. It is the most precise way of measuring out your ingredients, I therefore highly recommend using a kitchen scale.
- Don't over mix your batter: I always use a spatula after everything has mixed together, to give it one final gentle fold together. This makes sure everything in the bottom of the mixing bowl has been mixed into the batter.
- Light vs. dark baking pans: For the best result, use an aluminum baking pan, greased with butter and lined with baking paper in the bottom. Aluminum pans are light in color and therefore attract less heat. That means it bakes more gently which results in a softer cake. If you use a black baking pan it'll attract a lot more heat. That will then give a darker crust, which can result in a dryer cake.
FAQ
Yes, replace it 1:1 with full-fat Greek yogurt.
Yes, you can make both the cake, caramel and the buttercream the day before, so you only need to assemble it the next day. Store the cake on the kitchen counter wrapped in plastic wrap, out of direct sunlight. Make the caramel and buttercream and cover it with plastic wrap so it touches each the surface of the caramel and buttercream or in an airtight container, and let it sit in the fridge. Take the caramel and buttercream out of the fridge 30-45 minutes before assembling to come to room temperature. Give the buttercream a good mix and assemble it as instructed in the recipe card.
I recommend using a cake tester or a toothpick. Once the time has passed, per the recipe, insert the cake tester in the middle of the cake and once it comes out clean, with no cake batter on it, then it's done.
STORAGE
Store the frosted caramel chocolate cake in the fridge covered by plastic wrap or in an airtight container. Let it come to room temperature before eating. It's best enjoyed within a few days.
Other Cake Recipes To Try
Make sure leave a STAR REVIEW if you loved this recipe! Make sure to tag me on Instagram @juliemarieeats. To get more ideas by following me on Pinterest.
Caramel Chocolate Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
CHOCOLATE CAKE
- 180 g warm coffee or water (for instant coffee use 1.5 teaspoon of instant coffee)
- 180 g all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 75 g dark brown sugar
- 35 g unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 80 g vegetable oil
- 135 g sour cream room temperature
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE (can be replaced with store-bought caramel sauce)
- 90 g granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon water
- 100 g heavy cream
- 25 g butter
- Pinch of salt
CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM
- 115 g powdered sugar
- 75 g unsalted butter room temperature
- 25 g caramel
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
The US customary cup measurement serves as a rough estimate, as it can have uncertainties, so for precise results, it's recommended to weigh your ingredients using a digital scale in grams. Baking is both an art and a science, which most often requires precision and accuracy.
Instructions
CHOCOLATE CAKE
- Preheat the oven at 170ºC/340ºF conventional oven and line a 20x20 cm/8x8 inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Start by making the coffee and weigh it out so it can cool down a bit while preparing the other ingredients.180 g warm coffee or water
- In a bowl, sift all of the dry ingredients together. Give it a stir to make sure everything has been combined.180 g all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 150 g granulated sugar, 75 g dark brown sugar, 35 g unsweetened cocoa powder, ¾ teaspoon baking powder, ¾ teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon salt
- In another mixing bowl add all of the wet ingredients, including coffee, and with a hand whisk, whisk them together until combined. Be sure to not mix the ingredients too vigorously so the eggs don’t get over mixed.80 g vegetable oil, 135 g sour cream, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry while gently stirring it all together. Make sure there are no lumps left in the batter.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared baking pan and bake it for 35-40 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool on a wire rack. After 10 minutes, gently remove the cake from the baking pan and let the cake cool down completely.
SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE
- While the cake bakes, make the caramel.
- In a medium sized saucepan, slowly melt the granulated sugar and water over medium heat until golden brown. At the same time in another small saucepan, heat the heavy cream to a boil and turn it off.90 g granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon water, 100 g heavy cream
- Once the caramel is golden brown, stir in the butter until it has melted into the caramel. Then add the heated heavy cream, a little at a time, while stirring. It will bubble up strongly so be careful of your fingers. Stir constantly until it has gathered.25 g butter
- Turn off the heat and add a pinch of salt and stir it in. Transfer it to a shallow bowl, so it can cool down faster, and let it cool down in the fridge. It takes about 30-60 minutes to become room temperature.Pinch of salt
BUTTERCREAM
- Once the cake and caramel have cooled down make the buttercream.
- Sift the powdered sugar. In the bowl of a stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, start by creaming the butter and 25 g of the homemade caramel for 2 minutes on medium/high speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix 1 minute more.75 g unsalted butter, 25 g caramel, 115 g powdered sugar
- On low speed, add the sifted powdered sugar and vanilla extract, mix it at low speed until fully incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and mix for 2 minutes on low/medium speed.½ teaspoon vanilla extract
ASSEMBLE
- Place the cake on a serving dish and add the buttercream on top of the cake and even it out. Add as much of the caramel as you’d like, and with a spoon or offset spatula swirl it into the buttercream. There might be a little bit of caramel left over. Save any leftover caramel in an airtight jar.
Em
This cake is SO good!! The sponge is cloud like and not too sweet, rich and chocolaty and so easy to make. My caramel was a bit too hard to pour without warming which would have melted the butter cream, both times I've made it I've whisked all of the caramel with the butter and reduced the powdered sugar to 90g. It's insanely soft and delicious frosting, and just the right sweetness for the cake. My colleagues and my family loved it and I'm sure I'll be making it for years to come.
Shelly
Hey Julie, this cake looks amazing! Around what temperature should the water (or coffee) be?
Julie Marie
About 25-35ºC or 77-95ºF is good 🙂