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Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake
5 from 303 votes

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake

This Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake features a moist, rich chocolate cake layered with a salted caramel chocolate frosting. The cake batter combines cocoa, sugars, eggs, sour cream, and oil for tender texture. The frosting blends butter, confectioners' sugar, cocoa, caramel sauce, heavy cream, and salt for a creamy, balanced finish. Flaky sea salt and caramel sauce garnish add texture and extra flavor contrast.

Prep Time
1 hr 1 min
Cook Time
30 mins
Additional Time
1 hr
Total Time
2 hrs 31 mins
Servings: 1 Layer Cake (9")
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: International

Ingredients

For the chocolate cake:
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 2 all-purpose flour 3/4 cups, not packed
  • 1 unsweetened cocoa powder 1/2 cups, sifted
  • 3 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 baking powder 1/2 teaspoons
  • 1 salt 1/4 teaspoon
  • 3 egg large eggs plus 2 large yolks, at room temperature
  • 1 sour cream full-fat, 1/2 cups
  • 1/3 cup milk whole
  • 3/4 cup vegetable oil may substitute melted coconut oil
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
  • 1 water hot, 1/2 cups
For the salted caramel chocolate frosting:
  • 2 cups unsalted butter 4 sticks (16 ounces), very soft
  • 4 confectioners' sugar 1/2 cups, sifted
  • 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder sifted
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons heavy cream more if needed
  • 2 tablespoons caramel sauce salted
Garnish:
  • 1 salted caramel sauce 1/4 cups
  • sea salt flaky

Instructions

For the chocolate cake:
    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 350°(F). Cut out three 9-inch round segments of parchment paper to line your cake pans with. Spray each pan generously - sides and bottom - with nonstick cooking spray, then place the parchment paper cut out in the bottom of the pans and spray again. It's important to make sure every bit of pan and paper are sprayed so your cakes don't get stuck. Set pans aside.
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, combine both sugars, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt; mix on low until dry ingredients are thoroughly combined. Use your hands to break up any large clumps, if needed.
  3. In a separate bowl combine the eggs, egg yolks, sour cream, milk, oil and vanilla extract; mix until completely combined. Pour mixture into the dry ingredients and beat on low until just incorporated. Pour in hot water and continue mixing until completely combined; about 1 minute. The batter will quite thin.
  4. Divide batter evenly among prepared pans. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until a wooden toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean or with just a few moist crumbs attached. Cool cakes for 10 minutes in the pan before removing from pans and transferring to a cooling rack; cool cakes completely before frosting.
For the chocolate frosting:
  1. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the softened butter on medium-speed until completely smooth; about 3 minutes.
  2. Turn the mixer off and sift the powdered sugar and cocoa into the mixing bowl. Turn the mixer on the lowest speed and mix until the sugar/cocoa have been absorbed by the butter; about 2 minutes. Increase mixer speed to medium; add in vanilla extract, salt, heavy cream and salted caramel; beat for 3 minutes. If your frosting appears a little too thin, add a little more confectioners' sugar; If your frosting needs to be thinner, add additional heavy cream, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Assembly:
  1. Using a serrated knife, carefully trim the raised top of each cake, making each one an even, level surface. Transfer 1 layer to a large plate or cake stand. Spread a thin layer of frosting on top, then add a 1/2 cup of caramel; top with another cake layer, and repeat, thinly spread it with a layer of frosting, then adding a 1/2 cup of caramel. Top final cake layer and place cake in the fridge to set for 1 hour. Once set, finishing frosting the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle with sea salt. Slice and serve, or keep refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Notes

  • The cake layers can be baked up to five days in advance and stored refrigerated.
  • Unfrosted cake layers freeze well for up to two months when tightly wrapped.
  • Follow the recipe as written to achieve the best texture and flavor balance.