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This Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake is moist and sinfully decadent! So if you love chocolate and caramel, you’ll LOVE this easy recipe for how to make Chocolate Caramel Cake!
Chocolate Caramel Cake Recipe
Tomorrow is my birthday and I’m currently feeling ALL of the feelings. Also currently in the car, driving to the beach, eating a giant slice of cake and chasing it with an iced coffee. If today is any indication of what 29 is going to be like, I think this year is going to be pretty darn great!
Now as you know I’m a diehard chocolate lover, so it’s no surprise my birthday cake this year is a salted caramel chocolate cake! It’s three layers of heaven! And surprisingly easy to bake.
I bake myself a birthday cake every year and this year I wanted something sinfully decadent. At first I thought it would be death by chocolate cake (one of my favorites), but then I started dreaming of something drenched in gooey salted caramel…
Finally, I decided to full on treat myself and create a cake that features BOTH chocolate and caramel! Because why not, right?!
So, without further ado, meet my 29th birthday dessert: Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake. Isn’t she just a knockout?! ↓
Tips and Tricks for Recipe Success:
- This recipe calls for vegetable oil, but you can use an equal amount of canola oil or melted coconut oil in its place. I do not recommend substituting oil with butter.
- For best results, make sure your eggs, egg yolks, sour cream, and milk have all come to room temperature before you begin baking.
- When you measure your flour, be sure you’re not packing it into the measuring cup. Packed flour will yield a dense and dry cake.
- The cake layers should all be baked on the middle rack of your oven. If there’s not enough room in your oven to bake them all in an even row at once, simply bake them in two batches.
- For the frosting, you’ll want to make sure your butter is VERY soft before creaming it.
- The chocolate cakes should be completely cool before adding the frosting and salted caramel.
- The assembly is a two part process: you’ll place one cake level on a large plate, top it with a thin layer of frosting, then add the caramel, then add another cake level and repeat. Once you’ve added the final cake level you’ll want to leave the top bare and place the cake in the fridge to set for one hour. Once it’s set, you can finish frosting.
Alright guys, time for me to wipe the crumbs of my party dress and start celebrating! There’s a mimosa and long nap on the beach in my very near future…
↑ But seriously, can everyday be my birthday?!
If you try this recipe for Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake, let me know what you think! Leave a comment below and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it #bakerbynature on instagram! Seeing your creations makes my day.
More Salted Caramel Recipes:
More Chocolate Cake Recipes:
- Super Decadent Chocolate Cake with Fudge Frosting
- Ultimate Chocolate Cheesecake
- Easy Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes for Two
Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake
Three layers of Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake slathered in homemade Chocolate Frosting. So decadent!
Ingredients
For the chocolate cake:
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
- 2 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (not packed!)
- 1 and 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
- 3 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 and 1/4 teaspoons salt
- 3 large eggs + 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 cups full-fat sour cream
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 3/4 cup vegetable oil (you may also sub in melted coconut oil)
- 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 1 and 1/2 cups hot water
For the salted caramel chocolate frosting:
- 2 cups unsalted butter (4 sticks, 16 ounces), VERY soft
- 4 and 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, 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 salted caramel sauce
Garnish:
- 1 and 1/4 cups salted caramel sauce
- Flaky sea salt
Instructions
For the chocolate cake:
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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:
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the softened butter on medium-speed until completely smooth; about 3 minutes.
- 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:
- 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
Cake may be baked up to 5 days in advance and stored in the fridge. Unfrosted cakes may be wrapped and frozen for up to 2 months. For best results, follow the recipe as written.
Tried it and loved it?Snap a picture and share it with me on Instagram @Bakerbynature and by using the hashtag #BakerByNature
omg i (really) just drooled. WOW . yummmm.
xO!
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It happens to the best of us 😉 Thanks for the love!!! xo
I’m not Sure when you will read this, but i have 2 9inch cake pans, and a 9 inch spring form cake pan. What do i do?
I made this cake with only spring form pans, it works just the the same if not better, treat it same as the others and it will work (:
the most decadent cake ever!! rave reviews from friends and requests for more!!
Where do you get salted caramel sauce?
Trader Joe’s has an amazing caramel sauce and/or dulce De lechery!!
Trader Joe’s has an amazing caramel sauce and/or dulce De leche!!
isn´t too sweet 3 cups of sugar? Can I use one of each? Do you think the cake will be as good as the original recipe with only 2 cups of sugar?
Where do I get salted caramel and flaky sea salt? I really want to bake this for my husbands birthday so please help.
Williams Sonoma
You can make salted caramel sauce it’s not that hard, just look one up online.
Does someone know what size of cup
You can’t be real?
Not everyone uses the “cups” measurement. Especially outside of the USA. Most countries use the metric system so it’s grams and milliliters. No need to be rude to people asking for help.
HI Dunja, if you are more familiar with weighing your ingredients, this conversion chart might be helpful for you: http://dish.allrecipes.com/cup-to-gram-conversions/
A cup is always 8 oz. or 16 tbsp.
8oz measuring cup.
Dear Dunja,
I suppose we’re from the same part of the world 🙂
Few years ago, when travelling abroad, I bought a set of cup measures (1 cup, 1/2 cup, 1/4 cup and 1/8 cup). Not having to translate US measures to metric makes life a lot easier.
Hi!
I do not have a stand mixer but I do have a hand held mixer.
Would I be able to mix the frosting with the electric hand mixer? Or what I definitely need the stand mixer?
I hope you can get back to me soon.
Thanks
This looks amazing! Today is my fiancé’s birthday and this is the cake our daughters and I are making him! Wish us luck!!!
Yay! Happy birthday to your Fiance and good luck 🙂
Hello. I make this cake all the time and its loved by everyone. Just wondering who many people this is to serve as I need to make a bigger cake. Thank you. 🙂
HOW TALL SHOULD THE CAKE PANS BE? ON AMAZON I AM SEEING ALL DIFFERENT HEIGHTS AND NOT SURE WHICH HEIGHT TO BUY. THANKS.
(just realized I was on all caps lock, too lazy to retype it all)
I would make this but the recipe doesn’t mention pan sizes.
Recipe says to cut 3 9″ rounds of parchment paper. So you need 3 9″ pans to put the paper into to.
OH. MY. GOD.
This may be a turn-off, but I want to lick my computer screen. I have NEVER seen such a decadent cake nor could I ever make something so amazing!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, and thank you for bringing a little bit of sweetness into my life everyday (I check your website all the time.) We could all use a sweet smile in today’s world.
Best to you on your big day! Celebrate to the max!
~Amanda
I’m honored! Thank you for the sweet wishes, Amanda! And I hope you get a chance to make (and EAT) this cake 😉 You deserve it! xo
Can I get this in metric measurements. Thank you
YUM~ This looks delicious! Happy Birthday!!!
Thank you, Erin! xo
Sorry for the belated birthday wish. I hope it was grand. Honestly this cake looks AMAZING.
Thank you so much, Iram! I spent the weekend at the beach and it was exactly what I needed 😉
Thank you for this amazing one:)
Death by chocolate? Yes. Please. Great, great post, thanks so much for sharing, Ashley, and happy happy birthday!
Thanks SO much Amaryllis!
So yeah, I’m totally drooling like crazy right now. This cake is absolutely INSANE! Cannot wait to try it out!
Yay!!! Can’t wait to hear how it turns out Karly!
I made this cake for my mom’s birthday over the weekend and it turned out AMAZING! Rich and moist but not dense. Thank you so much for this recipe. I will definitely be making it again. Question, have you ever thought of adding brewed coffee instead of hot water? Not that this cake needs more flavor, just curious of you have ever tried it.
So happy this cake was a hit, Emily! You could definitely use an equal amount of hot coffee in place of the water.
woww…its yumm,,,the pictures are really tempting!! loved your blog..
Thank you! I hope you get a chance to try the cake 🙂
Hi i looked through a lot of your chocolate cake related recipes. May I know if the cocoa powder are natural or dutched processed? Thank you! (=
I use regular unsweetened baking cocoa 🙂
This recipe is out of this world! I have one question? It was a little “gritty” (best word, I could come up with), any thoughts as to why or what to do to fix that? It still tastes fabulous, I just wondered what that could be.
Hi Chele. I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe! I’m having a hard time imagining how this cake could be gritty, so I’m not sure why yours came out that way. If you can expand on gritty in more detail I may be able to help… was it dry? too wet?
I made it a second time and it was perfect, no idea what happened that first time! I have literally made like 6 of your desserts, keep them coming! You are my go to for desserts!
Would that not be the salt?
So I was about to start the frosting portion and noticed it said to add vanilla extract in the directions but I don’t see vanilla in the ingredients list for the frosting. How much am I supposed to be putting in?
It is posibble to use dulce de leche instead of caramel sauce??
Hi! 🙂
This cake looks droolworthy. I would definitely bake it over the weekend. I have got one question though. Does the batter stand for some time? I don’t have multuple tins. So, i would have to bake it in batches.
Hi Neha. I would recommend using multiple tins as called for because the cake batter has active ingredients in them that will develop and change the batter as they sit. I hope you get a chance to bake it!
I was wanting to make this cake tomorrow and I noticed in the frosting it says to add vanilla in the instructions but it is not listed in the ingredient list so I was wondering how much vanilla to add.
I only have 1 cup of sour cream, do you think I could use 1/2up greek yogurt instead?
Never mind, I went and bought some more sour cream. I made this cake today for a party tomorrow, can’t wait to taste it!
Yay! I can’t wait to hear how it turned out, Jill 🙂
Hi Jill! I think full-fat Greek yogurt would work, but the texture may be a little different and the taste may be a little more tangy.
I have the same question. As above about the vanilla? It’s not listed in the I grediays under frosting but it is mentioned in the instructions, please help
Hi Mike! It’s one teaspoon of vanilla extract. Enjoy 🙂
Hey there I soooo want to make this cake for my mother in laws bday this weekend but I have only 2 cake pans their sizes being 23 cm x 23 cm x 3.5 cm. Would you be able to give ingredient ratios for a 2 layer cake please???
Any substitute for sour cream ?
Can I use homemade caramel sauce?
I made this cake at the weekend and it was amazing. Best chocolate cake I have come across and the frosting was gorgeous. Not too rich but just enough flavour.
Could I use this sponge recipe for cupcakes?
Hi Elaine. I think there would be way too much batter for cupcakes. Here’s a link to my favorite chocolate cupcake recipe http://bakerbynature.com/super-decadent-chocolate-cupcakes/
Hi! Can this cake be baked in one 9 inch pan? And then cut it in three layers once it is cooled?
Hi Inge. There will be too much batter to fit in a 9″ pan.
I really enjoy read this post.This is really a great tip! Thanks for sharing!!Genius
Looks amazing, I will be making this recipe for a good friends birthday this weekend. I just want to check cup size please. Is one cup 250ml?
Hi Jade. This conversion chart should help with that http://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/ingredient-weight-chart.html
After putting the last layer of the cake, you say to put
in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Won’t it dry the cake? Also,
someone asked you if she Canadian put coffee instead of just water.
Do you think its a good idea or the cake will mostly taste coffee?
Thank you!
Hi Nicole. Putting the cake in the fridge for an hour will not dry it. You can substitute the hot water for coffee but it will affect the taste a little bit.
This cake is crazy delicious!!!
Hello.
Great,awesome cake 😀 😀 😀 and i will make to my aniversary with some changes, Lemon curd to one layer to cut the sweet :p
But i ‘m from portugal and here use grams, this cups are US or UK?
Thanks
Hi Hugo! This recipe is in US cups. Here’s a conversion chart that may come in handy http://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/ingredient-weight-chart.html
Hi! I made this cake for a family bake off, and it was AMAZING. It won, and everyone loved it. So much so I’m being asked to make it for a Christmas party, and I’m wondering if I wanted to make it in 9×13 would you recommend doubling the recipe? Or just an extra half of the amounts? Your thoughts would be appreciated!
Thank you so much for posting this recipe.
Hi Cali. Congratulations on winning the bake-off 🙂 So happy my cake could be a part of your family traditions! I’m not sure how this cake would work in a 9×13 pan. There’s a ton of cake batter, so I don’t think you’d need to double it. I’m just not sure where you’d put the caramel if you put it in that kind of pan since there would only be one layer? If you give it a try, I’d love to hear how it turns out 🙂
I didn’t mean just one pan, I will still have layers. Might just leave the recipe and just have two layers with a layer of caramel. I will have to see how much batter goes in each pan 🙂
Sorry I misunderstood, Cali! If you were going to do multiple layers you’d definitely want to double or possibly even triple the recipe.
I am planning on making this cake for my dads birthday in a couple of weeks. I need to purchase cake pans. There’s a Wilton set of three pans for $11.99, but they are an 9″, 10″ and 11″ – could that work for this cake? Or do the pans have to be the same size?
Can I replace sour cream with Greek yoghurt in this recipe?
I made this cake for our family Christmas, with just a few adjustments. First, let me comment on how absolutely magnificent this cake tastes! I can’t wait for another special occasion to make it! I normally do not either comment on or make twice a recipe I try from Pinterest. This recipe “takes the Cake”! My adjustments were, I baked in a large 10 x 14 baking dish, (it takes several minutes longer to bake) and halved the icing recipe. Absolutely scrumptious!
WOW, WOW, WOW and again WOW!
Hi! I’m planning to make this for my birthday party on Saturday. Can I make the frosting on Wednesday and the cake on Thursday, and then assemble on either Thursday, once the cakes cool, or Friday? (Basically, can I make the frosting ahead of the cake?) Thanks!!!
Nevermind! I realized it made no sense/there was no reason to make frosting before cake. Cakes are done as of a few minutes ago and frosting/assembly will be done tomorrow! Thanks for the recipe! Everyone is super excited to try it!
I need to make a wheat free version of this. Cup for cup gf baking mixes aren’t as good as a boxed mix. I’m trying to figure out conversions using 2 boxes of mix and the wet ingredients. The recipe calls for 5 cups of dry ingredients, I think…..would the wet be the same as the recipe, or should I make 1 box and figure the conversions. Any help with any of that will be wonderful!
I did this. I put in 5 whole eggs a little extra baking powder and a little extra sugar. Should work fine 🙂
I just caught you were talking about a box mix. Skip that and use follow my directions with a good gluten free flour. It will be cheaper and better.
I use Betty Crocker Gluten Free Flour as the replacement. It turned out great!
I am drooling over this recipe! I would like to make this cake for my daughters upcoming birthday. Do you think that I could substitute vegan sour cream and non dairy milk (soy milk, coconut milk)? She has had to give up dairy but I know she would like this cake!
Hello
I’m just wondering if this recipe is good if it’s covered in fondant?
Thank you!
When you took those pictures, had the caramel Cooled at all? Im afraid that after chilling the Caramel will become solid. If it sits in a refrigerator overnight, do you have that problem?
Hi Davie. I used a caramel that doesn’t completely solidify, even when refrigerated. I’ve never had an issue with it being rock solid or anything, but I also always let my cake come back to room temperature for at least an hour before serving. I hope that helps 🙂
Hi. This cake looks so delicious. Will definitely try it for my son’s 3rd birthday. I have one question though. I have a load of caramel candy leftover from christmas. Is there any way i can use it for the caramel sauce?
Hi Saba. It’ll make a great birthday cake! I’m not sure how you would make a caramel sauce from the candies, but you could try sprinkling them on top of the cake once it’s decorated 🙂
Happy belated birthday!
I’m wondering is the salted caramel layer will be hard to cut into after the cake being chilled in the fridge. Or do I need to thaw the cake to room temperature before I slice then.
Thank you! I like to let the cake sit for 30 minutes at room temperature before I slice into it 🙂
Can I make this a day ahead or will that cause sogginess?
Hi Sam. You can make it the day ahead and store it in the fridge. Just let the cake sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before slicing it.
I just baked this cake and made the Salted Caramel Sauce in your blog, however, my cakes fell. I live in the Rockies and our house sits at about 4600′. What adjustments can I make so it won’t fall next time….I’m sure there will be a next time judging by the batter and caramel sauce. 🙂
Hey,hope you well!Just wanted to find out if i can substitute buttermilk for the sour cream?
Can I use icing sugat instead of confectionery sugar for the frosting? Last time I used sugar and it didn’t taste as good. You could still feel sugar on your teeth.
The whipping cream makes it so smooth!
You said to add all the wet ingredients and caramel to the dry ingredients to mix.I’m not sure that I follow you.Do you make some caraml to go into the cake and then some to put between the layers?
Hi Mary. Step 3 should clarify this process 🙂 You do not add any caramel into cake batter.
I’m confused, you said to mix all the wet ingredients and caramel into the dry ingredients. Do you have to make a batch of caramel to go into the batter and then one to go between the layers?Please clarify.
Hello! I made this cake for my husband’s birthday! The cake was so divine, rich, chocolaty….wonderful. They baked perfectly and no cutting off tops. They were huge, big nice sized cakes. The frosting was wonderful, it was fluffy and rich and amazing! The caramel….I was short on time. I bought a salted caramel, by Smuckers. I searched for other brands, But this one looked great. It was great. Until all the caramel started to drip out of the cake. Any opening….caramel dripped out. I thought about poking holes in the cake and drizzling the caramel and letting it soak in…then frosting the layers. I should have. By the time hubby’s office cut the cake…the caramel was flowing out. It was ooey gooey. BUT delicious!! I froze it for a while and it slowed the oozing down, but….still oozed caramel. Any suggestions? I should make the caramel the next time; maybe it’s thicker and won’t ooze out. Over all, the cake was a wonderful hit, I was just sad that the caramel didn’t stay put!! I will try again, and oh..the heavenly taste of the caramel and the chocolate frosting ..and the divine chocolate cake. We loved it…..we could have made a trifle bowl out of it, and ate it with big ol’ spoons! haha! Thanks so much!
Hey there, the link the the caramel sauce you used is no longer working. Can you tell me what the caramel sauce you used was? Thanks so much!
Can you make these into cupcakes?
I would say yes. You will just have a lot of cupcakes with the full recipe. I would cut it in half and you should still get at least 12-15 cupcakes.
Thank you for this recipe. My daughter wanted a salted caramel cake and my son wants cupcakes! Both recipes look amazing and I will be busy making a cake and cupcakes and can’t wait to try both.
I did it and absolutely love it!!!
THANK YOU!!!
Yay! So happy this cake was a hit for you, Maira 🙂
2 Tablespoons vanilla in the cake and 1 teaspoon in the frosting, correct?
I plan to make a two tiered cake. 3 9″ layers on bottom and 3 6″ layers on top (using a different recipe as we want the top tier to be vanilla). Will this cake with the caramel inside be sturdy enough for this?
This is the most gorgeously chocolatey, caramel-y piece of cake I have ever seen! Amazing recipe and photos! 🙂 Looks beyond decadent and delicious!!
Wow. This was scrumptious. Thanks for sharing a great recipe!
So happy to hear it, Nina!
More than one person seems to have questions pertaining to pans used in this recipe. I for one, do not like baking cakes separately because I think they tend to be drier plus you have more crust to contend with. I think keeping it whole and then cutting into layers is a fine option especially for those who don’t have or want 3 pans. Do you know how many cups this batter yields? That would help in selecting either a wider or taller single pan, be it square or round. Then all that would remain is adjusting the baking time and/or temperature. I would really love to make this so I hope I hear back from you Thanks…..
I’ve made this 3 times now and every time it has turned out AMAZING!!! Thank you SO MUCH for sharing this super yummy recipe!! I came to the site today to print the recipe so I can make just the icing for some vanilla cupcakes for a friend’s birthday party tonight!
And I know I’m a little late but Happy 30th Birthday!! 🙂
Hello! is there any chance to have the ingredients in european units? I would love to try it.
many thanks!
What drink did you pair with this temptation of salted caramel chocolate cake?
Red wine or coffee both go great!
I just made this cake and the center sunk in a bit. Has this happened to anyone else? It’s cooling off now and it sure smells good. Can’t wait to taste it.
This is the ultimate BEST chocolate cake recipe EVER!!! It’s a must have in your recipes!!!
I have a dumb question. I have the caramel sauce that you sent a link to……I assume I need to add the salt to that? How much? Just stir it in? Help please, making this for my wife’s birthday.
I just ordered the caramel sauce and plan on making this cake for New Year’s Eve. I’ll let y’all know how it turned out. It looks fabulous!
https://bakerbynature.com/6-minute-small-batch-salted-caramel-sauce/
I used this carmel sauce recipe! Everything looks amazing! And it makes a huge cake! Thank you for sharing! Xoxox from Idaho!
Just wondering if u can put fondant on the cake??
Made this today and it is amazing makes a large cake but delicous thank you for the recipie
I made this for a chocolate lover’s going away party at work. It turned out beautifully, everyone is raving over it. Unfortunately, I gave up chocolate for lent so I’ll definitely be remaking this after Easter. Lol
Where do I find the caramel sauce recipe? I want to make this for my grandsons birthday.
I made this cake for a coworkers birthday yesterday and everyone loved it! I got reviews that I’m not allowed to make any other cake and others said it was the best cake ever and I’m not allowed to make it again. The cake went in 30 mins and today I have people asking me to turn the recipe into cupcakes and make the cake for a husbands birthday.
My question- have you ever made this recipe into cupcakes? I’m guessing it would make quite a few which is perfect for my coworkers.
I made this cake gluten free and it was absolutely amazing!! This is by far the best gluten free cake I have ever made! Delicious!!
Will one batch of your homemade caramel sauce be enough for this cake or should I double it?
One batch should be plenty 🙂
I made it it was awesome and heavy cake!
Oh my goodness, best cake I’ve ever made. So GOOD!! Very moist and soft. Great flavor!! I was generous with the caramel in the frosting. I also made the homemade caramel, and I had to quadruple the recipe. Well worth it though. Also DEFINITELY ake sure the cake is cooled before frosting and adding caramel to the layers. I didn’t the first time I made it and I couldn’t put nearly as much caramel in the layers.
Lastly, I substituted hot coffee for the water. Added BEAUTIFULLY to the flavor of the cake.
I definitely recommend trying this recipe!
Will this cake travel well? I was asked to bring dessert to a picnick, that is an hours drive away. This looks Devine!
Hi Michelle. I would suggest chilling the cake in the fridge for a few hours before traveling with it! 🙂
Great recipe, Ashley. Thanks so much for sharing!
I made this recipe for my mom. I did the thin layer of frosting in between the layers and of course had to make a ring of frosting to fill and keep the Carmel filling in may have used a little extra Carmel filling and frosted as normal. Then I decided to make it a little more decadent and special so I made 2 rings of buttercream flowers around the top and bottom edge then filled the middle of the top of the cake with the rest of the Carmel I had and sprinkled the sea salt alk over the top. So just a little extra since Carmel is my moms favorite. Wanted to post a picture but didn’t give me the option. Thanks so much for the wonderful recipe for us home bakers also I made it gluten free since we have celiac disease.
Amazing!!!! Just made this for my daughters 9th birthday and she said I “Nailed it”. lol
I used Ghirardelli salted caramel sauce that I found at walmart. The cake was so moist & the frosting was to die for.
Awww yay! So happy to hear it, Kari 🙂
Thank you for the recipe! I just made this for my boyfriend’s birthday (he’s a salted caramel fanatic). The cake portion turned out exceptional – perfectly moist without being dense. However, I felt that the frosting was a little too fluffy. Was it meant to be fluffier or more like a fudge frosting? Maybe this is just my preference in that I prefer a more fudge-like frosting :).
I just made this cake and my frosting turned out fluffy like a whipped frosting. Is that how it’s suppose to be? It’s also lacking in flavor/richness & it’s very light in color. The frosting in your picture doesn’t have a whipped look& appears to be rich, full of flavor with a beautiful dark color. Please tell me what you think I could’ve done wrong. I didn’t even finish the final frosting step. I left in fridge with hopes of correcting the problems.
I actually just made this cake for my own birthday! It’s delicious, and was a big hit with my family! The only problem is, the caramel layers are not at all oozy like yours – the caramel seems to have all been absorbed by the cake above it. It’s not bad – the cake is EXTRA moist! But I was excited about the gooeyness and it’s lacking. Any tips on how to avoid that?
Isn´t too sweet? Can I use one of each? Do you think the cake will be as good as the original recipe with less sugar?
The homemade salted caramel was wonderful. My chocolate icing looked nothing like the picture. The icing was a very light color. Not sure why. Overall, great cake
I made this cake for our sewing group. We had 5 birthdays today. This cake was a huge hit. Thank you so much. I used store bought caramel sauce this time but plan to make the salted caramel sauce next time. Hugs to you.
This cake is awesome! We put it in the fridge after the was finished and microwaved each piece for 15-20 seconds. It was amazing, like a molten lava caramel cake. Will absolutely make again!! Thank you!
Ok, this is baking in my oven right now. We were eating the batter, it was so good!! I’m going to let it cool, then wrap it and refrigerate it and make the frosting tmrw and assemble for Christmas! Also about to go make the caramel sauce!
This cake is seriously the BEST chocolate cake I’ve ever had! The salted caramel part is why I chose this recipe, and glad I did, the chocolate frosting alone is absolutely amazing! The salt adds a great balance with the sweetness. I hardly ever made a cake from scratch, but now because of this one I’ll never use a box. Plus I’m gluten free, I just substituted a 1:1 gluten free flour, and it tasted like a regular cake. I’ve already made this a couple times, even though there are a lot of steps, it’s totally worth it!!!
Hey the cake looks amazing and I can’t Wait to try it ASAP
I wanted to make a chocolate drip cake
And I’m glad I’ve found the perfect recipe
Can I use this frosting for frosting smoothly 4 tier cake ?
Do you have a weekly or monthly news letter with recipes? This chocolate cake is making
me hungry.
Thank you.
Wow. Made this cake today and had to give the rest away or would have eaten it all myself. I used my own caramel sauce and frosting recipe for the cake. I forgot to set in fridge for an hour before frosting top layer. My cake was a leaning mess but I did not care, it was so good!!! Next time will make sure to set in fridge!!!
WOW!!!! What a coincidence!! Tomorrow is my birthday and I am also making my own birt Cake!
This cake looks AMAZING can’t wait to try it.
Happy baking everyone!!!
This cake is by far the biggest crowd pleaser, even those who don’t like chocolate or sweets in general. Everyone raves about this cake!!! Thanks for the recipe!
I made this cake and it is very good. I would say to the person who wondered if they could cut back on the amount of sugar in the recipe; not to. The amount of cocoa uses up all the sweetness of the sugars. This cake is extremely chocolate!
My favorite cake!! I don’t get caramel oozing between layers like the pictures in the recipe show, but this cake is worth every minute it takes to make it! I’ll usually make the salted caramel a day or two in advance, along with with the cake layers which I wrap in in plastic wrap and then freeze. That way when I’m ready to decorate it, all I need to do is pull the cake layer and caramel out to thaw a bit while I make the frosting and it’s perfection! Thanks for sharing this new family fave!
What was your caramel recipe ? I made the one in this recipe but it was grainy and the butter made a layer on top and there was watery sugar at the bottom 🙁 made it twice and twice it came out like that
“3 large eggs + 2 large egg yolks” What is the purpose of this? I’m very curious
OMG, these are amazing!!! Thanks so much for sharing,
I made this cake for Thanksgiving dinner this year, and it turned out beautifully! Not only is it a pretty cake, but it is unbelievably delicious!
If you make this cake ahead of time and are storing it in the refrigerator, I would definitely take it out 30 minutes or so before serving. It’s a little difficult to slice if too cold.
I was a little anxious about attempting the salted caramel for the first time, and I bought plenty of heave cream in case I needed to throw out a batch or two. However, Ashley’s instructions and tips are on point! I believe my caramel slow boiled for about 15-16 minutes before it reached a pretty golden brown color. The caramel is amazing!
As for the cake, it so moist and fantastic! This will be a go-to recipe for chocolate cake, for sure. The batter is super thin, but don’t let that alarm you. It bakes up perfectly, and unlike many other cake recipes, this one does not deflate in the center as it cools. I did trim a little off 2 of the layers so that the finished cake would stand straight and tall.
I had plenty of chocolate caramel buttercream frosting. In fact, I threw away a good amount (definitely don’t need that sitting in my refrigerator). The only thing I didn’t have and couldn’t find at the grocery stores closest to me, was a good flaky sea salt. I will be better prepared the next time I make this amazing cake! Thank you for a great recipe!
I made this! I’ve never made a three layer cake and it turned out fantastic. This is an excellent recipe. Thank you!
Hi Rachel!!! I’m SO happy you enjoyed this recipe! Happy baking 🙂
Hy is it possible to use glutenfree flour? I have a special glutenfree flour for cakes.. it contains Cornstarch, cornmeal, rice flour, lentil flour, modified tapioca starch, thickener: locust bean gum.
What do you think?
Thank you for your answer!
Hi! We haven’t tried, so we can’t say for sure. But your best bet would be using a cup for cup GF flour substitute 🙂
I made this for the birthday of my girlfriend, turned out amazing! It was kind of tiring to convert everything to grams, but was still fun to make. (This is my first real cake.) The only problem was, I was already in sugar coma at the end just by licking off the spoons. 😀 Thank you for the recipe.
What can i use instat of full fat sour cream?
I live in switzerland and we dont have sour cream.
I think Creme Fraiche is similar to sour cream. You could probably use Greek yogurt, too.
Can you make a video?
And once again, your recipes have been amazing! This is now my go-to chocolate cake!
Question: could i get 2 8″ round cake layers out of half of the cake batter or should i use the full amount and just make extra cake?
Thanks! looking forward to the next recipe experiment!
I just found you and made this cake for my husbands 40th! It was incredible and my first time making a cake! Thanks so much!
I made this tonight. I was concerned with making the salty caramel sauce. But it was so easy! this whole recipe is amazing!! I did not have 9″ pans and used 3-8″ pans and an 8 x 8 square LOL!. Its really one of the best cakes I’ve ever had!
How do I change the quantities if I want to make it with 2 cakes instead of 3? Thankss:)
Hi – I have the same question as the previous one about layers. Can I make only two layers and slice them each in half so I end up with four tiers? If so, what are the ingredient amount adjustments?
Thanks.
Hi! What if I only have a 10 inch and 8 inch pan how do I adjust the recipe for the cake pan size? TIA! Love your posts!
The most AMAZING cake I’ve ever baked and I love baking! I also used your Salted Caramel Sauce recipe which is also 5/5 stars!
Thank you so much <3
Wow! I don’t usually like cake, but this was delicious. I made this recipe exactly as written and it was perfect! If you like a moist cake, this is for you. Also, don’t skip on the flaky sea salt…it’s my favorite part.
I’ve made this several times and it’s always delicious. I make a 2 layer cake to simplify a little and only add the caramel sauce to the top and let it drip down a tad. Then I serve a bit on the side as well. It’s always a hit!
This was the best recipe ever! There was SO much butter in the frosting so I think next time I will cut down on that. Other than that it was amazing! Everyone loved it! Thank you for the recipe, I will for sure be making it again! Ashley you are my favorite baker by far, I use all your recipes! Thanks again!
Hi! This cake is a favorite in my family – thank you for the recipe! Can this cake recipe be used For cupcakes? I love the taste of the cake. I saw you have chocolate cupcake recipes – but, I just love this cake so so much I wanted cupcakes to taste as close to the cake as possible.
I’ve made this recipe into cupcakes before, as it’s my favorite chocolate recipe too! The whole recipe will make a lot, so halving the recipe should give you about 12-15 cupcakes!
Hi would love to bake this cake over the weekend and had one question… is it possible to use SMBC or chocolate ganache with salted caramel added to it instead of the abc frosting? If yes then how much caramel do I add to the chocolate ganache? Would hugely appreciate your inputs… thanks
Hi Ashley. I made this cake for my daughters surprise 24th Birthday. It is the first real home made cake I have made in ages, but it was wonderful. Everyone loved it.
I did have a small issue with the layers sliding with the caramel sauce and icing but after a slight heart attack was able to use kabob sticks to hold it in place until it was in the fridge for a while. I’m not quite sure why because I actually cheated on the caramel sauce and used Smuckers and never heated it and the cakes were very cool from being cooked early in the morning, but it really didn’t matter because it tasted amazing. Thank you for such a wonderful recipe 🙂 I will definitely try making the caramel sauce next time. Thanks again.
Looks great! Love your recipe, added to the menu for this weekend, hoping to enjoy the wonderful Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake with my family. Thanks and have a nice day
This cake is AMAZING! I served it at a birthday gathering today and one of the guests said it was the best cake he ever tasted. It’s my new fave as well!
I also love your technique for making caramel. For the first time in my life I didn’t burn the first batch! I will use your recipe from now on.
I’ve baked a good bit of cakes, and this one really turned out well. The caramel sauce recipe was probably the most impressive, and turned out perfect. Only thing I tweaked was I added two shots of espresso to the cake batter, and I cut the powdered sugar down to 3 cups, which was plenty sweet. The salted caramel with the cake and frosting was a perfect balance of sweetness!
I did it and it is amazing my chocolate frosting wasn’t as creamy though. But overall it is amazing.
Oh my goodness. this cake is absolutely the best chocolate cake i have ever had. and the icing, to die for. i definitely recommend this cake and icing (4 sticks of butter and all)!!!! so so so moist and beautiful rich chocolate flavor with a perfect hint of salted caramel. 10/10. would recommend.
Hi, I’m in the process of making this cake. Layers done but wont be eating until 2 days time. Can i make the frosting in advance (need to travel with cake) and assemble the cake in two days time and if so how is it best to store the frosting? Sorry if you’ve already answered similar query.
Thanks
Anna
Taught my g-daughter this recipe to teach her how to read a recipe and cook it. Came out delicious.
For some reason, I love cooking your recipes. It looks delicious, for sure this Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake is going to be on my table tonight. Thank you, Ashley, for this simple yet delicious looking recipe. !!
Just wanted to thank you for this wonderful recipe! I love baking but this cake came out perfectly! Well done on the explicit direction. It helped me to learn a few new things to get it done right. I’d say this is better than most of the chocolate cakes I’ve had at restaurants!
It really look like three layers of heaven! but I think its too difficult for a newbie like me.
Maybe I try one layer of heaven first lol
by the way, you bake yourself a birthday cake every year!? respect!
Salted caramel and chocolate, what a wonderful combination! Your cake is a great dessert for a family’s meeting, thanks alot!
The second salted-caramel recipe I worked on, looks great!
Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake is awesome! I just finished it last night and the result was unexpected, my wife and daughter both liked it, which made me happy. Thanks for your recipe.
Taught my g-daughter this recipe to teach her how to read a recipe and cook it. Came out delicious.
I’m not sure if I missed it being mentioned in the article, but does this cake need to be refrigerated or can it sit on the counter (covered, of course)?
I made this cake for my birthday and it came out fabulous. Because it’s just my husband and I, I didn’t need a large 3 layer cake, so I halved the recipe and used two small round tins. The amount of batter was perfect. This cake is so moist and delicious it defies description. Combined with wonderful frosting and my wonderful homemade salted caramel sauce, I have to say that this is the best cake I have ever baked.
My 5 year old asked for chocolate caramel Birthday cake for his birthday today…I just finished… the sauce is delicious!
Can you make this cake without sour cream? if not, what can be used as a substitute for sour cream? Thank you
Hello, i used 2% greek yogurt as a substitute and it turned out perfect!
I made this for my husband’s birthday yesterday and it is delicious!! It will definitely be made again. Excellent cake! Next time I will make the caramel sauce first to allow it to cool.
So I have to admit I did my own salted caramel butter cream recipe with this cake recipe, and this was the best chocolate cake I have ever made!
Hi
What’s the reason for the butter to be VERY SOFT instead of being at room temp for the frosting. Usually recipes ask for it to be at room temp.
I made this cake and it was delicious! However, I have a question about the caramel sauce. I just bought salted caramel ice cream topping & I tried to put the 1/2 cup on the cake & it just ran off. Is there a better choice of the sauce?
Thank you,
I made this recipe into a 6” 3 layer cake and 30 cupcakes. They were a huge hit!
I made the cake for my son in laws birthday and it turned out perfectly. The family loved it. The cake was huge and perfect. Your recipe was very helpful, especially the tips. I never realized how important it is to chill the cake before icing or to sift the icing sugar and the cocoa.I cheated and used caramel sauce from a jar.
best chocolate cake recipe by far! Made this one for my birthday, everyone devoured their piece and asked for more! Will definitely be using this chocolate cake base for every recipe i make in the future!
Hi! Is it possible to cook the cake in just one 9-inch cake pan? Then slice into three afterwards?
Thank you!
Hi, if I fill my cake with caramel sauce then cover with buttercream crumbcoat, will it be ok left in the fridge overnight? Or will the caramel become to hard?
Thanks in advance
This cake is “THE BOMB!” OMG!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Hello,
I’m jackson, I’m a chef who loves food, I’m always interested in new foods. Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake is great! i just finished them tonight, taste is great and i had a great dinner with my little family. Thanks for your sharing.
Sincerely grateful!
Made this and the caramel sauce recipe that was linked, absolutely AMAZING! Everyone loved it and was a huge success. Definitely will make again.
Made this sinfully awesome cake. It was wonderful! It did take some time to make but was sooo worth it. Thanks for the recipe. Everyone loved it!
Made this recipe for my moms birthday and it was SO amazing!!! Just a question, I want to make this cake again and I have some cake flour I want to use up, could I substitute the AP flour for cake flour? Thanks for the great recipe!
This was super moist and delicious. I had some trouble with assembly though. When I added the caramel and the cake layers, the caramel oozed out and down the sides, so we lost some caramel. Also, the layers almost slid off before it chilled. Wonder if I needed to use thicker caramel sauce?
This cake is so moist and delicious! I made this for a co-worker’s birthday. It was a huge hit!!
I would like to make this cake but am wondering if it’s possible to reduce the amount of sugar in the batter without affecting the texture and taste?
It turned out tasting good, however my caramel just absorbed into the cake so I don’t have pretty caramel layers. What did I do wrong?
I have made this recipe twice now and it is so delicious! my caramel is nothing like yours (needs lots of practice) so thank goodness for the jarred sauce as a quick cheat.
Making this cake for my mom for Mother’s Day.
I made your salted caramel chocolate cake for a friend’s 50th at the weekend and it was a complete hit! I made a couple of changes to the recipe, albeit minor… Added some chunky peanut butter to the batter and used hot coffee instead of hot water. Finished it off with spun sugar on top. People said that it was absolutely delicious and surprisingly not too sweet! Your salted caramel recipe is just enough for the cake.
What a kind friend you are! So happy this cake was a big hit for you!
do you measure cocoa first and then sift
OR
sift cocoa and then measure?
I measure then sift.
Maybe add to the recipe what you need (cake pans enz).
That’s all listed in the instructions 🙂 I always suggest reading the recipe fully before beginning to ensure you have everything you need before you get baking.
Recipe sounds incredible. Can this be made into mini cupcakes?
Are these the ingredients for only one of the layers? Or is this for all 3 layers?
It is possible to use dulce de leche instead of caramel sauce??? thankss
Sure!
My roommate asked me what kind of cake I wanted for my birthday (52) and I couldn’t make up my mind. so I started perusing the Internet, like one does, and came across this recipe in a listicle. I sent her the link, she made it, and It Is SO AMAZING. I will return with a photo if we get one before it’s all et up. 🙂
Happy belated birthday, Kat! So happy you have an awesome roommate who baked you cake for your special day. Even more happy you enjoyed it!
This sounds amazing! Can the cake be made without the cocoa powder? I’m trying to accommodate all family members! 🙂
I do not suggest making this without cocoa powder. But you could make my white cake and stuff the layers with salted caramel instead. https://bakerbynature.com/best-white-cake-recipe/
This is hands down the best chocolate cake I have ever had!! It’s dense, decadent, and drool-worthy!
Really good. Made for sons Birthday. The best chocolate cake
I’m so happy you enjoyed it! And happy belated birthday to your son!
This recipe looks amazing and yummy, thanks I’ll try to make it
Can’t wait to hear what you think!
Do you add caramel to the top layer too?
I add a drizzle, but it’s optional!
Do you add caramel to the top layer too?
Can this recipe be use to make cupcakes? If so, how should the temperature and time be adjusted. Thank you!
Absolutely wonderful cake! I got so many compliments. People that don’t like chocolate cake loved it. I followed the recipe exactly EXCEPT I did a 1:1 exchange for the flour with Bobs Red Mill gluten free flour. So so yummy!
So happy this was a hit! And so happy your flour sub worked well 🙂
Can i bake the cake in one pan and then divide it into 3 layers or is it a must to do it in 3 separate pans?