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
Prep
Cook
Inactive
Total
Yield 9" Layer 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.
Courses Dessert
Cuisine Cake
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1 slice
Amount Per Serving | ||
|---|---|---|
% Daily Value |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
thehautecookie says
July 8, 2016 at 10:42 pmomg i (really) just drooled. WOW . yummmm.
xO!
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bakerbynature says
July 11, 2016 at 5:27 pmIt happens to the best of us 😉 Thanks for the love!!! xo
Sharon Asp says
February 11, 2017 at 2:21 amI’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?
joyce says
March 5, 2017 at 4:43 amthe most decadent cake ever!! rave reviews from friends and requests for more!!
Emily says
September 16, 2017 at 9:26 pmWhere do you get salted caramel sauce?
Gali says
May 16, 2018 at 1:30 amTrader Joe’s has an amazing caramel sauce and/or dulce De lechery!!
Gali says
May 16, 2018 at 1:31 amTrader Joe’s has an amazing caramel sauce and/or dulce De leche!!
Luisa says
October 2, 2018 at 12:35 pmisn´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?
Jeri haynes says
March 15, 2019 at 5:18 pmWhere do I get salted caramel and flaky sea salt? I really want to bake this for my husbands birthday so please help.
Dunja says
January 5, 2019 at 8:03 pmDoes someone know what size of cup
Milan says
January 27, 2019 at 3:24 amYou can’t be real?
Jax says
April 24, 2019 at 1:19 amHI 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/
Jessica Bolton says
November 16, 2016 at 10:29 amThis looks amazing! Today is my fiancé’s birthday and this is the cake our daughters and I are making him! Wish us luck!!!
bakerbynature says
November 17, 2016 at 2:07 pmYay! Happy birthday to your Fiance and good luck 🙂
Samara says
December 20, 2016 at 10:15 amHello. 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. 🙂
Av says
April 24, 2017 at 11:04 pmHOW 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)
Christine Dickey says
January 4, 2018 at 6:18 pmI would make this but the recipe doesn’t mention pan sizes.
Linda says
March 2, 2018 at 7:44 pmRecipe says to cut 3 9″ rounds of parchment paper. So you need 3 9″ pans to put the paper into to.
Amanda says
July 9, 2016 at 9:26 pmOH. 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
bakerbynature says
July 11, 2016 at 5:28 pmI’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
Erin M. says
July 10, 2016 at 11:49 amYUM~ This looks delicious! Happy Birthday!!!
bakerbynature says
July 11, 2016 at 5:29 pmThank you, Erin! xo
Iram says
July 11, 2016 at 5:53 amSorry for the belated birthday wish. I hope it was grand. Honestly this cake looks AMAZING.
bakerbynature says
July 11, 2016 at 5:29 pmThank you so much, Iram! I spent the weekend at the beach and it was exactly what I needed 😉
Manal Alalem says
July 15, 2016 at 6:28 amThank you for this amazing one:)
Amaryllis @ The Tasty Other says
July 17, 2016 at 8:29 pmDeath by chocolate? Yes. Please. Great, great post, thanks so much for sharing, Ashley, and happy happy birthday!
bakerbynature says
July 18, 2016 at 11:29 amThanks SO much Amaryllis!
Karly says
July 19, 2016 at 5:13 pmSo yeah, I’m totally drooling like crazy right now. This cake is absolutely INSANE! Cannot wait to try it out!
bakerbynature says
July 20, 2016 at 3:51 pmYay!!! Can’t wait to hear how it turns out Karly!
Emily Mitchell says
July 19, 2016 at 6:42 pmI 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.
bakerbynature says
July 20, 2016 at 3:51 pmSo happy this cake was a hit, Emily! You could definitely use an equal amount of hot coffee in place of the water.
nimmi afzal says
July 19, 2016 at 8:47 pmwoww…its yumm,,,the pictures are really tempting!! loved your blog..
bakerbynature says
July 20, 2016 at 3:51 pmThank you! I hope you get a chance to try the cake 🙂
mc says
July 20, 2016 at 3:30 pmHi 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! (=
bakerbynature says
July 20, 2016 at 3:50 pmI use regular unsweetened baking cocoa 🙂
Chele Munson says
July 24, 2016 at 3:21 amThis 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.
bakerbynature says
July 24, 2016 at 1:14 pmHi 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?
Chele Munson says
August 14, 2016 at 11:53 pmI 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!
Eleanor says
July 31, 2016 at 7:43 pmWould that not be the salt?
Kristen Hahn says
August 5, 2016 at 7:08 pmSo 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?
Fernanda says
August 9, 2016 at 8:48 pmIt is posibble to use dulce de leche instead of caramel sauce??
Neha says
August 17, 2016 at 4:38 pmHi! 🙂
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.
bakerbynature says
August 19, 2016 at 5:39 pmHi 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!
ivey says
August 22, 2016 at 3:59 pmI 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.
Jill says
September 3, 2016 at 2:15 pmI only have 1 cup of sour cream, do you think I could use 1/2up greek yogurt instead?
Jill says
September 4, 2016 at 2:48 amNever mind, I went and bought some more sour cream. I made this cake today for a party tomorrow, can’t wait to taste it!
bakerbynature says
September 4, 2016 at 1:54 pmYay! I can’t wait to hear how it turned out, Jill 🙂
bakerbynature says
September 4, 2016 at 1:52 pmHi 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.
Mike says
September 4, 2016 at 6:58 pmI 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
bakerbynature says
September 5, 2016 at 11:28 amHi Mike! It’s one teaspoon of vanilla extract. Enjoy 🙂
Rathi says
September 19, 2016 at 8:54 amHey 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???
Elaine says
September 28, 2016 at 7:51 pmI 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?
bakerbynature says
November 7, 2016 at 2:59 amHi 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/
Inge says
October 2, 2016 at 7:09 amHi! Can this cake be baked in one 9 inch pan? And then cut it in three layers once it is cooled?
bakerbynature says
October 2, 2016 at 11:04 amHi Inge. There will be too much batter to fit in a 9″ pan.
cake frosting bags says
October 6, 2016 at 3:19 amI really enjoy read this post.This is really a great tip! Thanks for sharing!!Genius
Jade says
October 27, 2016 at 8:55 amLooks 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?
bakerbynature says
November 7, 2016 at 2:54 amHi Jade. This conversion chart should help with that http://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/ingredient-weight-chart.html
Nicole says
October 28, 2016 at 8:41 pmAfter 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!
bakerbynature says
November 7, 2016 at 2:53 amHi 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.
Nicole says
October 30, 2016 at 10:52 pmThis cake is crazy delicious!!!
Hugo says
November 3, 2016 at 12:32 pmHello.
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
bakerbynature says
November 7, 2016 at 2:58 amHi 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
Cali says
November 4, 2016 at 6:39 pmHi! 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.
bakerbynature says
November 7, 2016 at 2:57 amHi 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 🙂
Cali says
November 8, 2016 at 5:44 amI 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 🙂
bakerbynature says
November 8, 2016 at 5:00 pmSorry I misunderstood, Cali! If you were going to do multiple layers you’d definitely want to double or possibly even triple the recipe.
Sarah Holden says
November 14, 2016 at 2:00 pmI 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?
Marts says
December 13, 2016 at 10:29 amCan I replace sour cream with Greek yoghurt in this recipe?
Brenda says
December 28, 2016 at 3:34 pmI 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!
Natalie says
January 8, 2017 at 6:07 amWOW, WOW, WOW and again WOW!
Ramona says
January 10, 2017 at 7:52 pmHi! 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!!!
Ramona says
January 12, 2017 at 11:14 pmNevermind! 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!
Jennifer says
January 17, 2017 at 8:34 pmI 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!
Julie Schultz says
July 2, 2017 at 2:21 amI did this. I put in 5 whole eggs a little extra baking powder and a little extra sugar. Should work fine 🙂
Julie Schultz says
July 2, 2017 at 2:24 amI 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.
Laura says
May 1, 2018 at 11:28 pmI use Betty Crocker Gluten Free Flour as the replacement. It turned out great!
Pat says
January 24, 2017 at 3:40 pmI 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!
Ginggay says
January 28, 2017 at 8:18 amHello
I’m just wondering if this recipe is good if it’s covered in fondant?
Thank you!
Davie says
February 6, 2017 at 1:57 pmWhen 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?
bakerbynature says
February 6, 2017 at 10:27 pmHi 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 🙂
Saba Rehman says
February 15, 2017 at 12:45 pmHi. 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?
bakerbynature says
February 15, 2017 at 3:07 pmHi 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 🙂
Noor Lee says
February 20, 2017 at 4:44 pmHappy 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.
bakerbynature says
February 21, 2017 at 3:27 pmThank you! I like to let the cake sit for 30 minutes at room temperature before I slice into it 🙂
Sam says
February 21, 2017 at 3:23 pmCan I make this a day ahead or will that cause sogginess?
bakerbynature says
February 21, 2017 at 3:26 pmHi 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.
Shana says
February 22, 2017 at 12:35 amI 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. 🙂
Aaminah says
March 3, 2017 at 9:19 pmHey,hope you well!Just wanted to find out if i can substitute buttermilk for the sour cream?
Julia says
April 7, 2017 at 9:32 amCan 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.
Casey says
January 23, 2018 at 9:53 pmThe whipping cream makes it so smooth!
Mary Goodale says
April 16, 2017 at 5:30 amYou 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?
bakerbynature says
April 17, 2017 at 7:19 pmHi Mary. Step 3 should clarify this process 🙂 You do not add any caramel into cake batter.
Mary Goodale says
April 16, 2017 at 5:34 amI’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.
Connie Churchill says
May 22, 2017 at 4:02 pmHello! 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!
blair walker says
June 7, 2017 at 7:27 pmHey 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!
Rebecca says
July 2, 2017 at 6:47 pmCan you make these into cupcakes?
Bridy says
July 20, 2017 at 9:46 pmI 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.
Bridy says
July 20, 2017 at 9:45 pmThank 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.
Maira says
July 25, 2017 at 7:02 amI did it and absolutely love it!!!
THANK YOU!!!
bakerbynature says
July 25, 2017 at 10:32 amYay! So happy this cake was a hit for you, Maira 🙂
Tori says
August 15, 2017 at 7:55 pm2 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?
Alia | Everyday Easy Eats says
August 16, 2017 at 5:01 amThis is the most gorgeously chocolatey, caramel-y piece of cake I have ever seen! Amazing recipe and photos! 🙂 Looks beyond decadent and delicious!!
Nina says
August 27, 2017 at 11:26 pmWow. This was scrumptious. Thanks for sharing a great recipe!
bakerbynature says
August 28, 2017 at 5:55 pmSo happy to hear it, Nina!
Lorraine Parente says
September 30, 2017 at 10:03 pmMore 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…..
Monica Snyder says
October 27, 2017 at 12:24 pmI’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!! 🙂
Claudia says
October 29, 2017 at 1:20 pmHello! is there any chance to have the ingredients in european units? I would love to try it.
many thanks!
Bia says
November 9, 2017 at 3:14 amWhat drink did you pair with this temptation of salted caramel chocolate cake?
bakerbynature says
November 9, 2017 at 12:08 pmRed wine or coffee both go great!
/abb / says
November 19, 2017 at 7:02 pmI 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.
Karin says
November 30, 2017 at 3:04 amThis is the ultimate BEST chocolate cake recipe EVER!!! It’s a must have in your recipes!!!
Mike says
November 30, 2017 at 3:48 pmI 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.
Hunter says
December 27, 2017 at 12:43 amI 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!
Casey says
January 23, 2018 at 9:49 pmhttps://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!
Alicia says
February 5, 2018 at 7:24 pmJust wondering if u can put fondant on the cake??
Christina stark says
February 26, 2018 at 8:34 pmMade this today and it is amazing makes a large cake but delicous thank you for the recipie
Bridget says
February 27, 2018 at 9:19 amI 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
Lana says
March 4, 2018 at 3:51 amWhere do I find the caramel sauce recipe? I want to make this for my grandsons birthday.
Rebecca says
March 7, 2018 at 10:27 pmI 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.
Denise says
March 10, 2018 at 11:38 amI made this cake gluten free and it was absolutely amazing!! This is by far the best gluten free cake I have ever made! Delicious!!
Roni says
April 13, 2018 at 4:43 pmWill one batch of your homemade caramel sauce be enough for this cake or should I double it?
bakerbynature says
April 14, 2018 at 11:20 amOne batch should be plenty 🙂
Arvin Ebdalian says
April 24, 2018 at 4:50 pmI made it it was awesome and heavy cake!
Whitney Rene' says
May 21, 2018 at 9:38 pmOh 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!
Michelle says
May 22, 2018 at 5:48 pmWill this cake travel well? I was asked to bring dessert to a picnick, that is an hours drive away. This looks Devine!
bakerbynature says
May 23, 2018 at 7:32 pmHi Michelle. I would suggest chilling the cake in the fridge for a few hours before traveling with it! 🙂
Village Bakery says
May 23, 2018 at 6:12 pmGreat recipe, Ashley. Thanks so much for sharing!
Casandra says
May 31, 2018 at 9:34 pmI 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.
Kari says
July 18, 2018 at 5:36 amAmazing!!!! 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.
bakerbynature says
July 19, 2018 at 5:13 pmAwww yay! So happy to hear it, Kari 🙂
Emily says
August 31, 2018 at 10:34 pmThank 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 :).
Lisa C says
September 27, 2018 at 5:58 amI 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.
Kaitie says
September 9, 2018 at 1:30 amI 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?
Luisa says
October 2, 2018 at 12:41 pmIsn´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?
Wendy Beamer says
October 29, 2018 at 6:53 pmThe 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
Sue says
December 4, 2018 at 2:39 amI 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.
Kelyy says
December 16, 2018 at 3:42 pmThis 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!
Bonnye says
December 24, 2018 at 3:10 amOk, 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!
Nicole Posada says
January 30, 2019 at 10:21 pmThis 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!!!
Afra Anzar says
February 17, 2019 at 1:01 pmHey 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 ?
Norma Smalley says
February 19, 2019 at 3:32 amDo you have a weekly or monthly news letter with recipes? This chocolate cake is making
me hungry.
Thank you.
Luisa says
March 3, 2019 at 6:50 amWow. 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!!!
Kim Tow says
May 11, 2019 at 1:05 amWOW!!!! 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!!!