Chocolate Caramel Cake

A perfect chocolate cake with delicious chocolate frosting and gooey caramel. This tasty celebration cake won't be forgotten easily!

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About the recipe

What ingredients you need

The complete ingredient list with quantities is below the post, in the recipe card. Here you will find a general list:

How to make the layers

1. To make the cake layers, first whisk the eggs and the sugar. 
2. Gradually add the wet ingredients: oil, vanilla and the yogurt, mixed with the baking soda. 
3. Then add the flour and finally, the chopped chocolate.
4. Divide the batter between two greased 7 inch/ 18 cm pans lined with parchment paper.
5. Bake for 40-50 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the centre of every layer comes out clean.
6. Let the layers cool before assembling the cake.

How to make the frosting

1. The frosting is very simple: first whip together the sour cream, the cream cheese and the powdered sugar. 
2. Melt the chocolate and cool it down. With a rubber spatula add a little frosting to the chocolate and mix well. Repeat the process 2-3 more times in order to temper the chocolate with the frosting. Otherwise if you add the chocolate directly to the frosting, it might harden and create lumps.
3. When the chocolate is tempered, add it to the frosting and whip very well with the mixer.

How to make the salted caramel

1. First caramelize the sugar until it becomes amber color.
2. Then add the butter and whisk very well until dissolved
3. Pour the heavy cream and keep whisking. Be very careful as the caramel might splash!
4. Remove the caramel from the heat and add a teaspoon of sea salt.

How to assemble the cake

1. Cut each cake horizontally into two layers. 
2. Arrange a layer on a plate. Spread generously with frosting. Spread on top some salted caramel.
3. Repeat the process with the rest of the layers. 
4. Frost the cake all around with the frosting. Top with the remaining caramel. Decorate with sprinkles or leave just as it is.

Recipe tips

• You can use any type of sugar for the cake base but I prefer the dark brown one as it gives a slight caramel taste to the chocolate layers.
• In order to create even layers, wrap the outside of the cake pan with aluminium foil with wet kitchen paper wrapped inside it! Just wet pieces of paper towel, place them into long sheets of aluminium foil and wrap the foil around the paper. Then wrap the sheets of foil with the paper inside tightly around the cake pans. This will ensure even raising of the cakes and no need to cut the tops!
• Cut the cake layers only after they have been cooled to room temperature. Do not assemble a cake with warm layers!
• Remove the cream cheese and the sour cream from the fridge 30 minutes before you start to make the frosting. This will help to create a uniform frosting when adding the melted chocolate.
• For best results leave the cake in the fridge for 3-4 hours before serving it. 

I hope you will like this amazing and very chocolatey caramel cake! It is a great dessert for any birthday party and for all celebrations.

Let me know in the comments if you've made it! I would be glad to know how it went.

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5 from 4 votes

Chocolate Caramel Cake

A perfect chocolate cake with delicious chocolate frosting and gooey caramel. This tasty celebration cake won't be forgotten easily!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 40 minutes mins

Cook Time 50 minutes mins

Servings: 10

Author: Daniela Lambova

Ingredients

For the layers:

• ▢ 1 cup/ 200 g dark brown sugar, see notes
• ▢ 1 ½ cups/ 180 g all-purpose flour
• ▢ ⅓ cup / 80 ml vegetable oli, I use olive oil
• ▢ 3 tbsp/ 20 g cocoa powder
• ▢ 3 large eggs
• ▢ ⅞ cup/ 200 g plain yogurt
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ▢ ½ cup / 85 g chocolate chips or chopped chocolate, optional

For the frosting:

• ▢ 1.1 lbs/ 500 g cream cheese
• ▢ 10.5 oz/ 300 g sour cream
• ▢ ½ cup/ 60 g powdered sugar
• ▢ 5.2 oz/ 150 g chocolate, milk or dark, see notes

For the salted caramel:

• ▢ 1 cup / 200 g granulated sugar
• ▢ ⅓ cup / 75 g butter
• ▢ ½ cup / 120 g heavy cream
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sea salt

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Instructions

Cake Layers:

• Preheat the oven to 350º F/ 180º C. Line two 7 inch/ 18 cm baking pans with circles of parchment paper. Grease well all around inside the pans.
• In a large mixing bowl whisk together the eggs with the sugar until well combined: about 1-2 minutes.
• Add the vanilla and the oil and whisk again until smooth.
• Combine the yogurt with the baking soda. Mix well until it starts bubbling. Add the mixture to the batter and whisk to combine.
• Gradually add the flour and the cocoa powder, mixing gently with a rubber spatula until absorbed.
• At the end add also the chocolate chips (if using).
• Divide the batter between the prepared pans. Optionally wrap each pan with a sheet of aluminium foil, filled with wet kitchen paper inside (see notes). This will help avoid uneven layers.
• Bake the cakes for about 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
• Let the layers cool completely before assembling the cake.

Frosting:

• In a large mixing bowl whip the cream cheese, sour cream and powdered sugar until fluffy.
• Melt the chocolate on a double boiler. Mix it gently until it cools down: it shouldn't be hot when added to the frosting.
• Add a small dollop of the whipped frosting to the chocolate using a rubber spatula. Mix very well quickly to combine. Repeat the process 2-3 more times. This is done to "temper" the chocolate so it doesn't harden fast in the colder frosting.
• Transfer the chocolate mixture to the remaining white frosting. Beat with the mixer at a high speed until fluffy and uniform.

Salted caramel sauce:

• Place the sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk continuously until the sugar caramelizes and becomes amber (5-7 minutes).
• Add the butter very carefully as it will start splashing (wear kitchen gloves). Whisk continuously until the butter combines with the sugar into a sticky mass.
• When the butter and sugar are combined, slowly and carefully pour the cream. Whisk for a few seconds, until the mixture becomes uniform.
• Remove the pan from the heat and add the salt. Whisk again.
• Let the caramel cool completely before using it in the cake. Store the leftovers in the fridge.

To assemble:

• Using a long serrated knife cut the cooled layers horizontally into two parts each.
• Place one layer on a serving plate. Generously spread frosting on top. Spoon 2 tablespoon salted caramel over the frosting.
• Repeat the process until using all layers. You should have enough frosting left to spread all around the cake.
• Pour the remaining caramel sauce on top. Use a spoon to make drips around the cake.
• Decorate with chopped nuts, chopped chocolate or sprinkles.
• Ideally serve the cake after it stays 3-4 hours in the fridge.

Notes

• You can use any type of granulated sugar for the layers but I recommend the dark brown for its caramel taste. Use only granulated cane sugar for the caramel!
• For the frosting you can use milk or dark chocolate but avoid over 60% cocoa content as it will make the frosting too thick.
• To bake even layers, wrap the outside of each cake pan with aluminium foil with wet paper towel wrapped inside it. To make this, wet pieces of kitchen paper, place them into long sheets of aluminium foil and wrap the foil around the paper to create sheets as wide as the pan sides. Then wrap the sheets of foil with the paper inside tightly around the cake pans.
• Remove the cream cheese and sour cream from the fridge about 30 minutes before making the frosting. This will help avoid lumps in the frosting.
• For a move evenly assembled layers you can use a cake ring. Remove it before frosting the cake around.
• Keep the leftovers covered in the fridge for 3-4 days. You can freeze the cake in airtight containers for up to 2 months.
• The salted caramel is adapted from Sally's Baking Recipes

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