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This salted caramel chocolate cake looks complicated, but it’s really an easy dessert to make. The moist chocolate crumb and homemade salted caramel buttercream are divine. The trick to that deep flavor and soft texture is sour cream and a cup of coffee in the batter, and no, it doesn’t taste like coffee. The caramel is made in a dry pan without a candy thermometer, so don’t let that scare you off. It’s one of the easiest chocolate caramel cakes you’ll make, and it feeds a crowd.
I wanted a deep, rich chocolate flavor for this cake, and chocolate cakes are notorious for being dry. Adding sour cream helps with that, and adding coffee really enhances the flavor of the chocolate. I promise the cake does not taste like coffee!
The caramel is the part people stress over, but it really isn’t hard. You melt sugar in a dry pan, watch for the color, then stir in butter and cream off the heat. Make it once, and you’ll have it down. This version is a little easier than my regular Caramel Sauce or the frosting for my Southern Caramel Cake, so it’s good practice to work up to those!
Testing results for Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake
- The dry-pan caramel method gave me more control than the water method. Plain melted sugar is easier to watch, and the key is pulling the pan off the heat the second it turns deep copper, which happens fast.
- We tried this cake with plain boiling water and the coffee, and tasters overwhelmingly preferred the cake made with coffee. However, it is still delicious and perfectly fine with just the water.
I hope you make this recipe. I think you’ll love it!
Ingredient notes
Here are a few things to know about the ingredients in this recipe.
➡️➡️➡️ The full ingredient amounts and instructions are listed below on the printable recipe card. Scroll below the recipe card for frequently asked questions and tips for success.
Cocoa powder: Both natural and Dutch-process cocoa work here, since the batter uses both baking soda and baking powder. Use a good unsweetened cocoa for the deepest chocolate flavor.
Coffee: A cup of brewed coffee, or hot water with instant coffee stirred in, deepens the chocolate without making the cake taste like coffee. Plain boiling water works too if you’d rather leave it out.
Sour cream: This is what gives the cake its tender, moist crumb. Buttermilk works as an equal swap if that’s what you have.
Oil: A neutral oil like vegetable or canola keeps the cake soft and moist. Refined avocado oil or melted coconut oil work too. I’d skip strongly flavored oils like extra-virgin olive unless you want that flavor coming through.
Heavy cream and butter for the caramel: Both need to be at room temperature before you start. Cold dairy hitting hot sugar makes it bubble up and spit, which can burn you, so warm the cream briefly and leave the butter out ahead of time.
Sea salt: It’s what makes this a salted caramel, so don’t skip it. A pinch of flaky salt over the finished frosting is optional, but it’s a nice touch.
Pin this now to save it for laterHow to make salted caramel chocolate cake
This cake comes together in a few stages: mix and bake the cake, make the caramel, whip up the buttercream, then assemble. Here’s the quick version.
- Whisk the dry ingredients together, then beat in the eggs, oil, and sour cream until smooth.
- Whisk in the coffee last. The batter will be thin and pourable.
- Pour into a parchment-lined pan and bake until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool completely in the pan while you make the caramel and buttercream.
- Frost the cooled cake, drizzle with extra caramel, and finish with flaky salt.
Making the salted caramel sauce
The dry-pan method is the easiest way to make caramel, and you don’t need a thermometer. Heat granulated sugar in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring with a spatula. It’ll clump and look crystallized before it melts, and that’s normal.
Watch for the color. The second the sugar turns deep copper, pull it off the heat, because it burns quickly after that and burnt caramel tastes bitter. This takes about three minutes, so don’t wander off.
Off the heat, stir in the butter and salt, then add the cream in two additions. It will bubble and spit, so add it slowly and keep your face back. If any lumps form, set the pan back over low heat and stir until they melt.
This recipe makes more caramel than you need for the cake, which is a good thing. The extra keeps in the fridge and is wonderful warmed and spooned over ice cream.
Salted caramel buttercream
This is a simple American buttercream, and the caramel does all the flavor work. Beat the softened butter on its own first, until it’s pale and creamy. It takes a few minutes, but it makes for a smoother frosting.
Add the powdered sugar and beat until light and fluffy, then blend in the cooled caramel last. The caramel has to be completely cool, or it’ll melt the butter and thin out the frosting. This buttercream is soft and spreadable, closer to whipped cream than a stiff piping frosting. If you want it thicker, beat in more powdered sugar a half cup at a time.
Variations
- Skip the coffee: Use plain boiling water instead. The cake stays moist either way, though the coffee adds depth to the chocolate.
- Buttermilk for sour cream: Swap one for one if you prefer. Either of these helps the crumb stay tender.
- More caramel: The sauce makes extra, so drizzle as much as you like, or double it to keep a jar on hand.
- Add some crunch: Scatter toasted pecans or toffee bits over the frosting before the caramel drizzle.
- Lighter finish: Skip the buttercream and serve the squares with just the caramel drizzle and a pinch of flaky salt.
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below!
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Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
For the cake
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1 cup sour cream
- 1 cup brewed coffee (or 2 teaspoons instant coffee dissolved in 1 cup hot water)
For the salted caramel sauce
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the salted caramel buttercream
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup salted caramel sauce (from above, cooled)
Optional
- Flaky sea salt, for finishing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and line a 13×9-inch baking pan with parchment paper.
- Set a sieve over a large mixing bowl and sift in 2 cups all-purpose flour, 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 2 teaspoons baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Whisk to combine. Add 2 cups granulated sugar, whisk again, and make a well in the middle.
- Add 2 large eggs, 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil, and 1 cup sour cream to the well. Use a handheld mixer to combine.
- Add 1 cup brewed coffee (or 2 teaspoons instant coffee dissolved in 1 cup hot water) and whisk until the batter is smooth with no lumps. It will be thin and pourable, which is intentional.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the center of the oven for 30 minutes, or until the cake has risen, is slightly pulling away from the sides, and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and let the cake cool completely in the pan.
Make the salted caramel sauce:
- Put 1 cup granulated sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Keep the sugar moving with a heat-safe spatula. It will clump and crystallize before it melts.
- When the sugar turns deep copper, after about 3 minutes, remove the pan from the heat.
- Immediately stir in 3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature and 1 teaspoon sea salt.
- Add half the heavy cream and stir, then add the remaining cream and stir again. The mixture will bubble and spit, so add the cream cautiously and keep your face back. Stir in 1 teaspoon vanilla extract.
- If you feel any lumps, set the pan over very low heat and stir until they melt. Let the caramel cool completely.
Make the buttercream:
- Beat 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for about 5 minutes, until pale and creamy.
- Add 3 cups powdered sugar and beat for about 5 minutes more, until light and fluffy. Beat in 1/2 cup of the cooled caramel until incorporated.
Assemble:
- Leave the cake in the pan or invert onto a platter.
- Spread the buttercream over the top with an offset spatula, drizzle with about 1/2 cup caramel, and finish with flaky sea salt if using.
- Slice into squares and serve.
Notes
- The cake and caramel both need to cool completely before you assemble, so plan for extra time.
- This recipe makes more caramel than the cake needs. You’ll use about 1 cup total (1/2 cup in the buttercream and 1/2 cup for drizzling). The extra will keep in the fridge for several days.
- The buttercream is soft and spreadable, closer to whipped cream than a stiff piping frosting. For a thicker frosting, beat in more powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time.
- Storage: keep for 4 to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge, or freeze for up to 1 month.
Nutrition
Questions and tips
Storage
Make-ahead: All three parts can be made in advance. The cake keeps covered at room temperature for a day, and the caramel and buttercream hold in the fridge for a day or two. Warm the caramel back to a pourable consistency and re-beat the buttercream before you assemble.
Storage: The finished cake stays moist for four to five days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. You can also freeze it for up to a month.
Yes. Divide the batter between two greased and lined 9-inch round pans. Watch for a shorter bake time, since the thinner layers cook faster. Use the salted caramel buttercream between the layers and on top.
Yes. Fill the muffin cups about two-thirds full and check them early, since cupcakes bake faster than a full cake. Frost them with the same salted caramel buttercream. Keep in mind that this is not a pipeable frosting and won’t hold shape well. I would just spread a little on top of each cupcake.
No. Frosting right in the pan is the easy route and works fine. If you’d rather serve it on a board or platter, lift the cake out using the parchment first.
You can. A thick jarred salted caramel works in a pinch for both the buttercream and the drizzle. Homemade tastes better, but store-bought saves time. If it’s too thick, you may have to thin it with a little cream whipped in.
