Blog

Last Updated: September 3, 2025

If you’ve ever wanted a cake that feels like a long hug wrapped in chocolate, drizzled with just enough caramel to make you stop mid‑bite and nod, this is probably the one. The Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake layers a tender, moist chocolate crumb with a buttercream that’s kissed with salted caramel and, yes, little pockets of gooey homemade caramel tucked in for good measure. It doesn’t lean on sugar alone; the slight bitterness of cocoa, the buttery caramel, and a pinch of salt pull everything into balance. Sweet, but not childish. Rich, but not heavy.

I should warn you: the end result is a tall, proud cake that looks like it belongs at the center of a celebration. And it slices cleanly, no collapsing layers or messy slides, so you don’t need pastry chef skills just to make it look good. The chocolate is fudgy, the caramel hits with a salty‑sweet finish, and if you’re anything like me, you’ll be sneaking forkfuls from the edges before it even hits the table.

A small but important note about baker’s “ego savers”: for flat, even cake layers, weigh out your batter evenly between pans. If you eyeball it, you’ll regret it. And maybe nudge your oven temperature down a touch cakes don’t rise quite so aggressively that way, which means fewer domes and less trimming later.

Why This Recipe Seems to Work

• Oil + Buttermilk = Moisture that lingers. Butter‑only cakes can go dry overnight. Oil stays liquid even when chilled, so this cake keeps a soft crumb for days, a quality you’ll notice when you cut into it on day three and it still tastes fresh.
• Dutch‑process cocoa + hot coffee = An unexpectedly deeper chocolate. The hot liquid “blooms” the cocoa, unlocking more of its flavor. And the coffee doesn’t make the cake taste like coffee—it just sharpens the edges of the chocolate, same way a pinch of salt makes fruit taste sweeter.
• Salt in caramel = Doing the heavy lifting. Without it, caramel can feel cloying after a few bites. Salt not only tames the sugar but also brightens the chocolate underneath.
• Acid + base = Rise without collapse. Buttermilk (acidic) and leaveners (basic) strike a helping‑hand partnership, giving you tall, springy layers instead of something gummy.

Ingredients You’ll Actually Need

(Weights included because guessing with flour scoops is a quick way to bake disappointment.)

Cake (for two 8‑inch rounds):

• 240 g all‑purpose flour (2 cups)
• 75 g Dutch‑process cocoa powder (¾ cup)
• 6 g baking powder (1 ½ tsp)
• 4 g baking soda (1 tsp)
• 3 g fine sea salt (½ tsp)
• 400 g caster sugar (2 cups)
• 2 large eggs (room temperature, ~100 g)
• 120 ml vegetable oil (½ cup; sunflower or canola are best here)
• 240 ml buttermilk (1 cup)
• 240 ml strong hot coffee (1 cup—use whatever you actually drink in the morning)
• 5 ml vanilla extract (1 tsp)

Caramel Sauce:

• 200 g sugar (1 cup)
• 85 g unsalted butter (6 tbsp)
• 120 ml heavy cream (½ cup)
• 1 tsp fine sea salt (adjust if you prefer more bite)

Buttercream:

• 250 g unsalted butter, softened (1 cup)
• 500 g icing sugar, sifted (4 cups)
• 120 ml cooled caramel sauce (½ cup of the above)
• Pinch of salt
• 15–30 ml milk or cream, if needed

Step‑by‑Step (With Honest Visual Cues)

• Step 1 – Prep: Line your 8‑inch pans with rounds of parchment (trust me, it’s worth the five minutes). Preheat oven to 170°C / 340°F.

• Step 2 – Dry Mix: Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt. It should look like one smooth brown powder if you see clumps, keep going.

• Step 3 – Wet Base: Whisk the eggs and sugar until pale (about 2–3 min, even by hand). Whisk in oil and vanilla. Alternate adding the dry mix with buttermilk. Batter will look thick and maybe a little stubborn.

• Step 4 – Coffee Moment: Slowly pour in hot coffee while whisking lightly. Batter suddenly loosens, turns glossy, and almost pourable. Stop whisking before you’re tempted to “make sure.” Over‑mixing ruins the crumb.

• Step 5 – Bake: Split evenly by weight (around 650 g per pan). Bake 28–32 minutes. A toothpick should give you crumbs, not gunk. Internal temperature lands at 96–98°C. Cool 10 minutes in pans before flipping out onto racks.

• Step 6 – Caramel: Gently melt sugar in a heavy pan without fiddling too much. Once it turns amber, whisk in butter (it’ll hiss). Add cream slowly. Stir in salt until glossy. Cool before using warm caramel melts buttercream.

• Step 7 – Buttercream: Beat butter 2–3 minutes until it lightens, add sugar gradually, beat again. Fold in cooled caramel. Adjust with milk if too stiff. Should spread easily on a spoon without sliding off.

• Step 8 – Assembly: Level cakes only if needed. Layer one cake, spread buttercream, drizzle caramel, top with second cake. Crumbcoat lightly, chill, add final coat. Add drips if you’re feeling ambitious.

Troubleshooting From My Kitchen Notebook

• Cake sank? Probably underbaked or you got too ambitious with baking soda.
• Dry texture? Bake time too long or you skimped on oil.
• Caramel turned gritty? Stirred too early. Let sugar melt undisturbed until patches liquify.
• Buttercream soupy? Your kitchen might have been warmer than mine—pop it in the fridge for 15 minutes and re‑whip.

Variations That Actually Work

• Egg‑free: Replace eggs with Greek yogurt or applesauce; texture becomes denser but stays moist.
• Dairy‑free: Swap buttermilk for soy milk + vinegar, use plant cream in caramel.
• Gluten‑free: A 1:1 GF flour blend gets the job done, though the cake is more fragile—chill before cutting.
• Flavor twists: A teaspoon of cinnamon in the batter adds warmth, or swap in very dark cocoa for something closer to black‑forest bitter.

Storage & Serving

Counter for two days (airtight), fridge for five. It’s best at room temp, so don’t serve it fridge‑cold. Chocolate always tastes muted that way. The caramel sauce lives happily in the fridge for weeks; rewarm it gently before pouring. Serve the cake with coffee, unsweetened cream, or fresh berries—the tartness cuts the richness beautifully.

And if you’re like me, save the last slice, wrap it up, and stash it at the back of the fridge. It’s even better the next day.

A slice of this cake tends to quiet the room in a good way, thanks to that fudgy crumb and the salty caramel finish. If the layers look a touch rustic or the drip runs a little wild, that’s part of the charm and won’t change the flavor one bit. Make it a day ahead if time’s tight, keep the caramel handy for last-minute touch‑ups, and serve with strong coffee or tart berries to keep things balanced.

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake Recipe

Course: DessertCuisine: WesternDifficulty: Beginner–Intermediate

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Calories

520

kcal

Total time

2

hours 

10

minutes

Cooling: 45–60 min (hands-off)
Assembly & Frosting: 20–30 min

Ultra-moist chocolate cake layered with silky salted caramel buttercream and gooey caramel, finished with a glossy caramel drip and flaky sea salt. Balanced bitter cocoa, buttery caramel, and a touch of salt. Beginner-friendly with precise cues.

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake (2 x 8-inch layers)

• All-purpose flour — 240 g (2 cups) — structure

• Dutch-process cocoa powder — 75 g (3/4 cup) — deep chocolate flavor, darker color

• Baking powder — 6 g (1 1/2 tsp) — lift

• Baking soda — 4 g (1 tsp) — lift with buttermilk acidity

• Fine sea salt — 3 g (1/2 tsp) — balances sweetness

• Caster sugar — 400 g (2 cups) — sweetness, tenderness

• Large eggs, room temp — 2 (about 100 g without shells) — binding, structure

• Neutral oil (sunflower/canola) — 120 ml (1/2 cup) — moisture

• Buttermilk — 240 ml (1 cup) — tenderness, acidity

• Strong hot coffee — 240 ml (1 cup) — blooms cocoa, enhances chocolate (no coffee taste)

• Pure vanilla extract — 5 ml (1 tsp) — aroma

• Salted Caramel Sauce

• Granulated sugar — 200 g (1 cup)

• Unsalted butter — 85 g (6 tbsp), cubed

• Heavy cream — 120 ml (1/2 cup), warm

• Fine sea salt — 1 tsp (adjust to taste)

• Salted Caramel Buttercream

• Unsalted butter, softened — 250 g (1 cup)

• Icing sugar (confectioners’), sifted — 500 g (4 cups)

• Cooled salted caramel sauce — 120 ml (1/2 cup)

• Pinch of salt — to balance

• Milk or cream — 15–30 ml (1–2 tbsp), only if needed to loosen

Directions

• Prep (5 min)
  Preheat to 170°C (340°F). Position rack in the center.
  Grease and line two 8-inch round pans with parchment circles.
• Dry Mix (3 min)
  Sift together flour (240 g), cocoa (75 g), baking powder (6 g), baking soda (4 g), and salt (3 g).
  Visual cue: Even, deep brown color; no cocoa clumps.
• Wet Base (5–6 min)
  In a large bowl, whisk eggs and caster sugar until slightly thickened and paler, 2–3 min by hand (or 1–2 min on medium with a hand mixer).
  Whisk in oil and vanilla until smooth.
  Add dry mix in two additions, alternating with buttermilk; start and end with dry. Mix just until combined.
  Visual cue: Thick, smooth batter with no dry pockets.
• Hot Coffee Bloom (1–2 min)
  Slowly whisk in the hot coffee in a thin stream to avoid scrambling and to bloom the cocoa.
  Visual cue: Batter becomes glossy, more fluid, and pourable—not foamy. Stop as soon as combined.
• Bake (28–32 min)
  Divide batter evenly, about 650 g per pan (weigh for flat, even layers).
  Bake 28–32 min at 170°C (340°F).
  Doneness tests:
  Skewer: emerges mostly clean with a few moist crumbs.
  Internal temp: 96–98°C (205–208°F) at center.
  Surface: set with slight spring-back; edges just pull from sides.
  Cool in pans 10 min, then turn out to a rack to cool completely (45–60 min).
• Salted Caramel Sauce (10–12 min active + cool)
  Heat sugar in a heavy saucepan over medium heat, stirring only occasionally until it melts, then more frequently as it turns amber.
  Add butter carefully (it will bubble), whisk until melted and smooth.
  Stream in warm cream; whisk until glossy and uniform.
  Stir in salt to taste.
  Visual cue: Viscous, glossy amber that coats the spoon thickly. Cool to room temp before using.
• Buttercream (6–8 min)
  Beat softened butter 2–3 min until pale and fluffy.
  Gradually add sifted icing sugar; beat 2–3 min until light.
  Beat in 120 ml cooled caramel and a pinch of salt. Adjust with 1–2 tbsp milk/cream only if needed.
  Visual cue: Smooth, spreadable, holds soft peaks. If too soft, chill 10–15 min, then re-whip.
• Assembly (20–30 min)
  Level cake layers if domed.
  Place first layer on board. Spread an even layer of buttercream (about 1/3 of frosting).
  Spoon or pipe a thin ring of buttercream at the edge (to “dam”), then drizzle 2–3 tbsp caramel over the center. Top with second layer.
  Crumb coat thinly; chill 20 min.
  Apply final coat; smooth with a bench scraper.
  Optional drip: Warm 2–3 tbsp caramel slightly (body-temperature), drip along edges; finish with a small sprinkle of flaky sea salt.
  Visual cue: Clean, sharp sides; frosting not melting; drip flows slowly and sets.

Notes

• Notes From My Kitchen (testing alignment)
  Tested three cocoa options; Dutch-process produced the richest flavor and color.
  Verified batter division at ~650 g per pan for flat layers.
  Coffee addition tested at varying temps; hot (not boiling) added in a thin stream gave best gloss and crumb.
  Buttercream stability improved with a 10–15 min chill in warm ambient conditions.
  Egg-free and GF versions work with noted texture trade-offs.
• Pro Tips
  Weigh batter into pans for flat, even layers.
  Add coffee hot but in a thin stream to avoid curdling and to properly bloom cocoa.
  Keep buttercream cooler than room-temp in hot kitchens; brief chilling improves stability.