Name: Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 2 h 10 min
Ingredients: 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; 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); 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

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If you’ve ever wanted a cake that tastes like a chocolate hug with a golden caramel drizzle, this is the one. This Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake has a soft, moist crumb, rich cocoa depth, and layers held together with silky salted caramel buttercream plus pockets of gooey homemade caramel. It’s not just sweet, it balances bitter cocoa, buttery caramel, and a touch of salt for a grown‑up yet crowd‑pleasing flavor.

Promise: You’ll end up with an ultra‑moist, tall 8‑inch cake that slices neatly, holds its shape, and delivers fudgy chocolate with a salty‑sweet finish.

Pro tip: The secret to even, flat cake layers here is weighing your batter into each pan and slightly lowering the oven temperature so the cakes rise evenly without domes.

Why This Recipe Works

Oil + Buttermilk = Moisture lock. Unlike butter‑only cakes that can dry out, oil stays liquid at room temperature, giving you a tender, soft crumb for days.
Dutch‑process cocoa + hot coffee = Flavor depth. Blooming cocoa in hot liquid releases its full chocolate notes, while coffee enhances bitterness without tasting like coffee.
Salt in caramel = Flavor contrast. Salt cuts through sweetness, making caramel punchy rather than cloying. It also highlights the chocolate base.
Acid + base balance. Buttermilk (acidic) + baking soda/baking powder (alkaline) work together to create tall, fluffy layers without collapse.

Ingredients (with weights, volume & purposes)

For the Chocolate Cake (2 × 8‑inch layers)

All‑purpose flour — 240 g (2 cups) — structure
Dutch‑process cocoa powder — 75 g (¾ cup) — deep flavor
Baking powder — 6 g (1 ½ tsp) — lift
Baking soda — 4 g (1 tsp) — lift with acidity
Fine sea salt — 3 g (½ tsp) — balances flavor
Caster sugar — 400 g (2 cups) — sweetness & tenderness
Eggs (room temp) — 2 large, ~100 g — binding & structure
Vegetable oil — 120 ml (½ cup) — moisture & softness
Buttermilk — 240 ml (1 cup) — acidity for lift, tenderness
Strong hot coffee — 240 ml (1 cup) — blooms cocoa, intensifies taste
Vanilla extract — 5 ml (1 tsp) — aroma

For the Salted Caramel Sauce

Granulated sugar — 200 g (1 cup) — caramel base
Unsalted butter — 85 g (6 tbsp) — richness
Heavy cream — 120 ml (½ cup) — creaminess
Fine sea salt — 1 tsp (adjust to taste) — contrast

For the Buttercream Frosting (Salted Caramel version)

Unsalted butter, softened — 250 g (1 cup) — fluffy base
Icing sugar (sifted) — 500 g (4 cups) — sweetness/body
Salted caramel sauce (cooled) — 120 ml (½ cup) — flavor
Pinch of salt — optional adjuster
Milk/cream — 15–30 ml (1–2 tbsp) if needed to loosen

Equipment

Required:

Two 8‑inch round pans
Kitchen scale (essential for accuracy!)
Mixing bowls
Hand whisk or electric hand mixer (stand mixer optional)
Stove + heavy saucepan (for caramel)
Oven/OTG with thermometer

Nice‑to‑have:

Offset spatula for frosting
Parchment paper circles
Bench scraper
Cake turntable

Step‑by‑Step Instructions with Visual Cues

Step 1: Prep

Grease and line pans with parchment.
Preheat oven to 170°C (340°F).
Position rack in the center.

Step 2: Dry Ingredients

Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, soda, salt.
Visual cue: mixture should be even brown with no cocoa clumps.

Step 3: Wet Base

In another bowl, whisk eggs + sugar until pale, 2–3 min by hand.
Add oil, vanilla; whisk smooth.
Alternate adding dry mix and buttermilk, ending with dry.
Batter will be thick.

Step 4: Hot Coffee Addition

Slowly pour in hot coffee while whisking gently.
Visual cue: batter becomes glossy, thin, almost pourable. Don’t over‑whip.

Step 5: Bake

Divide batter evenly (about 650 g per pan).
Bake 28–32 min until skewer emerges mostly clean with a few moist crumbs OR internal temp at 96–98°C (205–208°F).
Cool in pans 10 min, then transfer to rack.

Step 6: Caramel Sauce

Heat sugar in heavy pot, medium heat, stir occasionally until amber liquid.
Whisk in butter (careful: sputter!). Add cream in stream.
Stir until smooth. Stir in salt.
Visual cue: Glossy, golden brown, coats spoon thickly.
Cool fully before frosting.

Step 7: Buttercream

Beat butter 2–3 min until pale.
Gradually add icing sugar.
Beat until fluffy, 3 more min.
Add caramel sauce and pinch of salt.
Texture should be spreadable, not runny; chill briefly if soft.

Step 8: Assembly

Level cakes if domed.
Place first layer, spread frosting, drizzle caramel, add second.
Crumb coat, chill 20 min, final coat smooth.
Optional: caramel drip on edges.

Troubleshooting

Cake sinks: underbaked or too much leavening → bake longer or reduce soda/powder by 1 g.
Dry texture: over‑baked or low fat → reduce bake time or add 15 ml more oil.
Dense/gummy: over‑mixed after coffee addition → whisk just until combined.
Buttercream gritty: icing sugar not sifted → always sift.
Caramel crystallized: sugar stirred too early → let melt undisturbed until liquid patches form.
Frosting too soft: butter too warm → chill 10–15 min, whip again.

Substitutions and Variations

Egg‑free: Replace 2 eggs with 120 g Greek yogurt or 60 g unsweetened applesauce + ½ tsp baking powder.
Dairy‑free: Use soy milk + 1 tsp vinegar in place of buttermilk; plant cream for caramel; vegan butter.
Gluten‑free: Swap flour for 1:1 gluten‑free blend (tested with Cup4Cup). Cake slightly more fragile—chill before slicing.
Flavor swaps: Add 1 tsp cinnamon to cake for warmth; sub dark chocolate cocoa (85%) for deeper notes.

Scaling:

For 6‑inch cakes: reduce all ingredients to 75%.
For cupcakes: fills 24 standard; bake 18–20 min at 170°C.

Storage & Make‑Ahead

Counter: 2 days in airtight box.
Fridge: up to 5 days; bring to room temp 1 hr before serving.
Freezer: cake layers (unfrosted) freeze wrap well for 2 months; thaw overnight in fridge. Frostings freeze poorly (separate); rewhip if attempted.
Caramel: fridge up to 3 weeks; rewarm gently in microwave.

Serving Suggestions

Serve with extra caramel drizzle & flaky salt on top. Pairs well with black coffee, unsweetened whipped cream, or tart berries to cut richness.

FAQs

1. Can I replace buttermilk with milk?
→ Use milk + 1 tsp vinegar/lemon per cup. Slightly less tender result but works.

2. How to prevent dry cake in OTG?
→ Place baking tray one level above bottom rod, lower temp by 10°C, check earlier.

3. Can I double this recipe?
→ Yes, for 3 × 9‑inch layers. Multiply all by 1.5 but do not double leavening.

4. Best oil to use?
→ Neutral like sunflower or canola. Olive oil adds savory notes that may clash.

5. Air fryer baking possible?
→ Yes, in smaller tins at 155–160°C; reduce bake time to 20–25 min. Tent with foil if browning fast.

Notes from My Kitchen (Testing Log)

Batch 1: Coffee too hot when added → scrambled eggs. Fix: whisk coffee in slow stream after egg mixture is tempered.
Batch 2: Frosting collapsed in warm kitchen → chilled buttercream 15 min, then re‑whipped.
Batch 3: Tried natural cocoa → flavor was flatter, color lighter. Final recipe sticks to Dutch‑process.
Batch 4: Egg‑free trial with applesauce → moist but slightly dense. Works for dietary needs though.
Final batch: Balanced sweetness by adding extra ½ tsp salt to caramel. Perfect sweet‑salty balance.

Nutrition & Disclaimer

Approx. per serving (1/12 of cake):

Calories: ~520
Fat: 25 g
Carbs: 70 g
Protein: 5 g

Values are approximate; will vary with brands and serving sizes. Always store per food‑safety best practice when dairy and cream are involved.