Best 4 Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake Recipes

SALTED-CARAMEL SIX-LAYER CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make the cake: Butter three 9-inch round cake pans, and dust with flour, tapping out excess. Sift flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt into the bowl of a mixer. Beat on low speed until just combined. Raise speed to medium, and add eggs, buttermilk, 1 1/2 cups warm water, oil, and vanilla. Beat until smooth, about 3 minutes.
• Divide batter among pans. Bake until cakes are set and a toothpick inserted into the center of each comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let cool in pans set on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Turn out cakes onto racks, and let cool completely.
• Make the caramel: Combine granulated sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup water in a medium saucepan over high heat. Cook, without stirring, until mixture is dark amber, about 14 minutes. Remove from heat, and carefully pour in cream (mixture will spatter); stir until smooth. Return to heat, and cook until a candy thermometer reaches 238 degrees, about 2 minutes. Pour caramel into a medium bowl, stir in 1 teaspoon coarse salt, and let cool slightly, about 15 minutes. Stir in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting: Whisk together cocoa and 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water in a bowl until cocoa dissolves. Beat butter, confectioners' sugar, and a generous pinch of coarse salt in a clean bowl with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in melted chocolate and then cocoa mixture until combined. Let stand for 30 minutes before using.
• Trim tops of cakes using a serrated knife to create a level surface. Cut each in half horizontally to form 2 layers. Transfer 1 layer to a serving platter, and spread 3/4 cup caramel over top. Top with another cake layer, and repeat with remaining caramel and cake layers, leaving top uncovered. Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.
• Frost top and sides of cake in a swirling motion. Sprinkle with sea salt.

EXTRA DARK CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease three 9-inch round cake pans.
• Combine cocoa powder and chocolate chips in a medium bowl. Pour boiling hot coffee over top and whisk until chocolate chips have melted and mixture is smooth. Set aside to cool.
• Sift flour, baking soda, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl.
• Combine sugar, butter, and vegetable oil in a separate bowl; beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract. Add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with the cocoa mixture, beating batter briefly after each addition. Spread 1/3 of the batter into each prepared cake pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Run a table knife around the edges of each pan to loosen. Invert one layer carefully onto a serving plate and invert the remaining layers onto a cooling rack. Let cool, about 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine sugar and salt for the caramel sauce in a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until liquefied. Just after mixture begins to smoke, slowly add half-and-half, stirring constantly, until fully incorporated. (Be careful as the addition of cold liquid makes the molten sugar foam up.) Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• Pour 1/2 of the caramel sauce on top of the bottom layer of the cooled cake. Add the second layer of cake, top with remaining caramel sauce, and add the final layer of cake. Dust lightly with powdered sugar.

MEXICAN CHOCOLATE/SALTED CARAMEL CAKE IN A MUG

Steps:

• Mix flour, sugar, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, baking powder, 1 pinch salt, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon in a bowl. Whisk milk, canola oil, egg, and vanilla extract together in a separate bowl; stir into flour mixture. Lightly press caramels into kosher salt.
• Pour batter into a microwave-safe mug; top with salted caramels.
• Cook in microwave until desired consistency is reached, 75 to 100 seconds.

PRETZEL-CRUSTED FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH SAUTEED SPICED PEARS AND SALTED CARAMEL SAUCE

Steps:

• For the pretzel crust: In a food processor, pulse the pretzels, sugar and butter together until nearly as fine as graham cracker crumbs.
• Line a 9-inch cake pan with parchment and press the pretzel crumbs into the base.
• Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for 10 minutes. Cool on a rack.
• Once cooled, scatter the caramel pieces over the top and set aside
• For the flourless chocolate cake: Adjust the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler over medium heat.
• In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the egg whites on medium-high speed until they reach medium peaks.
• Add the sugar and whip to stiff peaks. Add the egg yolks and whip for two minutes.
• Fold in the chocolate mixture in three stages, being careful not to deflate the batter.
• Pour the batter into the pretzel crust, and bake for 15 minutes. When done, the center should feel slightly bouncy, but an inserted cake tester should come out like a moist brownie batter.
• Allow the cake to cool overnight before unmolding.
• For the spice blend: In a small bowl, mix together the cinnamon, ginger and star anise until well blended. Set aside.
• For the sauteed pears: In a saute pan over medium heat, saute the pears until slightly translucent.
• Add the sugar and 1/2 tablespoon of the spice blend, and cook until the pears are tender and their juices slightly thickened. Allow to cool before use.
• For the salted caramel sauce: In a large pot, combine the sugar, water, corn syrup and salt. Cook until the mixture acquires a nice amber color, indicating it has reached the caramel stage (325 degrees F on a candy thermometer). Remove from the heat.
• Gently heat the cream in the microwave, then add it slowly to the caramel (be very careful¿the mixture will bubble up!).
• Once all cream is added, stir in the butter. Taste and season with more salt if necessary. Let cool.
• To finish: Top the cake with sauteed pears and pour caramel over. Chill until the caramel sets.
• Serve with brandy-flavored sweetened whipped cream.