Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake Recipe
This Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake is the ideal dessert when you’re craving something sweet and indulgent with a hint of saltiness. The moist chocolate cake is made with hot coffee to strengthen the chocolate flavor which flawlessly complements the salted caramel on top.
The cake batter is made in one bowl, which means it’s simple and easy-to-make and less dishes to clean too! It bakes perfectly leaving you with a moist, tender cake and silky, smooth caramel sauce.
A moist chocolate cake topped with a smooth salted caramel sauce. What more could you want?
From the texture to the flavor, this recipe is absolute perfection! And the best part is, is that this recipe is incredibly easy-to-make too!
Ingredient Notes
- Flour – An All Purpose Flour is idea for this cake. However, you can also use a gluten-free all purpose flour, if needed
- Cocoa Powder – A dutch-processed cocoa powder is ideal for it’s high quality product
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda
- Salt – Since we’re not using salted butter, we need to add salt to balance out the sweetness in the cake
- Dark Brown Sugar – Helps to lock in the moisture of the cake
- Granulated Sugar
- Egg – Make sure the egg is at room temperature
- Oil – Helps to make the cake more moist
- Vanilla – For flavor, complements and strengthens the cocoa powder/chocolate flavor
- Sour Cream – Gives more moisture without making the batter more thin
- Hot Coffee – Ideal to use hot coffee, however, warm will work as well. It strengthens the chocolate flavor in the cake and improves the texture as well
Tips for a Perfect Chocolate Cake
Making a chocolate cake from scratch isn’t TOO complicated, however, there are a few tips that you can use to ensure your chocolate cake comes out perfectly.
- Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature so that they combine seamlessly when making the batter
- Use an unsweetened, high-quality cocoa powder. I prefer to use a dutch-processed cocoa powder
- Add warm/hot coffee to the cake batter. It strengthens the chocolate flavor in the cake
- Use sour cream for a moist texture and rich taste
- Do not over-bake the cake, it will make it dry and an unpleasant texture
Why do chocolate and salted caramel pair so well together?
One brings depth and bitterness, the other brings buttery sweetness, and together they create something neither can achieve alone.
Step by Step Process Making a Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake
The full-detailed instructions are written out in the recipe card below. Use these images to help guide you as needed when following the directions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Instead of all purpose flour, use a gluten-free all purpose flour at a 1:1 ratio.
The hot coffee will enhance the chocolate flavor the most as well as giving a more moist texture. However, at minimum, the coffee should be a warm temperature.
When a toothpick comes out of the center clean with possibly a few crumbs. However, you should not be able to see batter on the toothpick.
Nope! I just did it for aesthetics/decor, however, it doesn’t need it! The salted caramel adds a nice moistness and richness to each bite.
I wouldn’t make the cake more than 1 day prior and the caramel is best made day-of for ultimate freshness and ideal texture. Serve on the day you add the caramel sauce to the chocolate cake.
Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake Ingredients
- 1 large Egg, room temperature
- 1/4 cup Olive Oil
- 1/2 cup Dark Brown Sugar, packed
- 1/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 1/3 cup Sour Cream, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup All Purpose Flour
- 1/3 cup Cocoa Powder
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 cup Hot Coffee
Salted Caramel Sauce
- 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
- 4 tbsp Salted Butter
- 1/4 cup Heavy Cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
- Line a square 8×8 baking pan with parchment paper and grease with nonstick spray as needed
- To a large mixing bowl, add the egg, oil, both sugars, sour cream and vanilla extract
- Whisk until combined
- Once combined, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa powder
- Mix until combined
- Pour the hot coffee on top
- Mix until just combined
- Transfer the batter to the prepared pan
- Bake for 28-32 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean
- Remove the cake from the oven when ready and set aside to cool
- While the cake cools, make the homemade caramel sauce
- Using a heavy-duty and wide stainless steal saucepan or sauté pan, add the granulated sugar and spread it into an even layer
- Warm over medium heat, stirring constantly as the sugar starts to melt to ensure it doesn't burn. First the sugar will form clumps before melting into an amber-colored liquid (Note: this could take between 5-15 minutes depending on your stovetop, mine took almost 15 minutes)
- Once melted, remove from the heat and stir in the butter. Be careful as the mixture will be bubbling a lot. Stir until the butter is melted
- Pour in the heavy cream slowly and stir until everything is combined
- Transfer to a small bowl or glass cup/mason jar to cool
- Once the caramel cools to room temperate, spread on top of the chocolate cake
- Slice, serve and enjoy!