Homemade salted caramel swirled frosting covers delicious, moist layers of deeply chocolate mocha cake for what just might be my favorite cake yet.
For someone who doesn't often love caramel or even cake, I have to tell you this is my new go-to recipe when I need a cake for a special occasion. I went through many rounds to get the flavors and ratio just right, and I promise you everything melds together in just the right way.
First you'll start by making a salted caramel sauce. If you're anything like me, homemade caramel often felt like an intimidating task. I promise if you read through the steps first and then follow them slowly you'll wind up with a deliciously smooth, buttery and salty caramel sauce you'll want to use on everything. After melting your sugar in a nonstick pot, you'll add and stir in your room temperature butter. Know that lots of steam is completely normal at this step. Then after removing your pot from the stove, you'll stir in heavy cream and then pour your caramel through a mesh strainer into a heatproof bowl. This step helps so much to avoid any unwanted clumps of caramel that may have formed (this is completely normal and nothing to worry about). At this point all you'll need to do is stir in your vanilla and salt and let it come to room temperature. While this is all an extra step for a homemade cake, you can absolutely make your caramel sauce ahead of time, and simply store it in the fridge for a few days. Then just bring it back to room temperature when you're ready to make your buttercream.
For the mocha cake, I used a dutch process cocoa powder for a deep chocolate flavor, espresso powder of course for our coffee kick, and some added sour cream to ensure a moist texture. After your cake bakes, once it's had some time to chill at room temperature, you'll add an espresso milk soak to ensure the latte flavor really comes through.
While your cake chills, you'll make your salted caramel buttercream frosting. The frosting really is simple using basic buttercream ingredients and of course a large portion of our salted caramel. Using a mixer is important here as it will help ensure the caramel gets properly mixed in with your butter and powdered sugar. The rest of your caramel will get drizzled on in between cake layers and swirled in on top.
Ingredients:
Salted Caramel
3/4 cup granulated sugar 144g
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature 71g
3/4 cup heavy cream, room temperature 177g
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon salt
Mocha Cake
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature 170g
1 cup granulated sugar 192g
1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon brown sugar 76g
2 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla vanilla extract
1/2 cup dutch process cocoa powder 53g
1/4 cup espresso powder
3/4 cup milk, room temperature 180g
1/4 cup sour cream, room temperature 60g
1 1/3 cup cake flour 149g
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Espresso Soak
2 tablespoons milk 30g
1 1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
1 1/2 teaspoon powdered sugar
Frosting
1 cup, 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature 226g
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar 300g
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
Prep time: About an hour
Bake time: 20-22 minutes
Chill time: 4-6 hours
Servings: 12-16 slices
Equipment:
Nonstick heavy bottomed pot
Mesh strainer
Heatproof bowl
Two 9" round pans
Parchment paper
Stand mixer with paddle attachment (or hand mixer)
Pastry brush
Spatula
Cooking instructions:
Make your salted caramel. In a nonstick pot on the stovetop over a medium to low heat, add your granulated sugar. Use a spatula to stir your sugar every 30 seconds or so. First you'll see your sugar start to form clumps, and then it will begin to melt. If your sugar starts to brown too quickly, turn your heat lower. Once it's completely melted with no clumps, add in your room temperature butter one tablespoon at a time, stirring each time and adding the next tablespoon once the last has melted. Steam is completely normal here, just keep stirring!
Remove your pot from the stovetop and slowly pour in your heavy cream while stirring until completely combined, being sure to reach into the corners of your pot. Pour your caramel through the mesh strainer into a heatproof bowl. Once strained, stir in your salt and vanilla extract. In total, this makes about 1 1/4 cup (350g) of caramel sauce. Set aside and let it cool at room temperature for at Least an hour. Keep it out if you plan to make your cake the same day, or store in the fridge and bring back to room temperature when you plan to make your frosting.
Next, make your mocha cakes. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Into your stand mixer bowl with the paddle attached, add your butter and both sugars. Turn your mixer on at a medium to high speed for a few minutes until completely combined. Add in your eggs and extra egg yolk and vanilla extract. Continue mixing for a few minutes, pausing partway through to scrape down your paddle and bowl with a spatula.
Add in your cocoa powder and espresso powder. Turn your mixer back on to a medium speed until fully combined. Pour in about half of your milk and continue to mix at a medium speed. Pause, scrape down your paddle and bowl, and then add in the rest of your milk and your sour cream and continue to mix until fully combined. Scrape down your mixer bowl reaching all the way to the bottom and your paddle attachment.
Finally, add in your dry ingredients - cake flour, salt and baking powder. Turn your mixer on at the lowest speed and mix until just combined with no clumps of dry ingredients.
Prepare two 9 inch round pans, either with parchment or lightly greasing them, and split your batter between the two. It should be about 475 grams of batter in each pan. Bake your cakes for 20-22 minutes and set aside to cool.
Add your espresso soak. Once your cake has been out of the oven for about 30 minutes, mix your milk, espresso powder and powdered sugar. Use a pastry brush to brush the soak across the top of both of your cakes. Place your cakes into the fridge to chill for another hour or two. If you plan to chill them for longer, top with plastic wrap to avoid your cakes from drying out.
Make your frosting and finish your cake. Into your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, add your butter and about 2 cups (240g) of your powdered sugar. Bring your mixer slowly to a high speed and let your mixer run for 3-4 minutes until your mixture is fluffy.
For your frosting, we'll use about 3/4 cup (210g) of your homemade salted caramel. Add in about 1/4 cup and let your mixer run at a high speed for a couple of minutes. Scrape down the sides of your bowl and paddle attachment, and then add in another 1/4 cup of salted caramel and turn your mixer back on. Scrape your bowl and paddle attachment again before adding in your last 1/4 cup of salted caramel, along with your vanilla extract and salt. Run your mixer at a high speed until fully combined.
At this point pause and taste your frosting. I usually wind up adding the extra 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, but this is totally personal preference depending on how sweet you like your frosting. I recommend adding your sugar two tablespoons at a time, turning your mixer back on and then tasting. Your frosting will be about 700g if you added the full 2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar.
Get your cakes from the fridge and place your first layer onto a flat surface like a cake stand, tray or large plate lined with parchment. Add a little less than half of your frosting onto the top of your cake (~300g). Use a flat tool, like an offset spatula, to spread your frosting evenly across your first cake. Drizzle about half of your leftover salted caramel on top of your frosting. Gently place your second cake layer on top. Add on the same amount of frosting to the top of your cake (~300g). Spread it evenly and then add the rest of your leftover frosting to the sides of your cake and use your offset spatula to spread evenly over the sides of your cake. It won't cover it completely but will give it a "naked" cake look. Drizzle the remainder of your salted caramel on the top of your cake and use your spatula to gently swirl the caramel into your frosting.
Place your cake into the fridge to chill for an our or two and then slice in and enjoy!
Your cake will stay fresh in the fridge for up to a week, just be sure to place parchment paper on any exposed cake and ideally keep the full cake in an airtight container. You can also freeze slices of your cake, and simply leave a slice out to come to room temperature to enjoy any time.
Carb and serving info:
Carbs for full recipe: 908
Carbs per serving (1 of 12): 76
Carbs per serving (1 of 14): 65
Carbs per serving (1 of 16): 57
Carbs from salted caramel, full recipe: 155
Carbs from frosting with 3/4 cup salted caramel*:394
Carbs from mocha cake with soak: 453
*I based this on using the full 2 1/2 cups of powdered sugar, but please note that if you use less, it will of course lessen the carbs per slice by a few carbs.
Note: Carb information is calculated based on the specific ingredients I used to cook with to help guide my own insulin to carb ratio when dosing before I eat my home cooked recipes.
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