AD | Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake

If you love chocolate and you love salted caramel – then this salted caramel chocolate cake recipe is the one for you!

It’s no hidden secret that I love food. I love trying out new restaurants, I love sampling different cuisine and I love trying something new, so when Hobbycraft gave me a challenge to re-create something from their blog, the Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake caught my eye straight away!

It looked delicious, suggested a short amount of prep, baking and decorating time, and it was a beginner level cake; so it ticked all of the boxes for me!

This salted caramel chocolate cake is drool-worthy and easy to make. The sponge is fluffy, the ganache thick and sweet, and the milky buttons and flake crumbled on top add a lovely depth to the cake.

This salted caramel chocolate cake went down an absolute treat at work and with friends and family, so follow this simple recipe to create a gooey, chocolatey and indulgent chocolate cake!

 

Ingredients for the cake

• 300g caster sugar
• 100g Sugar and Crumbs Salted Caramel Icing Sugar*
• 115ml vegetable oil
• 235ml milk
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 1.5 tsp baking soda
• 105g cocoa powder
• 245g self raising flour
• 2 medium eggs

Ingredients for the salted caramel frosting

• 350g Sugar and Crumbs Salted Caramel Icing Sugar*
• 125g unsalted butter, softened
• 50ml double cream
• 50g cocoa powder

Ingredients for the ganache

• 100g unsalted butter, cubed
• 150g dark chocolate, chopped
• Chocolate bars/drops to decorate

 

Method

1 | Preheat your oven to 180 degrees, then grease and line two 8-inch cake pans.

2 | Place all the ingredients for the cake, (caster sugar, Sugar and Crumbs Salted Caramel Icing Sugar, vegetable oil, milk, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa powder, self raising flour and 2 medium eggs) and mix until combined. The cake mixture should be mixed together well with no lumps!

3 | Separate the cake mixture into the two cake pans evenly, and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes. To test whether the cake is cooked or not, insert a skewer into the middle of the cake and if it comes out clean, it is baked! Once your sponge is cooked, leave to cool in the pan for a few minutes, then transfer onto a wire rack to cool it down completely.

4 | Time to make the frosting! Put in the butter in a bowl or mixer, and mix until creamy. Then, add the icing sugar, cocoa powder and cream, and beat until the frosting is smooth and creamy.

5 | Place one of the cakes onto the cake board, and level off the top using a knife or cake leveller to make it nice and flat. Spread some frosting on top of the cake in an even layer, then place the other cake on top and level off the top.

6 | Spread the rest of the frosting over the top and sides of the cake, evening it out with a palette knife to create a smooth finish. Use a palette knife to scrape around the sides for a smooth effect.

7 | Once you’ve covered the sponges in frosting, chill the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes so that the frosting can set.

8 | Once the cake is in the fridge, it’s time to make the ganache! Place a heatproof bowl over a pan of hot water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Break up the chocolate into squares and stir slowly until it has melted. Take the bowl off the heat, and stir in the cubes of butter until it turns shiny.

9 | Remove the cake from the fridge and pour the warm ganache onto the middle of the cake. Then, use a spoon to gently ease the ganache over the sides to create a dripping effect.

10 | Use any remaining frosting to pipe swirls on top of the cake, and decorate with your favourite chocolate bars and treats!

The salted caramel chocolate cake was a hit with everyone who tried it! The sponge stayed deliciously soft and chocolatey for days, and the sweet ganache and chocolate decorations transformed the cake into a cake fit for a chocoholic.

It doesn’t state whether to use dark or milk chocolate in the recipe, but I used dark chocolate cocoa powder as I love the rich, dark flavour of dark chocolate. You can however make it with a milk cocoa powder, which would make the cake lighter in colour over all and slightly more sweet!

I had great fun baking (and eating!) this cake, and I can’t wait to make it again for special occasions. I would love to know if you follow this recipe to bake your very own salted caramel chocolate cake! 🙂

I’ve been looking on the Hobbycraft blog for other recipes and craft things to make – the DIY Christmas cards have certainly caught my eye! For those in the Essex/London area, there is a brand new store in Epping Forest in the Epping Forest Shopping Park. The new store is packed with crafting materials for all ages and abilities, with friendly staff on hand to help with any arts and crafts queries!

 

Do you like chocolate cake? What’s your favourite type of cake?