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Decadent Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake Recipe with Easy Espresso Buttercream

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A rich and luscious chocolate cake layered with salted caramel and topped with smooth espresso buttercream, perfect for special occasions or indulgent treats.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (250 g)
  • 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar (350 g)
  • ¾ cup unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder (75 g)
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 cup buttermilk (240 ml)
  • ½ cup vegetable oil (120 ml)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup boiling water (240 ml)
  • 1 cup store-bought salted caramel sauce (240 ml)
  • 1 teaspoon flaky sea salt (optional)
  • 1 cup unsalted butter, softened (227 g)
  • 3 ½ cups powdered sugar (420 g), sifted
  • 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
  • 2–3 tablespoons heavy cream (30–45 ml)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease two 8-inch cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper.
  2. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.
  3. In another bowl, whisk eggs, sugar, vegetable oil, buttermilk, and vanilla extract until smooth.
  4. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet mixture, stirring gently until just combined.
  5. Carefully pour boiling water into batter and stir; batter will be thin.
  6. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  7. Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
  8. Beat softened butter on medium speed until creamy (about 2 minutes). Gradually add powdered sugar, beating on low.
  9. Dissolve espresso powder in 1 tablespoon hot water, then mix into buttercream with vanilla extract, salt, and heavy cream until light and fluffy.
  10. Place one cake layer on serving plate. Spread ½ cup salted caramel sauce evenly and sprinkle with flaky sea salt.
  11. Spread about 1 cup espresso buttercream over caramel layer. Top with second cake layer.
  12. Frost entire cake with remaining buttercream.
  13. Drizzle additional salted caramel sauce on top and sprinkle with more flaky sea salt if desired.
  14. Chill cake for 30 minutes to set before slicing.

Notes

Use softened butter (not melted) for buttercream to achieve silky texture. Let cakes cool completely before frosting to avoid melting. Dissolve espresso powder in hot water before adding to buttercream to prevent grittiness. Sift dry ingredients to avoid lumps. Store-bought salted caramel saves time but homemade works too. Cake keeps refrigerated up to 4 days and flavors deepen overnight.

Nutrition

Keywords: salted caramel, chocolate cake, espresso buttercream, easy cake recipe, dessert, chocolate, caramel, coffee frosting

Find it online: https://chrisfeasts.com/decadent-salted-caramel-chocolate-cake-recipe-with-easy-espresso-buttercream/