Caramel Chocolate Cake

This Caramel Chocolate Cake features layers of decadent cake, chocolate ganache and salted caramel. It’s like a giant molten chocolate cake…but better!

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I feel like it wouldn’t be that hard to create a darned good candy bar. Just take chocolate, add some caramel, add some nuts, done. Ok, I think I just described a Snickers bar. Snickers happens to be one of my favorite candy bars, so it’s no surprise that I went with chocolate, caramel and peanuts as my favorite candy bar ingredients.

I recently took those flavor ideas and decided to turn them into a cake. Think moist, decadent chocolate cake…with luscious chocolate ganache in between each layer. Add in layers of salted caramel and some chopped peanuts. The result? This fantastic Caramel Chocolate Cake!

Caramel Chocolate Cake

When I first sliced into this cake, the layers of chocolate ganache were still slightly warm. That basically meant this cake tasted like a giant molten chocolate cake. Stop and let that sink in. A giant molten chocolate cake. I had to use all sorts of restraint to keep from eating way more of this cake than I did.

This is the kind of cake where one bite leads to another bite…until the entire slice is gone. And this is the kind of cake that makes you want to go back for another slice…and another slice…until the entire cake is gone. You’ve been warned!

Chocolate Cake

The key element of this Caramel Chocolate Cake is the chocolate cake itself. It doesn’t matter what other delicious ingredients you add if the cake is dry and flavorless. This chocolate cake? Anything but dry and flavorless. The chocolate flavor is to die for!

This is my go-to chocolate cake recipe, and it always leads to oooh’s and aaah’s whenever I serve it. It’s moist and delicious…and it doesn’t require a stand mixer! That means less dishes to clean. Yay! Whenever I make this chocolate cake, I often just go with a simple chocolate frosting. However, this time I went a different direction…

Chocolate Ganache

This time I spread a layer of chocolate ganache in between each layer of chocolate cake. Overkill? Perhaps. Delicious? YES! You can never have too much chocolate, right?? The chocolate ganache was simple to make, too. Just melt chocolate chips with a bit of cream in a double-boiler until smooth.

Salted Caramel with Chopped Peanuts

The final piece of the puzzle for this Caramel Chocolate Cake was the salted caramel. Making caramel at home is a pain. There. I said it. I still made it for this cake, but the entire time I kept thinking I should have just used a store-bought jar of caramel sauce.

In the end, the salted caramel + peanut mixture worked out well. It hardened up a bit more than I expected once it cooled, but that’s ok…it was all on the cake by then anyways. The chopped peanuts added a crunchy texture, although my 8-year-old son preferred the bites without the peanuts. That’s ok – more for me!

All together, this Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake was absolutely fantastic. It’s going on my list of all-time favorite desserts. That list is long…but this cake earned a spot. It’s a giant molten chocolate cake…with caramel and peanuts. It’s pretty tasty!

How to Store Leftover Chocolate Cake

As tempting as it will be to eat this entire cake, you will likely have leftovers (unless you have a big group of people). To store leftovers, just place them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days. Oh, and for a real treat just nuke a leftover slice of this cake in the microwave for about 6-7 seconds. You’re welcome.

This cake can also be frozen – we wrapped a couple of slices in plastic wrap and stored them in a freezer bag for a couple of months. You’ll need to thaw the slices at room temperature for an hour or two, but they’ll be delicious. See note above about microwaving the cake for a couple seconds!

If you’re looking for a chocolate cake recipe, then put this one on the list. It’s an all-time favorite in our house, and I hope it becomes a favorite in your family, too! Happy baking!

Did you bake this Chocolate Caramel Cake recipe at home? Leave a comment, or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog) – I’d love to see your version!

Caramel Chocolate Cake

This Caramel Chocolate Cake features layers of decadent cake, chocolate ganache and salted caramel. It's like a giant molten chocolate cake…but better!

5 from 5 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 50 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes minutes

Total Time: 1 hour hour 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 12 servings

Calories: 591kcal

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Ingredients

For the Chocolate Cake

• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 1½ cups boiling water
• 2½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1¾ cups granulated sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• ½ Tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3 additional large egg yolks
• ¾ cup vegetable oil
• ¾ cup sour cream
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract

For the Chocolate Ganache

• 16 oz. milk chocolate chopped, or 2½ cups of milk chocolate chips
• ⅔ cup heavy cream

For the Salted Peanut Caramel Sauce

• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 cup water
• ½ cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup roasted salted peanuts, coarsely chopped

Instructions

For the Chocolate Cake

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Grease or spray (3) 9” round cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper.
• Using a medium mixing bowl, whisk together cocoa powder and boiling water until smooth; set aside.
• Using a large bowl, add the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt); whisk until well combined.
• Add eggs, egg yolks, vegetable oil, sour cream and vanilla; whisk until well combined.
• Finally, add the cocoa powder and hot water mixture to the bowl in several additions, whisking well between each addition.
• Divide batter evenly into baking pans; tap pans lightly on countertop to release any air bubbles.
• Bake at 350°F for 25-27 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean.
• Let cakes cool in pan for 15 minutes and then transfer cake layers to a wire rack until completely cool. (Note: Remove parchment paper from bottom of cakes when transferring them to the racks.)

For the Chocolate Ganache

• Using a microwave-safe bowl, add the chopped chocolate and heavy cream. Microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval, until chocolate has fully melted and mixture is smooth.
• Let ganache stand for 10 minutes to thicken slightly.

For the Salted Peanut Caramel Sauce

• Using a medium saucepan, add sugar and water; stir until well combined. (Note: Use a larger saucepan than you think as the mixture will expand rapidly when the cream is added later.)
• Place over medium-high heat and cook, stirring often, for about 10 minutes, or until mixture is amber colored.
• Remove from heat and add heavy cream; stir until well combined. (Note: The mixture will bubble up rapidly when the cream is added, so be careful!)
• Add salt, vanilla and chopped peanuts; stir until well combined.
• Immediately assemble cake before the sauce hardens. (Note: If sauce begins to thicken too much to spread, just put the saucepan back over medium heat until it loosens up. You can also add a splash of additional cream if needed.)

To Assemble

• Place one layer of cake on large serving plate.
• Pour ¼ of the chocolate ganache on top of the cake; use an offset spatula to spread ganache to the edges of the cake.
• Spread ¼ of the caramel sauce on top of the chocolate ganache.
• Repeat process with another layer of cake and another ¼ of the ganache and caramel sauce.
• Place 3rd layer on top of cake.
• Spread the remaining ½ of chocolate ganache on top.
• Spread the remaining ½ of the caramel sauce on top, letting the excess drip down the sides of the cake.

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