Chocolate Cake With Salted Caramel And White Chocolate Buttercream Recipes

SALTED CHOCOLATE CAKE

Steps:

• For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the inside of two 9-inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper and butter that as well. Dust with cocoa powder, being sure to tap out the excess. Set aside.
• Whisk together the cocoa, flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl until there are no large lumps. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the eggs, melted butter, sour cream, instant espresso and 1 1/2 cups water. Slowly start to work everything together, adding the dry to the wet ingredients as you go until everything is combined and you have a smooth batter. Do not over mix. Divide evenly in the prepared cake pans and bake until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Allow to cool for 10 minutes in the pans. Unmold onto a wire rack and cool completely.
• For the frosting: Beat the butter in a medium bowl on medium speed using a hand-held mixer until light and fluffy. Add the confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, heavy cream, vanilla and kosher salt and continue to beat on medium speed until light, fluffy and creamy.
• Place one layer of cake on a plate or cake stand. Spread one-quarter of the frosting on the cake evenly all the way to the sides using a small offset spatula. Place the other layer of cake on top and press gently. Spoon the remaining frosting on top and spread evenly, pushing the frosting over the edge and spreading it around the sides. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Sprinkle the top evenly with the flake salt to serve.

CHOCOLATE SALTED CARAMEL COOKIE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Oil two 20cm sandwich tins and line the bases with non-stick baking paper. Sieve the flour, cocoa and baking powder into a large bowl, then stir in the sugar. Whisk together the yogurt, milk, coffee and eggs in a jug until combined. Gradually whisk the wet ingredients into the flour mixture until you have a smooth batter. Fold in the chocolate chips.
• Divide the mixture between the tins and bake for 30-35 mins, until a skewer inserted into the centre of each sponge comes out clean. Remove from the tins and put on a wire rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the buttercream. Beat together the butter, icing sugar and cocoa for 5-8 mins until smooth and creamy. Melt the dark chocolate in a bowl over a pan of boiling water, or in 30 second blasts in the microwave. Whisk the melted chocolate into the buttercream until fully incorporated. Put three quarters of it into a piping bag with a large, round nozzle.
• Put one of the sponges onto a plate and pipe buttercream around its edge, with dots going around the circumference. Spread 2 tbsp of the remaining buttercream in the centre of the cake using a spoon or palette knife.
• Mix together the caramel and milk with a pinch of salt. Spread half the caramel into the centre to cover the layer of buttercream. Crumble half of the cookies on top of that. Chill for 30 mins until the buttercream has hardened slightly.
• Lay the second sponge on top of the first. Repeat the piping of the dots around the top of the cake, but this time fill the whole circle with dots of buttercream. Drizzle the salted caramel over the buttercream dots. Break the remaining cookies into halves or quarters and arrange on top of the cake, then grate over a little dark chocolate, if you like.

SKY-HIGH SALTED CARAMEL CHOCOLATE LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray four 8- or 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray. If desired, line bottom of each pan with cooking parchment paper for easier cake removal.
• In large bowl, make cake batter as directed on boxes; divide among pans. Bake 32 to 38 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Run knife around edges of cakes to loosen. Remove from pan to cooling rack; cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat Salted Caramel Cheesecake Filling ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed just until smooth and well combined.
• Use serrated knife to level tops of cakes, if necessary. Place one layer, cut side down, on platter or serving tray. Top with one-third of the filling. Repeat with remaining cake layers and filling, finishing with a cake layer.
• To make Salted Caramel Buttercream: In large bowl, beat shortening and butter with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating until combined; beat in vanilla. In large microwavable bowl, microwave caramels and 1 tablespoon of the milk uncovered on High about 1 minute or until caramels are melted; stir until smooth. Stir caramel mixture and kosher salt into buttercream mixture until combined, adding remaining milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until smooth and spreadable. Frost top and side of cake with a thin layer of buttercream to make a crumb coat. Repeat, frosting the top and side of cake with a second layer of the buttercream.
• In small bowl, mix chopped pecans and crushed pretzels. Press mixture around bottom and 2 inches up side of base of cake. If desired, reserve some of mixture for top of cake. Drizzle cake with caramel topping, and top with any reserved mixture. Sprinkle with additional kosher salt. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with ice cream, if desired.