This Caramel Cloud Cake is the most unique and delicious caramel cake you will ever have! Unlike most caramel cakes which tend to be quite heavy, this cake is soft, light and creamy with a beautiful subtle caramel flavor - it really is like a "cloud". Made with layers of brown sugar chiffon cake, caramel chocolate ganache and a delectable caramel whipped cream frosting, it will leave you completely awed!
Read the full blog post below for detailed notes, tips, tricks, photos and videos.
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THE INSPIRATION FOR THIS RECIPE
The idea for this recipe came from my recent visit to Pakistan, in which I had the Caramel Crunch Cake from the popular cafe Burning Brownie. I am not usually a big caramel fan, but fell in love with how soft and moist that cake was, and how the caramel flavor was really subtle. That cake really had a lot of "crunch" from caramel shards, but I personally was a bigger fan of the softer textures without the crunchy bits (not to mention crunchy caramel shards don't remain crunchy for long). So I decided to make my own take on the recipe and call it a Caramel Cloud Cake.
COMPONENTS OF THIS CARAMEL CLOUD CAKE
This Caramel Cloud Cake has 3 main components:
- Brown Sugar Chiffon Cake. The cake itself is a chiffon cake made by separately whisking the egg whites into a meringue and folding them into the remaining cake batter. This type of cake is exceptionally soft and light in texture without being dry, and the use of brown sugar instead of white brings in more of that caramel flavor we want. It is definitely a technical cake to perfect, but following the quantities and instructions precisely will get you there!
- Caramel Whipped Cream Frosting. This has to be one of my favorite creations of all time! Unlike caramel buttercreams, this frosting is made with just heavy whipping cream and sugar, no butter, and is therefore extremely light, creamy and refreshing. It is also quite stable due to the caramel, making it a true winner.
- Chocolate Caramel Ganache. Caramel and chocolate are a match made in heaven, and the subtle chocolate flavor complements the caramel flavor wonderfully in this cake. You can also use a plain milk chocolate for the ganache, but using a milk caramel chocolate, like this one from Ghirardelli, will get you extra points
TIPS TO PERFECT THIS RECIPE
This recipe is not hard, per se, but can be a bit technical, and I want to make sure you get the best results possible. Therefore, here are some handy tips to get it right:
- Use a weighing scale (this is my favorite one) instead of measuring cups, if possible, especially with ingredients like flour. Cups are not very accurate and the slightest changes will alter the outcome
- Make sure the egg whites have no bits of yolk in them, and use a clean bowl and clean whisks. Any small amount of fat in them can prevent them from whipping up properly
- Whisk the egg whites on medium speed and slowly add the sugar until they become shiny and stiff. Whisking on high speed can cause them to overwhip and become grainy
- Fold the meringue into the remaining batter very slowly and gently. Use a spatula or whisk in a "J" folding motion, applying little to no pressure, until the whites are just mixed in. This is crucial, as overmixing will cause the batter to deflate, leading to a dense cake
- For the caramel, melt the brown sugar on the lowest heat setting. Don't try to rush it, and be patient! You can stir a little once the sugar starts melting, but avoid touching it too much
- Let the caramel cream chill completely before whisking it to stiff peaks. If it is not thoroughly chilled, it will not whip up properly
VIDEO TUTORIAL
Here's a quick video tutorial for this recipe I recommend checking out:
[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id="6XlobA5c" upload-date="2024-07-10T01:41:46.000Z" name="Caramel Cloud Cake" description="How to make caramel cloud cake" player-type="default" override-embed="default"]
PROCESS WITH PHOTOS
The detailed recipe is in the recipe card at the bottom of this post, but let's go over the steps with photos to help you visualize everything.
For the caramel whipped cream, start by melting the brown sugar on low heat:
Whisk in hot cream, let it cool down a bit, then whisk in cold cream, salt and vanilla. Transfer to the fridge:
For the brown sugar chiffon cake, whisk the egg whites while slowly adding in brown sugar until a glossy meringue forms:
Separately, whisk the yolks with all the wet ingredients until combined:
Sift in the dry ingredients and gently whisk them in:
Very gently fold the meringue into the egg yolk batter in 2-3 batches until a thick and fluffy batter forms:
Divide into cake pans and bake:
Make a chocolate caramel ganache and let it cool down. Also prepare a brown sugar simple syrup.
Once the caramel cream has chilled, whisk it until it becomes thick and spreadable:
To assemble, divide each cake into 2 layers. Start by brushing with the brown sugar simple syrup:
Spread a layer of the caramel whipped cream. Make a well and pour in a layer of the ganache:
Repeat with all layers, cover the cake with the whipped caramel cream, and you're ready to enjoy!
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Yes, you can, but the flavor and texture won't be exactly the same. For the caramel, you may need to cook the melted sugar for a couple more minutes for it to get caramelized before adding the cream. Everything else can be made the same way.
This is typically because of overmixing the batter. When folding the meringue into the batter, make sure you are being extremely gentle and do not overmix, so the batter remains light and fluffy.
This can happen if you add too much flour (which is why I recommend a scale) or from overbaking. The cake will not become golden, so do a toothpick test and stop baking as soon as it is done!
Yes, you can prepare this cake 1-2 days in advance and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Don't leave it at room temperature for too long.
Keep the cake covered in the fridge for 5-7 days.
MORE CAKE RECIPES
CARAMEL CLOUD CAKE RECIPE
- Total Time: 2 hours + with cooling
- Yield: 10-12 servings
Description
A light and creamy cake with layers of brown sugar chiffon cake, caramel chocolate ganache and a delectable caramel whipped cream frosting
Ingredients
Caramel Whipped Cream:
- ½ cup light brown sugar (100g)
- 3 cups heavy cream (720g), chilled and divided into 1 cup and 2 cups
- 1 tsp vanilla
- ¼ tsp salt
Brown Sugar Chiffon Cake:
- 5 large eggs, separated
- ½ cup light brown sugar (100g); divided into ¼ cup and ¼ cup
- ⅓ cup whole milk (80g)
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil (35g)
- 2 tsp vanilla
- ½ cup flour (65g)
- ¼ cup cornstarch (40g)
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp baking powder
Brown Sugar Simple Syrup:
- ⅓ cup brown sugar (65g)
- ⅓ cup water (80g)
Chocolate Caramel Ganache:
- 100g milk caramel chocolate (or milk chocolate)
- ½ cup heavy cream (120g)
Instructions
Caramel Whipped Cream:
- Spread the brown sugar on the bottom of a large saucepan. Place on the lowest heat setting and wait for the sugar to melt; this can take 8-10 minutes. Once it starts melting, you can gently stir to encourage all the sugar to melt uniformly. Keep heating and gently stirring for ~3-5 minutes until the sugar is fully melted and runny, and any lumps have dissolved (but don't overdo it)
- Alongside, heat 1 cup of heavy cream until warm. Once the brown sugar is done, turn off the heat and add the warm cream. Whisk rigorously so it dissolves. If the caramel seizes up, return to low heat and stir so it becomes smooth
- Let the mixture cool at room temperature for 15 minutes. Then add the remaining 2 cups of cold heavy cream and stir it in. Add the vanilla and salt.
- Strain, and place in the fridge for at least 90 minutes until the cream is fully chilled. While the cream is chilling, you can work on the other components of this cake
- Then whisk on medium speed until the cream becomes thick and spreadable like a frosting (~2-4 minutes). Keep refrigerated
Brown Sugar Chiffon Cake:
- Pre-heat your oven to 325F and line 2 8" cake pans with parchment paper
- Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks in 2 bowls
- Whisk the egg whites on medium speed, and once they become frothy, start adding brown sugar 1 tablespoon at a time (you will use ¼ cup brown sugar here in total). Keep whisking until a shiny, glossy and stiff meringue forms which holds shape ("peaks"); this can take several minutes. Do not whisk more after this point
- To the egg yolks, add the remaining sugar, milk, oil, and vanilla, and whisk to combine. Then sift in the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt, and gently whisk until just combined
- Add a third of the meringue to the egg yolk mixture, and very gently fold it in. Do not apply pressure and take it slow so you don't knock out the air from the meringue. When done, pour this mixture into the remaining meringue and fold together until just combined. Do not overmix; you should have a light and fluffy cake batter
- Divide the batter evenly between the 2 cake pans. Place the pans in a larger sheet pan, and pour about ½" of boiling water into the sheet pan so the cake pans are in a water bath
- Carefully transfer to the oven and bake for 20-22 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out with a few light crumbs
- Let the cakes cool down inside the pans
Brown Sugar Simple Syrup:
- Simmer the water and brown sugar on low heat until the sugar has dissolved fully. Remove from heat and let cool
Chocolate Caramel Ganache:
- Bring the heavy cream to a gentle simmer. Pour over the chopped chocolate in a bowl. Cover and wait for 5 minutes, then gently stir until a smooth shiny ganache forms. Refrigerate until cooled (but still pourable)
Assembly:
- Once all components are ready and cooled down, it is time to assemble! Use a long serrated knife to divide the 2 cakes into 2 layers each so you have 4 layers total
- Place one layer onto a turntable / cake stand. Brush it with the brown sugar simple syrup. Then spread on a thick layer of the caramel whipped cream. Use a spatula to push the cream down in the middle so the edges are slightly raised, creating a shallow "well" or "damn". Add the ganache on top and spread it out; the raised edges of the whipped cream should prevent the ganache from spilling
- Repeat until all layers are done. Slather the cake with the caramel whipped cream (I like to do a thin crumb coat first, let it chill, then add the remaining frosting). Decorate with swirls of the chocolate ganache
- Serve & enjoy!!
Video Tutorial:[adthrive-in-post-video-player video-id="6XlobA5c" upload-date="2024-07-10T01:41:46.000Z" name="Caramel Cloud Cake" description="How to make caramel cloud cake" player-type="default" override-embed="default"]
Notes
I strongly recommend reading the tips provided in the blog post above, and watching the video tutorial for this recipe to get it right!
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 40 min
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American
Cindy says
Delicious 😋 I made this cake today. I followed all the measurements and step by step instructions.....it was a light as a feather cake with so much flavor.
Zoha says
AWWWWW YAY!!!! Made me so so happy to read this. I'm a huge fan of this cake myself :')
Ifra imtiaz says
I tried it today too! Couldnt manage two cakes and four layers hut managed to make one with one layer! Super yum and just the perfect amount of sweet!!!
Never making zoha recipes again says
There is way too much icing and ganache. Write appropriately portioned recipes. The ganache is also way too liquidy and a pain to work with.
Gonna make EVERY Zoha recipe(Amanda Trent) says
Funny, I, nor anybody else seems to have had those problems. It sounds like user error to me. You obviously have trouble following a recipe AND taking her advice in the "tips" section. I honestly don't know how you could mess up a ganache, it's only 2 ingredients! Common sense tells us that if it's "too liquidy" that you either put way too much cream in it or didn't let it cool properly... 2 things that are easily fixed! Common sense also tells us how much frosting and ganache to use in your layers, especially since she provided ample pictures AND VIDEO! Seriously, what was so hard that you couldn't work solutions out for your problems?! I'm just dumbfounded that you would rate it 1 star because YOU can't follow directions and use common sense, things that have nothing to do with the quality/taste of the recipe. I think you need to stick to a box of Duncan Hines and a jar of premade, pre-portioned frosting, and you might actually get the results you're looking for. And for the record, this was a lovely and delicious cake that has the perfect cake to frosting ratio! In my opinion, you always need a slightly thicker layer when using whipped cream frostings. Great idea to use the caramel filled chocolate for the ganache! It definitely added a little something extra! If I could rate this cake 10 stars I would! Great job! This was my first Zoha recipe I've tried and I will most definitely be trying more! thank you for all of your hard work creating such amazing recipes!
Sara J Foehner says
thank you for saying what i was thinking. i also thought that perhaps the letter writer has little or no experience baking.
Zoha says
Thank you both for vouching for me!
Zoha says
Haha thank you for the laugh, Amanda!!!!!!!
Jess says
hello, is it best to frost it the day you serve it?
Zoha says
You can also frost it the day before; just be sure to keep it covered with cling wrap (after chilling slightly) so it doesn't dry out in the fridge
Beena says
Zoha! The name of this cake does it full justice. It tastes like a caramel cloud. So so good!!! Thank you for the detailed recipe and tips.
Zoha says
AWW thank you so much, Beena!!
Anna Malley says
I made this today. This is an absolutely beautiful recipe. It was a total hit with my entire family.
I am in Australia, so I used 9 inch cake pans instead of the recommended size. Baked for 19 minutes at 160°C for 20 minutes in a fan forced oven.
Zoha says
THANK YOU SO SO MUCH, Anna! This is quite a technical recipe so it always makes me really happy when it works out for people 🙂
Zainab says
Hi Zoha! Can you explain that what you decorated the cake with? Are they caramel shards or something else?
Zoha says
They're caramel shards, yes! I wanted that flair for the pics but honestly they're not worth the effort especially as they lose their crispiness with time.
Bethany says
are we only using 1/4 Cup of brown sugar in the beginning for the whipped frosting?
Zoha says
The recipe states 1/2 cup - can you tell me where you're getting the 1/4 cup from?
Fatima says
I made this recipe and followed the instructions A-Z & i am amazed at how delicious and flavourful this cake turned out😭❤️ It was soft, each component of the recipe gave it so much Flavour, This recipe is PERFECTION. Jazak Allah for sharing it with us Zoha🥰
Zoha says
AH Thank you SO much!!! Makes me really happy as I know some people have struggled with this recipe (it is technical). Proud of you and so grateful!
Jill A Bryant says
This was too much trouble and too many opportunities for things to go wrong. First, I couldn't get the brown sugar to melt. Then, I had trouble with the meringue and threw out the first batch and started over. The layers looked fine coming out of the oven then deflated as they cooled. I ended up with two flat layers. We ate it anyway and it didn't really have much flavor. This was a fail and waste of ingredients.
Zoha says
Sorry things didn't work out for you, Jill. None of the issues you're mentioning seem like they're about the recipe being wrong, though, these are things we can troubleshoot. Please let me know if you'd like my help doing that.
Fatema Damji says
hi Zoha,
you're recipes are amazing! I haven't tried this one yet but I want to for an event this weekend. can you tell me, is it possible to make two cakes and just keep one layer in between them. I always find it tricky slicing cakes in half?
thank you
Zoha says
Thanks so much, Fatema! The reason I like to slice into thinner layers is it allows a better ratio of frosting to cake. You can do just 2 layers, but it will probably just be harder to use up the frosting and you will end up with a different ratio, if that makes sense 🙂
Cheryle says
Hi , thank you for all your nice recipes! May I know if i can bake the cake without water bath? i did try bake the chocolate cake with water bath it turn out too soft and wet the texture.
May I know where i did wrong?
Again thank you for all your nice recipes and explain so ckearly!!
Dorothy says
This recipe looks amazing! I plan to make this cake tomorrow but want to cut the recipe in half and just have one layer (there are only four of us). Any tips? Can I bake the cake tonight and assemble tomorrow?
Zoha says
You can do that and just have a shorter cake with fewer layers 🙂 And yes to baking today and assembling tomorrow, just make sure to cover the cake in cling wrap and keeping in the fridge.
Panchami Vaishnav says
Hi Zoha,
The cake seems amazing and too delicious. I do have a query though, Can you kindly advise me a substitute for egg, especially for vegeterian or vegan users ? Thank you ☺️
Zoha says
Hi Panchami! Thank you. Unfortunately since this cake relies on the air whipped into eggs, there is no way to substitute them
Layeeq says
Can we halve the recipe
Pia says
Hi, A question I am yet to make the cake...In the picture recipe it notes "Whisk in hot cream" but the recipe notes "Alongside, heat 1 cup of heavy cream until warm" do we use hot or warm cream or am I reading it completely wrong?
Zainab says
this is amazing recipe today i made this cake for my daughters 2 birthday and it turn out OMG its is superb 👌 everyone 😀 love it
Jin says
Hello, I have only one 8 inch pan, can I pour all the batter in one pan and then divide it into 4 pieces? Or will it deflate? Also is the flour all purpose flour? Thank you ❤️
Lydia says
Your recipes are understandable, everything is clear.Keep the fire.ablazing
Dania Mohsin says
Hey Zoha, very excited to try and make this cake. Can you please tell me if i can use dark brown sugar instead of light brown sugar or will that make a difference?
Worst cake I've ever made. says
To start off, I do bake quite frequently and have made chiffon cakes that went completely fine before using similar techniques. But this recipe had so many things wrong with it that I don't know where to start. First, the portion size says 10-12 people. Are the people children? Unless you have a sliver of cake each I don't get how this can yield 10-12 portions. All of this to say, I made half the recipe since I trusted it and ended up with the saddest thinnest layer of cake I've ever seen. Second, as some other person mentioned, there was too much ganache and frosting. This doesn't mean that because there was too much of both I like an idiot just used all of it, I'm just saying that the portions are all off and there was so much wastage. The frosting was way too liquidy, even after being left in the fridge for more than 2 hours, since after 90 minutes it didn't seem like it was anywhere near solid enough to be used as frosting. Someone in the comments jumped to say that maybe too much cream was added - I use a measuring scale and added exactly the amount she said. How am I supposed to know that this was too much cream if the recipe says to add it? You think after waiting for more than 2 hours and seeing that this is nothing like frosting, I'm supposed to start over and add less cream this time? Third, the cake did not rise at all; in fact, it sank more than it rose. I followed her instructions to a T, and again, I've made chiffon cakes before, but this has never happened. Maybe there was some user error(even though I can't think of what) since it seemed to work for other people in the comments. And before you come for me, I read the whole Q&A section before making this recipe. I wish I could attach a picture of the monstrosity that was created, because despite it all, since it took so much time and effort, I still assembled it. To top it all off, it was actually inedible, too sweet, too salty, the texture was horrendous, maybe even the worst thing I've ever made in all my years baking.
ALSO gonna make every Zoha recipe (Bailee) says
I made this a few days ago and absolutely love it 💓 It’s so soooo soft and fluffy and the caramel flavor HITS SO GOOD. The ganache really adds some oomf too~ Made it for my partner who loves caramel — me not so much — but in the end I must confess I’ve had more than them at this point IT’S DANGEROUS OK. I had a blast with every part of this recipe except for melting the brown sugar, but that’s just because my stove sucks lol. Thank you, Zoha!! 🙂
Zoha says
Aw, thanks so so so much!!! What a wonderful review!