Salted Caramel Chocolate Fudge Cake

Zoha Malik

by Zoha Malik

Updated:

Rated 5.00 out of 5

84 Comments
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This Salted Caramel Chocolate Fudge Cake is the definition of the word “indulgent”. It is an ultra moist and chocolatey cake covered in an unbelievable chocolate caramel fudge frosting, with more salted caramel between the layers. It is the perfect centerpiece for any dessert table, and will be wiped clean before you know it (seriously, as one of my taste testers said, “this cake just changed my life”)!

salted caramel chocolate fudge cake on a marble cake stand. cake is covered in chocolate caramel frosting and has a swirl of caramel on top. a spatula is pulling out a slice showing the moist texture and caramel inside
slice of salted caramel chocolate fudge cake on a small plate. cake has 3 moist layers with chocolate caramel frosting and salted caramel sauce in between. a fork is pulling out a bite

Read the full blog post below for detailed notes, tips, tricks, photos and videos.

WHY YOU SHOULD TRY THIS RECIPE

You need to try this recipe if…

  • You love chocolate cakes, but want something a little different. The salted caramel adds a new dimension and depth of flavor and texture to this cake, making it stand out from regular chocolate cakes
  • You love caramel. If you’re a fan of caramel, you will be obsessed with this cake! The caramel flavor comes through, even with all that chocolate
  • You want to impress. Looking to bring dessert to a party or gathering this holiday season? I can guarantee there are few options better than this cake! It looks and tastes absolutely spectacular and everyone will love you for it

ELEMENTS OF THIS SALTED CARAMEL CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE

This cake has three main components:

  • The chocolate cake. This is the same cake I use in my Best Matilda Chocolate Cake recipe, which needs absolutely no changes (as they say, don’t fix what’s not broken). It is very easy to make, super moist, rich and chocolatey, and comes together with just 10 minutes of work
  • Salted caramel sauce. A delicious and silky homemade salted caramel sauce is used to make the frosting and added between the cake layers. It is my tried and trusted recipe, and you should check out this blog post for all my tips, tricks and photos to help you perfect it!
  • Chocolate caramel fudge frosting. This frosting is my pride and joy. It is a unique frosting made with lots of dark chocolate, cream cheese, heavy cream, and the salted caramel sauce from above. It is silky smooth, rich and creamy, and remains the perfect soft texture even when refrigerated. It will truly blow your mind!
salted caramel chocolate fudge cake on a marble cake stand. cake is covered in chocolate caramel frosting and has a swirl of caramel on top. a few slices have been removed to show the soft and moist texture inside

TIPS TO PERFECT THIS RECIPE

Let’s go over a few of my best tips to help you perfect this recipe.

For the cake:

  • Weigh the dry ingredients, especially the flour, for the best results. I love this inexpensive scale from Amazon
  • Use Dutch Processed cocoa powder – it tastes way better!
  • Never overmix the cake batter. Always whisk slowly and only until the ingredients are combined and you don’t see big lumps
  • Don’t overbake the cakes. Check with a toothpick around the 20 minute mark, you want it to have light, moist crumbs on it
  • Let the cakes fully cool down before you handle and frost them. They are quite soft and delicate, and can break if you try to work with them when they’re warm

For the salted caramel sauce:

Check out my detailed blog post which goes in depth on how to easily make the perfect salted caramel sauce.

For the frosting:

  • Use high quality dark chocolate; I have the best results with Lindt 70% chocolate bars
  • Pass through a sieve to remove any lumps! This will ensure your frosting is perfectly smooth
  • Use temperature to your advantage. If the frosting feels runny, refrigerate until it becomes a spreadable consistency. On the other hand, if you see any solidified chocolate or the frosting becomes too stiff, remove ~1 cup, microwave for 20s to warm it up, and gently fold it back in the remaining frosting
close up picture of the inside of a salted caramel chocolate fudge cake layered with caramel and chocolate caramel frosting
slice of salted caramel chocolate fudge cake on a small plate. cake has 3 moist layers with chocolate caramel frosting and salted caramel sauce in between.

PROCESS WITH PHOTOS

The detailed recipe is provided 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 cake, whisk together the wet ingredients except the water until smooth:

wet ingredients for chocolate cake in a bowl
wet ingredients mixed into a smooth mixture

Sift and mix all the dry ingredients except the cocoa powder and coffee in a separate bowl, and gently whisk them into the wet ingredients:

dry ingredients for chocolate cake mixed together in a glass bowl
dry ingredients added on top of wet ingredients in glass bowl

Separately, mix the cocoa powder and instant coffee with the boiling water. Add that mixture to the cake batter and gently fold until combined:

bloomed cocoa powder mixture being whisked into cake batter
shiny chocolate cake batter in a glass bowl

Divide the batter between 3 8″ cake pans and bake:

chocolate cake batter divided into 3 cake pans
3 chocolate cakes baked in 3 pans

Make the salted caramel sauce and let it fully cool down:

hand whisking cream into caramel in stainless steel pan
golden and smooth salted caramel sauce in a stainless steel pan

For the frosting, whisk together the cream cheese, cocoa powder, powdered sugar and salt:

chocolate fudge frosting ingredients in a glass bowl
process of making chocolate fudge frosting

Then mix in the salted caramel sauce, heavy cream, and melted dark chocolate one by one until a smooth, shiny frosting forms:

melted chocolate being added to whipped chocolate frosting
chocolate caramel fudge frosting in a glass bowl

Let everything cool down. To assemble, trim off the dome from the cake, and cover in frosting:

chocolate fudge cake on a turntable with the top trimmed off
chocolate cake covered in chocolate caramel fudge frosting on a turntable

Pipe frosting around the edge and pour salted caramel sauce in the middle. Repeat with all layers, then cover the cake with the remaining frosting and decorate with more caramel sauce:

chocolate cake covered in chocolate caramel fudge frosting and salted caramel on a turntable
salted caramel chocolate cake on a turntable decorated with salted caramel

Serve & enjoy!

salted caramel chocolate fudge cake on a marble cake stand. cake is covered in chocolate caramel frosting and has a swirl of caramel on top
Inside of a salted caramel chocolate fudge cake layered with caramel and chocolate caramel frosting

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I use natural cocoa powder instead of Dutch processed?

Yes, you can, but you will get the best results with Dutch processed cocoa powder.

Can I skip the coffee?

I do not recommend skipping the coffee as it enhances the chocolate flavor. You won’t taste it!

How can I make my own buttermilk?

You can make buttermilk by mixing whole milk and vinegar. I’ve added this to the recipe below.

Can I substitute the sour cream?

I don’t recommend substituting the sour cream. If you can’t find it anywhere, you can make it at home. See my homemade sour cream recipe!

Why is my cake dry / crumbly?

You’ve either added too much flour, overmixed the batter, or overbaked the cake causing it to become dry and crumbly. Measure the ingredients carefully and follow the instructions closely for best results.

Why is my frosting runny or hard?

Since melted chocolate is a main ingredient in the chocolate fudge frosting, it’s consistency will change with temperature. If it is runny, you need to chill it. If it is hard, you need to let it warm up at room temperature. I find it best to use after chilling for just 15-20 minutes.

How to store this Salted Caramel Chocolate Fudge Cake?

This cake is best kept and eaten at room temperature. You can keep it in an airtight container in a cool place for 2-3 days. If you need to keep it for longer, transfer it to the fridge and keep for a week. If refrigerating, I recommend letting the cake come to room temperature, or microwaving each slice for 10-15 seconds before eating.

Print
salted caramel chocolate fudge cake on a marble cake stand. cake is covered in chocolate caramel frosting and has a swirl of caramel on top. a few slices have been removed to show the soft and moist texture inside

Salted Caramel Chocolate Fudge Cake Recipe

by Zoha Malik

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 stars from 19 reviews

The most incredible moist and rich chocolate cake with an unbelievable chocolate caramel fudge frosting and more salted caramel between the layers

Yield:12-14 servings

Prep Time:
1 hr
Cook Time:
1 hr
Total Time:
2 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients

Chocolate Cake:

  • 2 cups all purpose flour (260g), sifted
  • 1.5 tsp baking powder
  • 1.5 tsp baking soda
  • 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
  • ⅔ cup light brown sugar (135g)
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 large eggs, ideally room temp
  • ⅔ cup vegetable oil (133g)
  • ⅓ cup buttermilk (80g) – mix ⅓ cup whole milk (80g) + 1 teaspoon vinegar to make your own
  • 1 cup sour cream (240g), ideally room temp
  • ¾ cup cocoa powder, Dutch Processed preferred (75g)
  • 2 tsp instant coffee
  • ¾ cup boiling water (180g)

Salted Caramel Sauce:

  • 1 cup granulated sugar (200g)
  • 5 tbsp unsalted butter (70g)
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream, warmed up (120g)
  • 3/4 tsp salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Chocolate Caramel Fudge Frosting:

  • 200g dark chocolate (70%)
  • 8 oz cream cheese, room temp (226g)
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder (33g)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar (100g)
  • 1/2 cup salted caramel sauce from above
  • 1 cup heavy cream, cold (240g)

Instructions

Chocolate Cake:

  1. Preheat oven to 350F (no fan) and prepare 3 8″ pans with parchment paper and butter
  2. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, granulated sugar, light brown sugar and salt. Whisk together until no lumps remain
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil, buttermilk and sour cream until smooth
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in 2 additions, and gently whisk and fold until they are just combined and no big lumps remain. Do not overmix
  5. In a separate small bowl, add the cocoa powder and instant coffee. Pour over the boiling water and whisk until a smooth shiny mixture forms
  6. Pour the cocoa mixture onto the remaining batter, and gently fold until a chocolate cake batter forms
  7. Divide the batter evenly between the 3 prepared cake pans
  8. Bake for ~22-24 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with light moist crumbs attached
  9. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 20 minutes, then carefully remove them and place on a wire rack. Let cool completely (I recommend refrigerating for 1 hour covered in cling wrap)

Salted Caramel Sauce: 

  1. Add the sugar to a wide bottomed non-stick pan. Place on the stove on the lowest heat setting and cook until the sugar has melted. This can take ~10-15 minutes. Once the sugar starts to melt, use a clean spoon to lightly stir to encourage all of it to melt evenly. If any hard sugar lumps appear, do not worry and keep cooking as they will melt
  2. Once the sugar has melted, continue to cook for a couple minutes on the lowest heat until it form a deep golden color, then turn off the heat
  3. Add the room temperature butter and vigorously stir until combined. It’s ok if the mixture looks slightly separated. Then add the warmed up cream and stir vigorously until a smooth caramel sauce forms
  4. Stir in the salt and vanilla
  5. Pour the sauce into a bowl or jar and let cool down at room temperature for 1 hour. It will thicken up as it cools

Chocolate Caramel Fudge Frosting:

  1. Melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler or the microwave (in 15-20s increments). Set aside
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the room temperature cream cheese and sift in the powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Use the paddle attachment and whisk on medium speed until the mixture becomes creamy (1-2 minutes). Scrape the bowl
  3. Add ½ cup of the cooled down salted caramel sauce and whisk on low speed until combined. Scrape the bowl again
  4. Add the melted chocolate (it should still be quite warm) and whisk again on low speed until combined
  5. Lastly, add in the heavy cream and mix until combined, scraping the bowl as needed. The frosting should be smooth but slightly runny in consistency; do not overmix. If you see any hardened lumps of chocolate, remove a small amount of frosting, microwave it for 20 seconds, and mix back into the remaining frosting
  6. Let the frosting cool down until it becomes spreadable, about 15-20 minutes in the fridge

Assembly:

  1. Once the cakes and frosting have cooled down, it’s time to assemble. Use a large serrated knife to carefully trim off the domes from the cakes
  2. Place the first cake layer onto a turntable. Spread on a layer of the frosting, then use a piping bag to pipe some frosting around the edge to create a “dam”. Pour 3-4 tbsp of the salted caramel sauce inside the dam and spread it out; the piped frosting will prevent it from flowing over the edges. Repeat with the next layer, then top off with the third cake layer
  3. Cover the cake with a thin layer of frosting (crumb coat) and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Then slather on the remaining frosting all over. Drizzle over any remaining caramel sauce however you want to
  4. Serve & enjoy!

Video Tutorial

Notes

This cake is best eaten at room temperature.

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Comments

  1. Anam

    Hi Zoha,

    I don’t usually like dark chocolate or cream cheese. Does it make the frosting taste sour or bitter? I also don’t want a cake which is too sweet as I am making it for my grandparents. Should I swap these ingredients?

  2. Reyna

    Hi Zoya!

    Can I make this recipe in a 9×13 inch sheet pan and split that into 3 layers?

    1. Zoha Malik

      Hi Reyna! That will be too small of a pan. Do a half sheet pan (18×13) instead!

  3. Sascha

    Hi Zoha,

    my daughter wants this cake for her birthday.

    on top you write:
    The chocolate cake. This is the same cake I use in my Best Matilda Chocolate Cake recipe, which needs absolutely no changes (as they say, don’t fix what’s not broken).

    But the two recipes have a difference regarding the dark chocolate.

    Salted Caramel Chocolate Fudge Cake:
    Chocolate Caramel Fudge Frosting:
    200g dark chocolate (70%)

    Best Matilda Chocolate Cake Recipe:
    Chocolate Fudge Frosting:
    300g dark chocolate

    Greetings
    Sascha

    1. Zoha Malik

      Hi Sascha! I am so excited you’re making this cake. To be clear, the *cake* part of the 2 recipes is the same, the frosting and filling are not the same. The caramel cake has caramel in both the frosting and filling. Regardless, you just need to follow this recipe as written and do not need to worry about the matilda cake recipe 🙂

  4. Esha

    Hi Zoha,
    Is this frosting pipeable? I would like to do some decorations on the edges of the cake etc.

    1. Zoha Malik

      Yes, it is! You can also refrigerate for 10 minutes if it feels runny and that should help.

  5. Dee

    I done million chocolate fudge recipes but this is the best one so far, absolutely beautiful sponge and also buttercream. Can I please ask how many cupcakes will this make?
    Thank you from London town
    Dee

    1. Zoha Malik

      Thank you so much, Dee! I have never tried turning this into cupcakes so I am not sure, but I imagine at least 2 dozen small ones!

  6. Milla

    I’ve made this cake 4+ times and it’s always a hit. My absolute favourite when I’m craving a chocolatey-caramel hit. My family and I do enjoy a bit less sugar, so I do reduce the amount of sugar – probably 40-50% less (both white and brown) in the chocolate cake batter as well as the powdered sugar in the frosting and it’s just perfect with the caramel sauce. I’ve also made this with Greek yoghurt when I didn’t have sour cream and it’s still delicious.

    1. Zoha Malik

      Hi Milla! Thank you for the kind review, and I am so glad the recipe works for you even with the modifications 🙂

  7. Saajidah

    Hi Zoha, can we substitute oil with melted butter ?

    1. Zoha Malik

      Nope, completely different result in cakes! Oil cakes are softer + more moist

  8. Liesa

    What depth are the cake layers supposed to be? Mine are just about 1″ thick, have they risen correctly or should I try again?

    1. Zoha Malik

      3 layers around 1″ thick is actually perfect!

  9. Komal Kumaria

    My fav .

  10. Blessy

    Hi Zoha

    Can I scale up this recipe to like 1.5x ? Would it still be as good?

    1. Zoha

      hi! it’s already a big cake but of course you can make it even bigger. Keep the layers thin though (instead of very thick layers)

  11. Zainab

    An indulgent and unique combo cake indeed! My husband loves salted caramel and I love chocolate so this was a perfect cake for us to devour together!

    1. Zoha

      I personally love this combo so much, too! Thank you for the kind review

  12. Tejaswini Mandadi

    Tried it for the new year and it came out delicious. Everyone loved it and asked for more.

    1. Zoha

      Thank you for trusting my recipe!

  13. pooj

    can you please tell me the substitute for coffee>?

    1. Zoha

      You can skip it

  14. Reema

    Perfect recipie for a moist, and delicious cake. Thank you for sharing.

    1. Zoha

      So glad you like it!

  15. Iman

    I wanted to ask how I can change the recipe for 2 6 inch cake pans instead? thank you!

    1. Zoha

      Hi! You can divide all quantities by 4 for a small 6″ cake with just 2 layers

  16. Sanna Malik

    Girl!! My first time baking a three layer cake. Not gonna lie it was hard I was not expecting the results. It turned out so good!! I can’t imagine how good it would have been if I was experienced. Can’t wait to bake more of your cakes

    1. Zoha

      WUHUUU!

  17. Moeed

    hi zoha, ive tried this cake twice, and trust me ive started getting orders even though im not a homebaker…..but i query! can i make 2 cakes of 2 pounds each with this same recipe using 2 6 inch pans?

  18. Yvonne Luna

    I made the this and we are flabbergasted! The cake was so moist! The frosting and salted caramel sauce was sooo yummy. Just perfect.

    Bless you foe sharing this with us.

  19. Shikha R

    Hello!
    Can we substitute eggs in this recipe?

  20. Purno

    Hi Zoha! Always loved your recipes. You are such an inspo MashaAllah.
    Just wanted to ask, if I could use cake flour instead of APF for all your cake recipes?
    Tia xx

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