Recipe courtesy of Jen Duncan
Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel and White Chocolate Buttercream
- Level: Advanced
- Yield: 8 servings
- Total: 2 hr 20 min
- Active: 1 hr 50 min
Ingredients
Chocolate Cake:
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 cup milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Nonstick cooking spray
Coffee Simple Syrup, recipe follows
White Chocolate Buttercream, recipe follows
Caramel Sauce, recipe follows
Coffee Simple Syrup:
3 cups granulated sugar
3 1/2 cups brewed coffee
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
White Chocolate Buttercream:
1 1/3 pounds white chocolate chips
1 1/3 pounds granulated sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 pounds (8 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
Caramel Sauce:
1 cup light brown sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions
Special equipment:
three 6-inch cake pans; a convection oven- Preheat a convection oven to 350 degrees F. Whisk the vinegar into the milk in a medium bowl and set it aside to curdle for 5 minutes.
- Add the granulated sugar, oil and vanilla to the milk mixture and beat by hand with a whisk until foamy.
- Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in 2 batches, beating with an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment until no lumps.
- Grease three 6-inch cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Divide the batter among them and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, about 20 minutes
- Let cool slightly, then remove the cakes from the pans. Cool the cakes in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Soak the cake rounds with Coffee Simple Syrup by brushing about 1/3 cup onto each layer as you build the cake. To build: Spread the White Chocolate Buttercream on one soaked cake round, then add a heavy drizzle of Caramel Sauce. Add a second layer and repeat. Add the last layer and frost the whole cake with White Chocolate Buttercream.
Coffee Simple Syrup:
- Add the sugar to a small saucepan fitted with a lid. Pour in the coffee and stir. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar completely dissolves. Turn off the heat. Cover immediately and let cool for 15 minutes.
White Chocolate Buttercream:
- Put the white chocolate chips in a metal bowl. Bring the granulated sugar and 3 cups water to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce the heat. Mix the cornstarch with 1 cup of water in a small bowl to combine. Stir it into the sugar mixture. Bring to a boil. Pour the sugar mixture over the white chocolate. Stir by hand with a whisk to combine. As mixture cools, stir 2 more times over the next 40 minutes. Let cool to room temperature.
- Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add the butter and vanilla and mix until light and fluffy.
Caramel Sauce:
- Combine the light brown sugar, butter, evaporated milk, vanilla and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until thickened.