Chocolate cake layers with caramel

That sounds like a decadent dream — soft, rich chocolate cake layers with luscious caramel filling. 🍫✨ Here’s how you can build it:

🎂 Chocolate Cake with Caramel Layers

Ingredients

For the chocolate cake (2–3 layers):

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 cups sugar

• ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• 2 tsp baking powder

• 1 ½ tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 cup buttermilk (or milk + 1 tbsp vinegar)

• ½ cup vegetable oil

• 2 large eggs

• 2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup hot coffee (or hot water for non-coffee)

For the caramel filling:

• 1 cup sugar

• 6 tbsp butter (room temp, cubed)

• ½ cup heavy cream (warm)

• Pinch of salt (optional, for salted caramel)

For the frosting:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened

• 3 cups powdered sugar

• ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

• ⅓ cup heavy cream

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Bake the cake:

   • Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease & line two or three 8-inch round pans.

   • Whisk flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

   • Add buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. Mix until smooth.

   • Stir in hot coffee (batter will be thin). Divide into pans.

   • Bake 30–35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely.

2. Make caramel:

   • In a saucepan, heat sugar over medium, stirring until melted and amber-colored.

   • Add butter, stirring until combined. Slowly pour in warm cream (it will bubble), stir until smooth.

   • Cool slightly; it will thicken as it cools.

3. Make frosting:

   • Beat butter until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, cocoa, and vanilla. Mix while streaming in cream until smooth and spreadable.

4. Assemble cake:

   • Place one cake layer down, spread with caramel. Add next layer, repeat.

   • Frost outside of cake with chocolate frosting.

   • Drizzle extra caramel over the top and let it drip down the sides.

✨ Variations:

• Salted caramel drip cake → Sprinkle flaky sea salt on each caramel layer.

• Extra indulgence → Add chopped toasted pecans or crushed pretzels between layers for crunch.

• Whipped caramel frosting → Fold cooled caramel into buttercream for a caramel-chocolate swirl.

Would you like me to make this a 3-layer celebration cake with a caramel drip look, or a simpler 2-layer cake with caramel in the middle only?