Sweet and Salty Chocolate Layer Cake: Rich buttermilk chocolate cake layers with ganache, drizzled with salted caramel, and sprinkled with coarse sea salt. It is a decadent, sweet, and salty experience.
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Chocolate and caramel are two classic flavors that go together perfectly. But add a touch of saltiness into the mix, and you have an irresistible combination that takes these flavors to a whole new level. This is exactly what you get with a Sweet and Salty Chocolate Layer Cake – rich buttermilk chocolate cake layers sandwiched with ganache, drizzled with salted caramel, and sprinkled with coarse sea salt. It’s a treat for the senses and a must-try for any chocolate lover.
The Cake Layers
The key to this delicious chocolate cake is the layers of chocolate cake and homemade ganache, finished off with a caramel drizzle and a sprinkle of sea salt.
The layers are made with rich buttermilk chocolate cake, which gives the cake its tender and moist texture. Buttermilk not only adds a tangy flavor to the cake but also helps to activate the leavening agents, resulting in a light and fluffy cake.
How to make ganache
I am a sucker for anything sweet and salty, especially if it involves chocolate. I love coming up with fun cakes for my birthday, so I decided that would be the day to make a homemade and better version of one of our favorite cakes from a local restaurant. This cake lived up to its hype; each of us took a small slice because it was rich. Then, we topped it with a small dab of vanilla bean ice cream.
More Sweet & Salty Combinations
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Sweet & Salty Chocolate Layer Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup buttermilk (or 1 cup milk + 1 tablespoon lemon juice stir together and let it sit for 5 minutes)
- 1 cup water
- 2/3 cup vegetable oil
- 2 cups sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Ganache
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
Toppings
- caramel sauce
- coarse sea salt Kosher salt will work too.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350º F.
- Lightly spray two or three 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray and lightly dust with flour, tapping with a spoon to remove excess; set aside.
- In mixing bowl, add buttermilk, water, oil, sugar, eggs, baking soda and salt; stir together until it is well combined. Add in flour and cocoa powder and whisk until smooth and there are no lumps. This batter is runny don’t stress, instead lick the bowl clean.
- Pour batter evenly into prepared pan(s).
- Bake for 25-30 minutes (3 pans) or 30-35 minutes (2 pans), or until you can lightly touch the center and it springs back. Cool pans on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes, then remove cakes and allow to completely cool on the wire rack. Once cooled prepare filling.
- In a small sauce pan add the whipping cream and bring to a boil, remove from heat and add in chocolate chips. Do not mix or stir them in, let the chocolate sit for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Let it cool for about 15 minutes or until it starts to thicken. Make sure it is cool, at least to room temp, before you layer the cake.
- Layer the cake by placing one cake on a cake plate or stand, then spread 1/2 cup of the ganache on top of the first layer. Set in the fridge to chill for 5 minutes. Remove from the fridge, place another cake layer on top of the ganache layer. Then spread 1/2 cup of ganache of the cake. Place in fridge to chill for 5 minutes. Remove from the fridge and add the last cake layer and add the remaining ganache on top of the cake. Chill cake in fridge for 20 minutes or until ganache is set.
- Slice the cake, add one piece of cake to plate, generously drizzle with caramel sauce and sprinkle with coarse sea salt, although kosher salt would work as well.
Chocolate, caramel and salt! These are one of my favorite sweets combination.
I think this cake is going to send my 4th of July dinner over the TOP! I’ve already printed it out and wondering if I should do a “test run” on it before then, hmmm, better not, unless I have stretchy pants on until the 4th Ü
And Hacienda Colorado’s Salsa…..if ever there was a copy of a recipe I wanted more than anything, it would be their salsa. We were just there last night and people around us must have thought my Husband and I were nuts. Smearing the salsa out on our chips too see what was in it. Picking out the seeds one by one to tell if they were tomato or tomatillo. Definitely roasted charred tomatoes. It’s to die for, I know…sigh
OH! Sweet another Hacienda salsa. We just went on Sunday on our way home from a family reunion. What do you order there? My favorite is Paige’s All Beef Burrito. My hubby and kids love their Quesadillas off their old, old menu – steak!
xo San
Funny! I’m still on the ultimate search to find Hacienda’s salsa recipe! I was sooo excited as I read your post and then realized…”HEY, I made this awesome cake of her’s before”. Then I see my old post whining about how I long for their salsa recipe. Ü
What do I order there? Always, ALWAYS their Chile Rellenos. They stuff a poblano pepper with gooey cheese then wrap it in a thin eggroll skin wrapper. It is then deep fried to a super crispy golden brown before being smothering in Spicy Pork Green Chile. I just love it and very rarely stray from this option.
You’ve got try their Chile Rellenos. They aren’t the traditional egg battered chiles, which I don’t like at all. They are green chiles stuffed with Monterey Jack/cheddar cheese then and encased in an egg roll wrapper….. then deep fried! I never stray from the Spicy Hatch Green Chile sauce. I just love ’em! I’ve made them at home quite successfully, too. Hardly ever deep fry anything, so a thin layer of oil in a hot skillet to pan fry both sides works for me. But, that salsa….still haven’t found the secret scroll that has that recipe on it Ü And your Sweet/Salty Chocolate Layer Cake was absolutely sinful. Such a fantastic recipe for special occasions (a.k.a. every other weekend…just kidding) It’s a Keeper! Thanks ♥
Holy moly. This has got to be one of the most perfect layer cakes ever. I’m not a big frosting girl, and this has exactly what I want on it. Loads of beautiful, drippy caramel!
“stir in sea salt, start with 1/1 teaspoon”? Is that 1/4, 1/2, 1/3? Thanks –
Absolutely dying over this! Love the layers!
Everything about this is amazing! I love the rich chocolate flavor, and the saltiness with the sweetness of the cake is the best!
This Sweet & Salty Chocolate Layer Cake was a showstopper at my sister’s birthday party! The balance between sweet chocolate and the salty crunch was divine.
The whole family became obsessed with this cake, it was a decadent and indulgent treat! It’s worth having again and again!
Delicious – I love the layers! So yummy