Dark Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting

This recipe is adapted from Cakes By Courtney.  It's our favorite chocolate cake recipe.  We love this salted caramel frosting.  But we also love the cake with vanilla, chocolate, whipped chocolate, or peanut butter buttercream.

Ingredients

FOR THE CAKE

• 1 3/4 cups  plus 2 tablespoons (225 g) all-purpose flour
• 2 cups  minus 2 tablespoons (375 g) granulated sugar
• 3/4 cups (88.5 g) good quality dark cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons (8 g) baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon (3 g) baking powder
• 1 teaspoon (5.6 g) kosher salt
• 1 cup (240 g) buttermilk at room temperature
• 1/2 cup (109 g) vegetable oil
• 3 large eggs at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon (4.2 g) pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup (236.6 g) hot water

FOR THE SALTED CARAMEL & FROSTING

• 6 oz of Trader joe's salted caramel (or make from scratch), room temperature
• 6 cups (750 g) powdered sugar sifted*
• 2 cups (452 g) unsalted butter slightly softened*
• *This buttercream recipe makes enough to fill and cover your cake. If you want to add additional piping, you’ll want to make an extra 1/2 batch.

Instructions

FOR THE CAKE

1. Gather ingredients--buttermilk and eggs need to be at room temperature.  Preheat the oven to 360 degrees F. Spray three 8-inch or four 6-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray. Line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper, then spray the pans again. Set aside. 

2. Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined.
3. In another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, oil, eggs, water and vanilla.
4. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.

5. Evenly fill the batter into the prepared pans (I weight the batter and then divide between the number of pans).

6. Bake for 16-18 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

7. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.
8. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill until ready to use.  Level your cake layers to ensure a completely even surface for frosting and stacking.

FOR THE FROSTING

1. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the butter, powdered sugar and 6oz of the caramel together in a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until smooth. 
2. If the icing seems to thick or stiff, add 1-2T of cream or milk a little at a time until it reaches the desired consistency.

ASSEMBLY

1. Place the first cake layer bottom-side down, in the center of the cake board. Using an offset palette knife, spread about 3/4 cup frosting evenly across the cake layer. If desired, Drizzle with about a tablespoon or two of the extra caramel sauce.
2. Place the second cake layer on top of the frosting. Frost the top of the second cake and optional drizzle with another tablespoon or so of caramel.
3. Place the third cake layer, top side down, on top of the frosting. 
4. Crumb coat the entire cake with a thin layer of frosting and freeze for about 10 to 15 minutes to set.
5. Once the crumb coat is set, continue to frost the cake with the remaining frosting, and then use the remaining caramel sauce as a drip. 

*FROSTING NOTES/TIPS:  

Sifting your sugar helps make sure the frosting is silky smooth.  Measure powdered sugar first, then whisk it through a mesh strainer.

Semi-Cold Butter.  You don't want your butter too soft when making frosting.  Take it out of the fridge 20-30 minutes before making the buttercream.