Home · Recipes · Desserts & Baking · Cake Recipes · Layer Cakes Buttermilk Chocolate Cake with caramel and ganache Author: Maryanne CabreraPublished: Jan 15, 2015Updated: Nov 16, 2023 View Recipe28 ReviewsThis post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy. It doesn’t get any better than this Buttermilk Chocolate Cake: made with four thin layers of buttermilk chocolate cake soaked in caramel sauce and enrobed in dark chocolate ganache. Yesterday, I woke up really early and made this buttermilk chocolate cake because I knew the kind of day I was going to have. Often, I wish I could hire my own personal tech team. I dream about the hours I could save, the frustration and headache I could avoid. But alas, The Little Epicurean is a company of one (and two pups). Buttermilk Chocolate Cake During stressful moments, this chocolate buttermilk cake is a welcome breathe of fresh air. Chocolate has this calming effect that puts me in a good mood, regardless of the situation. This showstopper of a dessert consists of four layers of buttermilk chocolate soaked in caramel sauce and frosted with dark chocolate ganache. It’s finished a drizzle of more caramel and a sprinkling of sea salt flakes. It’s how every chocolate cake should taste- rich, decadent, and oh so satisfying. Two Ingredient Chocolate Ganache Frosting: Chocolate ganache is a simple mixture of chocolate and heavy cream. Simmering heavy cream is poured over chopped chocolate, providing just enough heat to melt the chocolate. With constant stirring, the mixture will become smooth and homogenous. At this point, the ganache will still be rather warm. The ganache is allowed to cool until it has thickened to frosting consistency. To prevent the buttermilk chocolate cake from drying out, there’s about two tablespoons of caramel sauce soaked between the layers. That same caramel is then poured over the edges of the ganache enrobed cake. Buttermilk Chocolate Cake with Caramel and Ganache No ratings yet Four thin layers of buttermilk chocolate cake soaked in caramel sauce and enrobed in dark chocolate ganache.Yield: 6-inch cake Prep Time: 25 minutes minutesCook Time: 40 minutes minutesInactive Time: 2 hours hoursTotal Time: 3 hours hours 5 minutes minutes Servings: 10 Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe IngredientsButtermilk Chocolate Cake:▢ 1 ½ cup cake flour▢ ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder▢ 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder▢ ½ teaspoon baking powder▢ ½ teaspoon baking soda▢ ½ teaspoon kosher salt▢ ¾ cup unsalted butter, room temp▢ 1 ¼ cup granulated sugar▢ 2 large eggs▢ 1 large egg white▢ 2 teaspoon vanilla extract▢ 1 cup buttermilkChocolate Ganache:▢ 5 oz dark chocolate (72%), roughly chopped*▢ ¾ cup heavy creamCaramel Sauce:*▢ ¾ cup + 2 Tablespoon granulated sugar▢ ¼ cup water▢ ½ cup heavy cream, heated▢ ¾ cup unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons▢ 1 teaspoon kosher salt Instructions Cake:Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 6-inch cake pans and line bottom with parchment paper. Set aside.Sift together cake flour, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda and sea salt. Set aside.In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat butter on medium speed. Slowly add sugar. Continue to mix, scraping down bowl as needed to ensure throughout creaming. Add eggs one at time, mixing on low speed. Add egg white and vanilla extract.Add ⅓ of dry flour mixture and mix on low speed. Add ½ of buttermilk and mix until incorporated. Follow with another ⅓ of flour, then remaining buttermilk. Finish with last ⅓ of flour mixture. Mix on low speed until there are no longer any dry streaks of flour.Divide batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 40-45 minutes until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Unmold the cake and set on a wire rack to cool to room temperature.Chocolate Ganache:Place chopped chocolate in a large bowl. Bring heavy cream to a simmer. Pour hot cream over chopped chocolate and cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let sit for 3 minutes. Remove plastic wrap and stir ganache until homogenous. Cover with plastic wrap, allowing plastic wrap to touch chocolate to prevent condensation. Every 30 minutes, stir ganache until it has thickened to frosting consistency (about 2 hours).Caramel Sauce:Melt sugar and water in a heavy bottomed sauce pot on high heat. Lower heat and allow sugar syrup to color. Remove from heat once syrup is aromatic and amber in color. Warm up heavy cream in the microwave for 45 seconds. Add about 1/3 of warm cream to sugar syrup and whisk. BE CAREFUL as the mixture will bubble and steam. Add the remaining warm cream and whisk until mixture has slightly cooled. Add butter and salt. Whisk until mixture is homogenized. Let cool to room temperature. Once cooled, sauce will thicken. To speed up the process, you can also place caramel in the fridge to cool faster.Assembly:Once cake is cooled, slice each cake into two equal slices. To build the cake, place one layer on a serving platter. Pour between 1 ½ tablespoon to 2 tablespoons of caramel over the layer. Spread evenly. Place another cake layer on top and repeat until you have the fourth cake layer on top. Spread thickened chocolate ganache all over the cake. Pour remaining caramel sauce over the edges of the cake. Sprinkle Maldon sea salt over caramel, as desired. NotesIngredient Notes: Use good quality chocolate, not chocolate chips or chocolate candy bars. Good quality store-bought caramel sauce is a perfect alternative NutritionCalories: 695kcal | Carbohydrates: 65g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 47g | Saturated Fat: 29g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 147mg | Sodium: 486mg | Potassium: 279mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 46g | Vitamin A: 1388IU | Vitamin C: 0.2mg | Calcium: 93mg | Iron: 3mg Author: Maryanne Cabrera Course: DessertCuisine: American Did you make this recipe?Show us on Instagram! Tag @littleepicurean and hashtag #littleepicurean.
Judy P says: January 15, 2015 Oh my I can feel my waistband tighten as I read the recipe. It looks so delicious….all my favorite flavors ! I bet if I made it, I would hide it in a closet and eat the whole thing in 4 hours…..that’s even with trying to pace myself. It’s beautiful. Reply
Maryanne Cabrera says: January 15, 2015 Thank you so much Judy! If you make it, invite me over so I can help you finish it! :)
Tina @ Just Putzing Around the Kitchen says: January 15, 2015 This cake looks INSANELY delicious, girl! Reply
Maryanne Cabrera says: January 15, 2015 Thanks Tina! Desperate times call for desperate measures! lol
Nazia @ Your Sunny Side Up says: January 15, 2015 Would it be totally wrong if I ate the entire thing on my own? Because I really can’t imagine sharing such a gorgeous cake! Reply
Maryanne Cabrera says: January 15, 2015 Absolutely not! (As long as you make another cake to share with others.) Thanks Nazia!
Lokness @ The Missing Lokness says: January 15, 2015 You always make some of the most beautiful cakes! This is stunning! I am sure all the stress will go away after a slice of this incredibly rich chocolate cake. Glad you have figured out the email thing. ;) Reply
Maryanne Cabrera says: January 15, 2015 Aw, thank you SO much!! Chocolate and a glass of red wine does wonders for my stress ;)
Liz+@+Floating+Kitchen says: January 15, 2015 Oh my gosh computer/techie problems are the worst. They make me feel so dumb. I get super stressed about them. Cake seems like a pretty good way to make you feel better! This looks FAB! Reply
Maryanne Cabrera says: January 15, 2015 YES they are the worst! I’m hoping to learn more this year so I can stay on top the game! Thank you Liz!! :)
katie @ butterlust says: January 15, 2015 I hear ya, sista! Blog/computer woes are my nemesis and one of the (more than I’m willing to admit) things that drive me to frustrated tears. Good thing there’s chocolate cake to heal life’s little nuisances! And THIS one is beyond gorgeous! I so want to reach through the screen and stick my finger in that caramel!!! Reply
Maryanne Cabrera says: January 15, 2015 Oh, I am quite familiar with tears of frustration. I hate no understanding how to do something. It drives me crazy and I spent too much time trying to figure it out! Thank you! I wish I could share a slice with you!
Sarah+@+Savoring+Spoon says: January 15, 2015 Oh, this cake is beautiful! I’m drooling just looking at it, and I already ate dinner (and dessert!). Computer problems make me go nuts too – but if I had this chocolate cake every time I had computer problems, I may just start to look forward to a few hiccups here and there ;) Reply
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says: January 16, 2015 Wow… if this tastes even an EIGHT as good as it looks then it would still be the most amazing cake ever. Stunning presentation and photos! Love the flavors :) Reply
Jen+@+baked+by+an+Introvert says: January 16, 2015 Ugh, I do feel your pain. I was just telling a friend of mine that I wish I could afford to hire a “team”. At least you had this cake waiting for you afterwards. I’m sure each bite was a soothing piece of relaxation. Reply
Sarah | Broma Bakery says: January 16, 2015 Saw this on your IG and started drooling everywhere. It’s absolutely gorgeous, Maryanne! Good luck with the blog stuff. It can be sooo frustrating at times! Once, my site wasn’t working on our internet– like literally our wifi. It worked on other wifis, and it worked for my sister across the country. Just not our wifi. After 4 hours on the phone between comcast and go daddy (they each blamed the other one), it finally got resolved. But MAN was it frustrating. Reply
Cailee says: January 16, 2015 WOW! This looks so good!! I love love LOVE chocolate and caramel! Seriously such an amazing combo! :) YUM! …and your blog looks amazing! Even though you it’s the inside work… it looks great! Reply
Connie @ Sprig and Flours says: January 16, 2015 What a beauty! That is one of the prettiest chocolate cakes I have ever seen! The innards of that cake is just perfect. I’m so sorry about all the trouble you have been having with the tech side of your blog. I am so lucky to have my boyfriend, who, to my lucky stars, studied computer science in college. I wouldn’t have been able to get my blog off the ground if it weren’t for him! And what great wisdom — always have chocolate cake around for those stressful days! *noted! Reply
Thalia @ butter and brioche says: January 16, 2015 Now this is one decadent and beautiful cake! You definitely can cut me a thick slice right now.. Reply
June Burns says: January 18, 2015 “Moral of the story, when dealing with serious/boring/necessary issues, be sure to have chocolate waiting in the wings.” *raises palms* Amen! Reply
Sarah @ SnixyKitchen says: January 21, 2015 Girl – I FEEL for you. Also, how come whenever you’re trying to get important things done on the back end of the blog, the internet TAKES SO LONG? I love the drippy caramel down the sides of this cake. I’d stress eat the heck out of that cake. Reply
mymansbelly says: January 21, 2015 This cake is absolutely beautiful. Probably a good thing you made this before getting into the tech issues. ;) Reply
Melissa says: October 22, 2015 This cake looks divine! Do you think the recipe would work for cupcakes? Reply
constance says: October 8, 2019 Can you make this cake 2 days in advance? I want to take it to a party on Sat but also am in charge of apps so will be dealing with that the night before and morning of. Reply
Maryanne Cabrera says: October 9, 2019 You can bake the cake two days in advance. However, be sure to wrap the cake well in plastic wrap after cooling to ensure it does not dry out. As for assembling the cake two days in advance, that one is a little tricky. The chocolate ganache frosting will harden in the fridge when kept for too long. Depending on the humidity of your fridge, the chocolate ganache may form condensation. This will cause the frosting to have water spots.