Triple-Layer Chocolate Cake with salted caramel cream cheese buttercream, drips of chocolate ganache, homemade crisp caramel popcorn and extra drizzles of caramel. Jump to Recipe
I have no words, for once.
Unusual, I know. This cake is just way too, too everything for me to try to say anything about it. I can start by saying that I made it a few weeks ago, however. It was an early birthday cake for Wynton before I left for Melbourne – Wynton being my youngest brother who turns thirteen (a teenager?!) on Thursday. Wynton loves food almost as much as I do, though I must clarify that we like very different types of food. He is a junk food man – give him cakes, lollies, ice cream and chips and he will be in heaven, but take him to a fancy restaurant and he will complain that he could have been much happier and spent less at home eating pasta (never mind that it is a family dinner and it is not like he is paying). When it comes to main courses, he is a person of simple tastes, and complains that when I come home, dinner is too different every night (mainly because I am trying out interesting recipes). My tastes are a little more adventurous, steering clear of junk food and searching for new ingredients, recipes from different cultures and flavour explosions, and love trying out new restaurants and cafes to experience new dishes.
However, we do cross over in one area – baking and desserts. He appreciates a good cake just as much as I do (even this Rhubarb, Caramel and Pistachio cake from a little while ago), will gobble brownies and chocolate biscuits, loves a chocolate caramel tart and will never turn down dessert, eating huge servings that I wish I was capable of without packing on the kilograms. When I am baking he often hovers nearby, waiting to subtly (or not so subtly) sneak bits of chocolate from the chopping board or swipe icing or cookie dough from the bowl when my back is turned.
I knew that his birthday cake needed to be something pretty special. Last year Mum had to resort to store-bought (horror of horrors, I know!) because they were so busy and I was away. That couldn’t happen for a second year in a row, so we had a special 2.5 weeks early birthday cake the day before I left. After a bit of research, I settled on Half Baked Harvest’s Chocolate Birthday Cake and assembled the rest of the components on the day.
Three layers of rich, fluffy chocolate cake with an ultra-tender crumb were sandwiched together with a salted caramel cream cheese buttercream: sweet and salty, tangy from the extra cream cheese, smooth, creamy and light. Rich dark chocolate ganache was poured over the top, dripping precariously over the edges, and topped with a pile of homemade crisp caramel popcorn and more drizzles of sticky salted caramel. I can’t even describe how good it was – you are just going to have to make it for yourself and find out.
The caramel cream cheese buttercream (yes, it is a mouthful!) was perfect – often I find that straight caramel buttercream can be sickly sweet, but I wanted something a bit lighter than the caramel cream cheese frosting on this rhubarb pistachio cake. I toyed with making a caramel swiss meringue, but was eventually put off by the colossal quantities of butter and the fact that (apparently) by the next day it can sort of solidify into a very hard, buttery frosting. Not what I was looking for – has anyone had success with a swiss meringue in getting it to last a few days? This cream cheese buttercream though, was ideal – the cream cheese balances the sweetness of the caramel and it is whipped for almost ten minutes to get it super light and fluffy, almost mousse-like in texture. Would highly recommend.
Although time consuming, the cake itself isn’t overly hard to make, even if my instructions look really long! Each component can be made ahead and save for construction time. The cake is a one bowl wonder that can be made the day before (and wrapped in cling-wrap overnight) or the morning of for ultimate freshness. The salted caramel is made once (and easily made the day before) then added to both the popcorn and the icing. The popcorn can be also be made the day before, but the buttercream should be made just prior to assembly for optimum fluffiness. Then all you have to do is pile up the layers of cake and frosting, drip ganache all over it, make a tower of popcorn, sticking it together with extra caramel as you go and then use any leftover salted caramel to drip over the cake. Rustic, yes, but everyone will thank you for it! The first cut through the cake can be a little tricky because of the popcorn, but just be gentle and maneuver your knife carefully through the popcorn layer and then you will be good to go.
So, to finish – a big happy birthday to Wynton from his sister in Melbourne! Enjoy the photos – but you might need to make the cake again now that you have the recipe (or convince someone to make it for you!).
PS – I guess that no words thing was a bit of an exaggeration… but I truly did have no idea what to say when I was staring at this blank page an hour ago. Does anyone else have that happen when writing blog posts?
If you have any questions about the recipe, please feel free to comment below. Happy cake making! X
- 2 1/4 cups plain flour
- 2 1/4 cups white sugar
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 eggs , at room temperature
- 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
- 3/4 cup canola oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons hot coffee (I used a strong double shot of espresso topped up with boiling water)
- 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chunks or chips
- ½ cup water
- 1½ cups caster sugar (330g)
- 90 g unsalted butter , cubed
- ¾ cup cream
- ½ -1 tsp table salt (according to your tastes)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup salted caramel
- a few cups of plain popcorn (1/4-1/3 cups of kernels)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 225 g unsalted butter , softened at room temperature
- 120 g Philadelphia cream cheese
- 1/2 cup salted caramel , at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 3.5-4 cups icing sugar (430-480g)
- 200 g dark chocolate (I use 60-70%), very finely chopped
- 1/2 cup cream
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Preheat the oven to 175°C. Grease and line three x 20cm round cake tins with baking paper.
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In a bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
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In a separate bowl (or a stand mixer if you have one), beat together the eggs, buttermilk, canola oil and vanilla until smooth.
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Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients on a low speed until almost combined. Add the hot coffee and mix until just combined. Gently fold in the chocolate chunks.
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Divide the batter among the three cake tins (I use a cup measure to try to make it as even as possible) and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the tops are just set and a skewer comes out just clean. Remove from the oven to cool. After 20 minutes or so, remove from the tins and place cakes on cooling rakes or paper-lined flat plates to cool completely. The cakes need to be completely cool before you start frosting - normally a couple of hours.
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Make the salted caramel and caramel popcorn in the few days before you assemble the cake, and make the buttercream immediately prior to assembly.
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Heat the butter and cream in a small saucepan over a low heat until the butter is melted and the mixture is combined. Remove from the heat.
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Place the sugar and water in a large pot over a low heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Stop stirring (as it can cause the sugar to crystallise) and cook on a high heat until the mixture reaches a dark amber colour (usually about 10 minutes and when it reaches ~175°C/350°F on a candy thermometer).
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Quickly whisk in the cream and butter mixture, but be careful here as it boils up vigorously with a lot of steam, so you may want to wear an oven mitt or similar to protect your hand.
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Remove from the heat and add the salt and vanilla extract, stirring to combine. Leave to cool and then taste to adjust the salt.
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Set aside in a jar or similar - you will be using this caramel in the popcorn, the buttercream and to drip over the finished cake.
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Preheat the oven to 150°C and line a baking tray with baking paper. Make the popcorn according to packet instructions, in a popcorn machine or in a pot (see here for instructions)
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Place popped popcorn in a large bowl.
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Heat the caramel until almost boiling. Add the baking soda, stir as it fluffs up and quickly pour over the popcorn. Toss the caramel through the popcorn until evenly coated and then spread out over the baking tray in an even layer. Bake for 10 minutes, turning once after 5 minutes. Leave to cool. Store in an airtight container.
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Using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or a handheld electric mixer, beat the softened butter until pale and creamy, about five minutes.
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Add the cream cheese, caramel and vanilla and beat at low speed until fully incorporated. Gradually increase speed and continue beating until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, about 3-4 minutes.
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Add the icing sugar in three lots, beating on low speed until combined. Beat on medium high speed until smooth and fluffy while scraping down the sides (about 2 minutes)
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Make the salted caramel and the salted caramel popcorn. Just before assembly, make the salted caramel cream cheese buttercream.
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If your cakes have domed at all, cut off the top with a serrated knife to flatten.
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Place the first layer, flat side up (upside-down) on a cake stand. Cut out few strips of baking paper and slide under the edges of the cake (see picture above) to catch any drips, so when you have finished icing the cake you can pull them out and end up with a clean-edged cake stand/plate.
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With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with caramel buttercream (use just under a cup, or enough to make a layer a similar size to in the picture). It doesn’t matter if the buttercream goes over the edge a little as it will be incorporated into the frosting on the sides of the cake. Place the second layer on top and spread evenly with frosting. Repeat with the third layer, but this time also frost the sides of the cake with the remaining frosting.
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If you are at all worried about the structural stability of your cake (which I almost always am, when I carry it around etc!), cut 3-4 wooden skewers to the height of your cake and poke them through the three layers to stop them from sliding over each other.
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Place in the fridge to set slightly while you make the chocolate ganache.
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Place very finely chopped chocolate a small bowl. Bring cream to boiling point and pour over the chocolate, making sure the chocolate is all covered. Leave for five minutes then stir with a fork until smooth and glossy.
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Once you have made the chocolate ganache, remove the cake from the fridge and pour the ganache over the top of the cake. Use a knife or offset spatula to spread it over the top, creating drips down the sides.
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Leave to set for 10-15 minutes. At this point you can remove the baking paper strips from the cake stand.
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Just before serving, stack the caramel popcorn on the top of the cake, interspersing handfuls of popcorn with drizzles of extra salted caramel to stick it all together. You will probably end up with extra popcorn.
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Drizzle any extra salted caramel over the sides of the cake however you wish.
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Devour!
What a beautiful cake!! I love the idea of adding caramel popcorn on top, I will have to try that sometime. The ganache looks simply wonderful 🙂
Thank you!! The caramel popcorn went down a treat, and this recipe does make extra so we were snacking on it for days – so good! 🙂
Hah, I have made birthday cakes for my brother before… but not to this standard! This is just over the top deliciousness! It looks time consuming but none of the elements seem out of place here… caramel, popcorn and chocolate all go together so well! I bet he really enjoyed it O_O
Thank you!! Yes he loved it – I’m not sure I have ever seen anyone consume cake so quickly! 🙂
OMG! This looks amazing, I have a total weakness for chocolate cakes, but this is over the top!
Thanks Sarah! I agree, chocolate cakes can’t really be beaten – especially when combined with salted caramel! X
WOW! I am speechless. This is incredible! What a stunning cake, Claudia! What a wonderful thing to do for your brother! I hope he loved the cake!
Thanks Harriet! He absolutely loved it, judging by the rate it was consumed! X
What an amazing cake Claudia, you’re like the best sister ever!
Haha I’ll tell Wynton you said that, thank you!
Woahhhh! This is incredible! Happy birthday to Wynton, and congratulations to you for creating this masterpiece! I am very impressed/inspired/hungry now! Adore your glorious site and spot on pictures.
xx Lane
Thanks Lane! Xx
HOLY COW!! This cake is insane! So many layers of amazing deliciousness!! Obsessed!
Thanks Emily, I definitely had fun constructing it! X
This cake looks so delicious!!!! I was thinking about putting some popcorn as a cake topper. Any helpful tips? 🙂
Thanks Courtney! For using popcorn as a cake topper, it was really handy to use baking soda to make the caramel fluffier and easier to coat the popcorn with. Then it was quite difficult to pile it up since it would all just roll off, so I ended up sticking it together with extra drizzles of salted caramel, which worked pretty well. So I guess having something to make it a bit sticky is key! Hope that helps 🙂
Holy crap I need this in my life and in my face right now! Gorgeous blog x
Thanks Ruby – I wish I had a piece of this for my face right now too, but it has all been eaten! X
Now THAT’S a cake! Wow, so rich and delicious, gorgeous!
🙂 thanks nicole x
Whoa! Now THIS is a cake! I seriously think I could devour the entire thing all by myself – chocolate, salted caramel, buttercream, AND popcorn… does it get any better than this?! I think not. Pinning for sure!
That cake is truly a beauty. what a great topping. Your brother had to love it.
He sure did – and so did the whole rest of the family! The popcorn both looks good and tastes amazing, so definitely a good cake-topper x
Ahhhhhhh O-M-G!!
THIS CAKE!!! IT’S AMAZING!!!!
seriously, I have no words!!
All i wanna do is drool and devour 3 slices 😀
Your brother is lucky to have a sis like you to whip him up such amazing treats! (I bet he’ll be missing you and the desserts you make!)
xx
Aw thank so much Bec!! Haha my brothers all complain about how baking-free the house is when I am not around – maybe someday it will provide enough incentive for them to start doing some baking themselves!
Xx
WHOA. This looks amazing! I would like a slice please!! Or just the entire thing. 🙂 Something I’ll definitely have to try. My husband would go nuts for this. xo
Thanks Jenn, nice to hear from you! Would love to know how it goes if you try it x
This cake is epic. You are a goddess. That is all.
Aw thanks Erin, you are too kind! <3
What a stunningly beautiful cake! Love the caramel corn on top!!
Thank you Lauren! <3
Oh my gosh, this looks heart-achingly, mouth- wateringly, unbelievably amazing! I think I never want to eat anything else again. I LOVE the combo of crunchy caramel popcorn with the creamy buttercream. What a winner.
Aw thank you so much Rosie!! I definitely need to make it again – just looking at the photos makes me want another piece! 🙂
IS THIS REAL LIFE?? About to shed some tears because this is just beautiful. Absolutely love your photos too.
Aw thank you so much Caitlin!! <3 <3
Phwoar!!!
<3 thank you!
Hey, Claudia!
Your cake looks just fabulous!! I’m going to make it for family party but there’s no mention about the form size… I’m guessing it’s 18 cm or is it bigger?
Thanks in advance for your reply, keep it up with the amazing blog and hope you have Merry Christmas and vacations!
Thanks Katerina!! Would love to know how the cake turns out for you, hope you have a wonderful Christmas as well! xx
haha, just wrote a comment and see prepare 3 20 cm cake tins))))) have a nice day!
Hi Claudia, I made this cake for my son’s birthday in February and have been meaning to write and say IT WORKED PERFECTLY!! Thanks so much for giving me the inspiration to do something that was not kiddyish but certainly drew lots of “oooohs” and “aaaahs”! The salted caramel popcorn is now a staple of movie nights and the sauce goes on EVERYTHING (I think it would go in my boys lunchboxes if they had their way!……). Love the recipes, love the inspiration, well done and keep it up!
Thanks Aisla!! So glad it worked out for you! I’m sure it was absolutely stunning – send me a photo if you have one handy!! and YES my brothers are the biggest fans of caramel sauce as well. xx
hey it looks divine. I want to make this cake but can i half the recipe ?? plz do reply
Yes you could definitely make the recipe smaller. The easiest way would be to do a 2/3 recipe (so 1 1/2 cups flour etc) and use 2 x 20cm cake tins – so it would be the same cake but 2 layers instead of three. To make it even smaller, do a 1/3 recipe and just make 1 layer of cake.
You could also halve the recipe and make cupcakes instead.
would love to know how you go
This cake looks and sounds AMAZING. I’m going to make this for my brother’s 21st, but I don’t have cream cheese and was going to make a normal buttercream. Do you know about how much icing I would need? I usually have double the weight of icing sugar to butter, so do you think a cup of butter would be enough?
I’m so excited to make and eat this! <3
Hi Michelle! Thank you so much! I think the amount of icing will depend on whether you want a full thick white coat of frosting or more of a ‘semi nude/rustic’ thin frosting kind of look. For a thin frosting I think you’d be okay with one cup of butter, but if you want a thicker coat you’d probably need 1 1/2 cups (considering that you are taking out the cream cheese and caramel). I was having a look at these two recipes – they are for a similar cake size (8-9inch) but 4 layers rather than 3, and use 2 cups of butter. I’d go with 1 1/2 cups if I was you and then if you have extra it doesn’t matter!
http://www.thevanillabeanblog.com/2016/10/vanilla-bourbon-cake.html
https://www.stylesweetca.com/blog/2016/1/21/how-to-make-a-butter-cake-my-top-tips-for-baking-the-best-vanilla-bean-cake
Let me know how it goes! 🙂
Thanks! I did actually use the caramel sauce in it, and used about a cup of butter and there was just enough. Everyone really loved the cake! Especially the popcorn!
So glad it worked out, thanks for letting me know! And YES how addictive is that caramel popcorn?!
I am making this recipe but with salted caramel Swiss meringue buttercream by request. I’d love to try it with the cream cheese frosting one day soon!
Hi Tina, hope it went well! I find swiss meringue buttercream quite tricky personally so I tend towards cream cheese frosting – though sometimes it does get a little soft!
Hi Claudia,
My 11 year old son Reuben made this cake today for an entry for a master chef competition at his school (Takapuna Normal Intermediate School). The recipe was perfect to follow and every part of it seemed delicious (from nibbles along the way!). He absolutely loved making it and it looked so impressive when he put it all together.