Chocolate Caramel Cake

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5 from 136 votes
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This chocolate caramel cake is a moist and tender chocolate cake layered with a smooth salted caramel! Made without butter, eggs, or milk, you only need one bowl and simple ingredients to prepare!

chocolate caramel cake

Salted Caramel Cake

When it comes vegan cakes, there are a few I have in my rotation. Currently, my favorites include a lemon blueberry cake, applesauce cake, and this chocolate salted caramel cake.

I’ve always been a fan of caramel and chocolate combination. I think it stemmed from a young age when I’d fight my sister for the caramel filled chocolates in those fancy multi-flavored boxes. It then turned into ordering hot fudge sundaes with both caramel and chocolate sauce and even went as far as caramel brownies

I’ve been meaning to do a caramel cake for quite some time now. After making my vegan caramel and vegan chocolate cake, I thought to combine the two to create this shiow stopping caramel chocolate cake!

Let’s discuss each part properly- The chocolate cake is moist, fluffy, and with a tender crumb. It’s also ridiculously foolproof to make. There is no butter, no eggs, and no milk needed to whip it up. The caramel layer is thick, sweet, and has the consistency of dulce de leche. I used my homemade 1 ingredient caramel recipe, which essentially is boiled coconut condensed milk! Topped with a little salt, you’ll have to stop yourself from eating it with a spoon!

Put together, you love the taste and texture of this cake. Not only is this cake completely vegan, but it’s also dairy free and gluten free!

salted caramel chocolate cake

How do you make a chocolate caramel cake? 

The ingredients and instructions yield a single layer cake with frosting. If you’d like to make this a layer cake, as pictured, simply double or triple the ingredients! 

The Ingredients

  • All purpose flour– Sift your flour first, to ensure that there are no clumps in the batter. To ensure this remains a gluten free cake, use gluten free all purpose flour. 
  • Cocoa powder– Dutch processed cocoa powder or dark cocoa powder. The dark cocoa powder gives the cake a richer flavor. 
  • Sugar of choice– Any sugar can be used. White sugar, brown sugar, or even coconut sugar can be used. If you’d like for this to be a sugar free cake, use a sugar free sub, like monk fruit sweetener or erythritol. 
  • Baking soda– Works with the vinegar to give the cake some rise and fluffiness, without needing any eggs whatsoever. 
  • Salt– Brings out the sweetness of the cake, and also sprinkle on the caramel. 
  • Vinegar– Either white vinegar or apple cider vinegar can be used. You can also use lemon juice if you don’t have vinegar, but it doesn’t achieve the same fluffiness. 
  • Vanilla Extract– A must for any good cake recipe! 
  • Oil of choice– Use a neutral flavored oil, like canola, vegetable, or safflower oil. 
  • Water– To mix everything together. I also tried this with unsweetened almond milk and noticed no difference whatsoever. 
  • Caramel sauce– To layer the cake with and spread all over and around! I used my vegan caramel, but you can use any caramel sauce of choice! 

The Instructions

Start by mixing together your dry ingredients, until combined. Next, add your wet ingredients and mix well, until a smooth batter remains. Transfer the batter into an 8-inch cake pan and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool completely, before frosting it. 

chocolate caramel cake recipe

Tips to make the best caramel cake

  • If you’d like to make a layer cake or triple layer cake, simply grease 2 or 3 8-inch cake pans and bake for the same time as a single layer cake. 
  • My homemade caramel sauce is thick, like a dulce de leche. If you’d like a smoother and thinner caramel sauce, use a store bought kind or a homemade version using brown sugar and vegan butter.
  • If you’d like this to be a plain caramel cake, as opposed to a salted caramel cake, simply omit sprinkling salt between each layer. 
  • Serve this cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or chocolate ice cream

Storing and Freezing Cake

  • To store: Cake can be stored in the refrigerator, in a sealed container, or covered in plastic. The cake will keep fresh for up to 2 weeks. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, before enjoying.
  • To freeze: Slices of cake can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months. Be sure that the slices are completely sealed, either in a container or covered in plastic wrap. 

salted caramel cake

More delicious cakes to try

salted caramel chocolate cake

Chocolate Caramel Cake

5 from 136 votes
This chocolate caramel cake is a moist and fluffy chocolate cake layered with a delicious and simple caramel sauce! Made with no butter, no milk, and no eggs, this vegan and gluten free cake uses just one bowl!
Servings: 12 Slices
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 25 minutes
Total: 30 minutes

Ingredients  

  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour gluten free, if needed
  • 1 cup sugar white, brown, coconut, or sugar free subs
  • 1/4 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon vinegar white or apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 6 tablespoon oil of choice canola, vegetable, safflower, or any neutral oil
  • 1 cup water
  • 1 cup Homemade caramel sauce can use store bought
  • 1/2 cup chocolate frosting Optional

Instructions 

  • Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line an 8-inch cake pan with cooking spray and set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, add your dry ingredients and mix well. Add your wet ingredients and mix until a thick cake batter remains.
  • Transfer your cake batter into the greased pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan completely.
  • Once the cake is cool, frost with the caramel. For a salted caramel, add a sprinkle of salt all over it. If you make a layer cake, feel free to add chocolate frosting on top.

Notes

For a double layer cake, double the ingredients. For a triple layer cake, triple the ingredients. 
TO STORE: Cake can be stored in the refrigerator, in a sealed container, or covered in plastic. The cake will keep fresh for up to 2 weeks. Let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, before enjoying.
TO FREEZE: Slices of cake can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months. Be sure that the slices are completely sealed, either in a container or covered in plastic wrap. 
 

Nutrition

Serving: 1SliceCalories: 189kcalCarbohydrates: 30gProtein: 2gFat: 7gSodium: 204mgPotassium: 44mgFiber: 2gVitamin A: 4IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 5mgIron: 1mgNET CARBS: 28g
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Arman Liew
Tried this recipe?Give us a shout at @thebigmansworld or tag #thebigmansworld!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.

Arman Liew

I’m a two time cookbook author, photographer, and writer, and passionate about creating easy and healthier recipes. I believe you don’t need to be experienced in the kitchen to make good food using simple ingredients that most importantly, taste delicious.

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  1. 5 stars
    I made this cake for my wife a couple years ago on her birthday and she still talks about it. I’ll be making another one this Sunday for her birthday. Great recipe!

  2. What consistency did you use for the caramel in the picture, meaning how did you achieve that and stillbe able to layer your cake layers without having the caramel gush out during icing?