Chocolate-Caramel Layer Cake

Name: Chocolate-Caramel Layer Cake
Yield: Serves 12
Ingredients: 1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 ounces; 213 grams), all-purpose flour; 3/4 cup (2 1/4 ounces; 64 grams), unsweetened cocoa powder; 1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces; 298 grams), granulated sugar; 1 1/4 teaspoons, baking soda; 3/4 teaspoon, baking powder; 3/4 teaspoon, salt; 3/4 cup, buttermilk; 1/2 cup, water; 1/4 cup, vegetable oil; 2 , large eggs; 1 teaspoon, vanilla extract; 1 1/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces; 248 grams), granulated sugar; 1/4 cup, light corn syrup; 1/4 cup, water; 1 cup, heavy cream; 8 tablespoons, unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces; 1 teaspoon, vanilla extract; 3/4 teaspoon, salt; 16 tablespoons, unsalted butter, softened; 3/4 cup (3 ounces; 85 grams), confectioners' sugar; 1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces; 43 grams), unsweetened cocoa powder; Pinch, salt; 1/2 cup, light corn syrup; 3/4 teaspoon, vanilla extract; 6 ounces (170 grams), bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled; 1/4—1/2 teaspoon coarse, sea salt (optional)

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Appears in Cook's Illustrated September/October 2015, America's Test Kitchen TV

Desserts or Baked Goods

Chocolate

Make Ahead

Cakes

The cake and frosting we weren’t worried about. But a caramel filling that was complex in flavor and spreadable, yet thick enough not to ooze out? That was another matter.

SERVES12

TIME2 hours, plus 7 hours cooling and resting

has video

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS

Many chocolate-caramel cakes barely contain enough caramel flavor to merit the name. To ensure caramel flavor in each bite, we sandwich three layers of thick but spreadable caramel filling between layers of deep, dark, moist chocolate cake....

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