Chocolate Caramel Cake (Cake Mix)

Chocolate and caramel are the PERFECT pair in this delicious Chocolate Caramel Cake recipe!

Moist chocolate cake layers are filled with an easy caramel filling and frosted in homemade chocolate buttercream. Nobody would guess that this cake starts with a mix!

If you love trying out new chocolate cake recipes, this is for you.

Why we Love It

There are many reasons to love this flavorful chocolate cake.

• Ultra moist chocolate cake
• Creamy and light caramel filling (based on instant pudding)- similar to the fillings we've used in our easy Chocolate Mousse Cake and Orange Dreamsicle Cake.
• Perfect as a birthday cake recipe, holiday cake, or or other special occasions.
• We love the convenience of cake mix recipes! However you can easily substitute the chocolate cake layers with our scratch chocolate cake, chocolate sour cream cake, or for something milder- our chocolate velvet cake.

Ingredients for the Chocolate Layers

Here is a look at the ingredients for our chocolate cake layers. The caramel flavor in this cake comes from the caramel sauce glaze as well as the caramel cream filling.

Sour Cream adds richness and improves the texture of the chocolate cake mix.

Chocolate instant pudding adds additional flavor and also creates an ultra moist, soft cake.

The sugar and all purpose flour added to the recipe extend the amount of cake batter, giving us plenty for a three layer 8 inch cake.

Chocolate Cake Mix: Duncan Hines is our favorite at the moment, but you can substitute with your preferred cake mix recipe.

How to Make a Chocolate Caramel Cake

For today's cake, we are using a chocolate cake mix recipe that we really like, and pairing it with a super easy and luscious caramel cream filling.

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and Flour three 8 inch round pans. As an optional step, we also like to line the bottom of our pans with parchment paper.
• In the bowl of your mixer, add the chocolate cake mix, all purpose flour, instant chocolate pudding mix, and sugar. Whisk to blend.

• Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl (sour cream, vegetable oil, water, eggs, and vanilla extract). Mix on low speed for about 30 seconds.

• Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed and mix on medium speed for two minutes. The batter should look well blended.
• Divide the cake batter between the three prepared cake pans.

• Bake at 325℉ for approximately 20-25 minutes or until the layers spring back when lightly touched, or a toothpick can be inserted and removed with just a few moist crumbs attached. Baking times may vary depending on your oven and the type of pans used. Dark pans may bake slightly more quickly.

• Allow the baked cake layers to cool in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes before turning out. Make sure that they are completely cool before frosting!

Caramel Cream Filling

This caramel cream filling or caramel "mousse" filling is a simple recipe that comes together in no time. It is a combination of vanilla instant pudding mix, heavy cream, and caramel sauce. (We used store-bought caramel.)

First, we combined the sifted pudding mix and heavy cream. Then, we added the caramel sauce and mixed until thick and fluffy. You can add a bit more caramel as needed.

We recommend starting with ½ cup caramel sauce, and then add a tablespoon or two more if needed.

Since different brands of caramel sauce vary a bit with flavor and consistency, it is best to start with less and then add more as needed.

Chocolate Buttercream

We used a simple chocolate buttercream frosting which is a combination of softened butter, confectioners sugar, cocoa, a pinch of salt, and a bit of milk.

We have used this recipe for many of our chocolate cakes over the years- it is delicious! However, if you'd like more caramel flavor in this dessert, you can substitute with our homemade caramel frosting!

Assembling the Cake

To assemble the cake, place the first chocolate cake layer on the cake base or pedestal.

Then, pipe a dam of buttercream around the top edge of the cake layer, about ¼ inch from the edge.

Poke fairly shallow holes in the top of the cake layer with a fork. Then spread a thin layer of caramel sauce over the top of the layer (within the dam).

Now for the caramel cream filling! Because the surface of the cake layer is slick with caramel, it is easiest to pipe the caramel cream filling on top of the cake layer.

We did this using a disposable piping bag with the tip snipped away.

Then, use an offset spatula to lightly spread over the filling. Top with the second chocolate cake layer and repeat steps for filling.

Then, top with the last cake layer. Fill any gaps between the cake layers with buttercream frosting. (We pipe frosting into any gaps).

Then, spread a thin coat (crumb coat) of chocolate buttercream on top and around the sides of the cake.

At this point, we like to firm everything up by placing in the freezer for 15 minutes (or longer in the refrigerator).

Decorating the Cake

After chilling the crumb coated cake, we applied the second layer of chocolate buttercream and added texture with an offset spatula. Decorate however you like!

We had some leftover caramel cream filling that we used to pipe a reverse shell border around the top edge of the cake, and we also did the same with chocolate buttercream. Both of these borders were piped using a star tip 21.

Recipe FAQs

More Cakes with Caramel

We love caramel cake recipes and have made many over the years! Some of our cakes have caramel in a starring role, as with our Caramel Cake and Caramel Vanilla Latte Cake.

Other cakes call for a caramel glaze or filling, as with our Apple Bundt Cake.

Chocolate Caramel Cake

BY Melissa and Bebe

This delicious Chocolate Caramel Cake is so flavorful and impressive. It all starts with a cake mix! (The cake layers can easily be swapped for a from-scratch recipe if you prefer!)

Prep Time: 30 minutes mins

Cook Time: 25 minutes mins

Course: Dessert

Servings: 15

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Ingredients

• ▢ 1 15.25 oz Box Devils Food Cake Mix (We used Duncan Hines Devils Food Cake- Perfectly Moist
• ▢ ½ cup (60g) All Purpose Flour
• ▢ ½ cup (100g) sugar
• ▢ 1 (3.9 oz) small box Chocolate Instant Pudding Mix. (We use Jello Brand-Do not make pudding, just add the dry powder.)
• ▢ 1 cup (227g) Sour Cream
• ▢ ½ cup (108g) Vegetable Oil (we use canola)
• ▢ 1 ¼ cup (302g) water
• ▢ 3 large eggs room temperature
• ▢ 2 ½ teaspoons (10g) vanilla extract

For the Easy Caramel Cream Filling

• ▢ 1 (3.9 oz) small box instant Vanilla pudding We recommend sifting the Pudding Mix (to prevent graininess)
• ▢ 1 ¼ cups heavy cream or whipping cream
• ▢ ½ cup (175g) Caramel Sauce (Plus a small amount more if needed. We used Ghirardelli caramel sauce.)

For the Chocolate Buttercream

• ▢ 2 sticks (226g) unsalted butter softened (do not soften butter in the microwave)
• ▢ 5 cups powdered sugar Plus additional as needed.
• ▢ ¾ cup (70g) unsweetened cocoa (measure then sift)
• ▢ ⅓ -½ cup (72g) milk plus more as needed to reach the spreading consistency you like
• ▢ 2 teaspoons vanilla 8 grams
• ▢ ½ teaspoon (3g) salt

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease and Flour three 8 inch round pans. As an optional step, we also like to line the bottom of our pans with parchment paper.
• In the bowl of your mixer, add the chocolate cake mix, all purpose flour, sugar, and chocolate pudding mix. Whisk to blend.
• Add the remaining ingredients to the bowl (sour cream, vegetable oil, water, eggs, and vanilla). Mix on low speed for about 30 seconds.
• Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed and mix on medium speed for two minutes. The batter should look well blended.
• Bake at 325℉ for approximately 20-25 minutes or until the layers spring back when lightly touched, or a toothpick can be inserted and removed with just a few moist crumbs attached. Baking times may vary depending on your oven and the type of pans used. Dark pans may bake slightly more quickly.
• Allow the baked cake layers to cool in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes before turning out. Make sure that they are completely cool before frosting!

Caramel Cream Filling

• Combine the sifted vanilla pudding mix and heavy cream in a mixing bowl. I prefer to mix with a hand held mixer. If you don't have one, you can use a whisk, or the whisk attachment of a stand mixer.
• Mix on low to medium speed until well combined and it begins to thicken. Then, add the caramel sauce. Mix on medium-high speed. The mixture will become thick and fluffy. You can add an additional tablespoon or two more if needed.
• This makes about two cups of caramel cream filling.

Chocolate Buttercream

• Add butter and mix on low to medium speed until smooth. Add vanilla and blend into the butter.
• Add powdered sugar, salt, and cocoa powder.
• Add most of the milk and mix on low speed, increasing to medium as the ingredients become incorporated.
• Continue to mix adding remaining milk as needed. It may take 3-5 minutes to reach the smoothness and consistency you like. It will take longer if using a hand mixer. As you mix, the frosting will become very smooth. You can add additional milk (1 Tablespoon at a time) if the frosting is too thick or additional powdered sugar if too soft.

Assembling and Decorating the Cake

• Place the first chocolate cake layer on the cake base or pedestal. Next, spoon some chocolate frosting into a disposable piping bag with the tip snipped away. Then, pipe a fairly thick ring of buttercream about ¼ inch from the edge of the cake layer. This is a dam that will keep your filling contained.
• Next, poke some shallow holes into the top of the cake layer, followed by a thin layer of caramel sauce.
• Next, because of the slick surface of the caramel-glazed cake, it is best to pipe on the caramel mousse filling using a disposable piping bag with the tip snipped away. Then, use an offset spatula to lightly spread over it.
• Top with the second cake layer and repeat. Top with the third cake layer and fill in any remaining gaps between the cake layers with chocolate buttercream.
• Crumb coat the top and sides of the cake with a thin layer of buttercream. At this point, we like to chill the cake in the freezer for 15 minutes or in the refrigerator for longer, to firm everything up. Then, add the final layer of buttercream and decorate to your liking.
• We added texture with a small offset spatula, and then piped a top border with our remaining filling and frosting (using a star piping tip 21.) I piped two reverse shell borders.
• This cake should be refrigerated because of the filling. However, for best flavor and texture, it is best to remove the cake from the refrigerator a couple of hours before serving.

Notes

This cake should be refrigerated because of the cream filling. It is best to use an airtight container or cake dome.

However, for best flavor and texture, it is best to remove the cake from the refrigerator a couple of hours before serving.

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