If you’re a chocolate cake fan, my chocolate espresso cake with salted caramel buttercream is going to be your new obsession. Rich chocolate cake layers are infused with espresso for a deep, bold flavor, then filled with a luscious homemade caramel filling and finished with a silky salted caramel buttercream frosting.
This cake is incredibly moist, perfectly balanced between sweet and rich, and ideal for birthdays, holidays, special occasions, or anytime you want to impress family and friends with a bakery-style dessert made right at home.
If you’re a cake-lover, you have to try my funfetti cake, lemon blueberry cake, or banana poke cake.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Rich chocolate flavor enhanced with espresso
- Moist, tender cake layers
- Homemade caramel filling between every layer
- Creamy salted caramel buttercream frosting
- Perfect for birthdays, celebrations, and holidays
- Easy-to-follow recipe with stunning results
Key Ingredients
You’ll find a full list of the ingredients and their exact amounts in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Cocoa Powder: Gives the cake its deep, rich chocolate flavor and classic dark color.
- Instant Espresso: The secret ingredient that makes the chocolate taste even more intense. It doesn’t make the cake taste like coffee. It simply boosts the chocolate flavor.
- Buttermilk: Creates a tender, soft crumb and adds a slight tang that balances the richness of the chocolate and caramel.
- Caramel Sauce: Brings a buttery, sweet caramel flavor that pairs perfectly with the chocolate cake.
- Salt: A key ingredient in the salted caramel frosting. It balances the sweetness and makes the chocolate and caramel flavors pop.
Variations
- Swap the Frosting: Swap the frosting to create variations like German chocolate cake, chocolate strawberry cream cake, chocolate cake with mocha mascarpone frosting.
- Chocolate Blueberry Cake: Use blueberry buttercream frosting for a fruity version.
- Extra-Rich Poke Cake: Use the cake batter as the base for this dark chocolate banana poke cake.
- Double Chocolate: Add chocolate chips to the batter for even more chocolate flavor.
- Mocha Caramel Cake: Increase the espresso powder slightly for a stronger coffee flavor.
- Nutty Caramel Cake: Sprinkle chopped pecans or walnuts between the layers for added crunch.
- Semi-Homemade: You can use store-bought caramel sauce if you’re pressed for time.
- Cupcakes: Divide the batter into cupcake liners and bake at 350°F for approximately 18–22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
How to Make Chocolate Espresso Cake with Salted Buttercream
Step 1: Whisk the dry ingredients and set aside.
Step 2: Beat the butter until creamy. Then, beat in the sugar until fluffy. Finally, add the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla.
Step 3: Alternate adding the dry ingredients and buttermilk to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined.
Step 4: Bake in two prepared 9-inch cake pans until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes in the pans, then turn the cakes out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Step 5: Bring the filling ingredients to a low boil and cook until thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla. Cool completely.
Step 6: Beat the butter until fluffy. Then, mix in salt and powdered sugar until smooth. Beat in the caramel until combined.
Step 7: Top a cake layer with caramel filling. Then, add the second cake and frost completely.
Step 8: Enjoy as-is, or garnish with pieces of soft caramel, a drizzle of caramel sauce, and chocolate shavings, if desired.
Expert Tips
- Room temperature butter, eggs, and buttermilk help create a smoother batter and a softer cake texture.
- Adding hot caramel to frosting can cause it to melt, so be sure it cools completely before mixing.
- Cool the cakes completely before assembling, or the frosting will melt and slide off them.
- Give the cake pan a few gentle taps around the sides and bottom to help the cakes release from the pan.
- A short chill in the refrigerator helps the layers set and makes slicing easier.
Chocolate Espresso Cake FAQs
Not really. The espresso enhances and deepens the chocolate flavor rather than making the cake taste strongly of coffee. Even people who don’t typically enjoy coffee often love this cake.
Yes. You can substitute the hot water and instant espresso powder with strong brewed coffee for a similar flavor boost.
Espresso intensifies the cocoa’s richness and creates a deeper, more complex chocolate flavor without overpowering the dessert.
Yes. If you don’t have buttermilk, combine 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar with enough milk to make 1 cup. Let it sit for 5 minutes before using.
Store this cake in a covered container at room temperature in a cool area of the kitchen for up to 3 days. For longer storage, refrigerate it for up to 5 days or freeze it for up to 2 months.
Chill the whole cake, wrap it tightly in a double layer of plastic wrap and a layer of foil, then freeze for up to 2 months. Wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and freeze in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 2 months.
Pair Your Cake with These Main Courses
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Chocolate Espresso Cake with Salted Caramel Buttercream
Ingredients
Chocolate Espresso Cake
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- ¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup butter, (1½ sticks, room temperature)
- 2 cups packed light brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 4 teaspoon instant espresso coffee
- ¾ cup hot water
Caramel Filling
- ¾ cups butter, (1 ½ sticks)
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ¼ cup whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting
- 1½ cups butter
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla Extract
- ¾ cup caramel filling, approximately
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325° and generously butter (2) 9 inch round cake pans and then lightly dust with flour. Cut parchment paper to fit and place in the bottom of the pans. Set aside.
Chocolate Espresso Cake
- Using a medium bowl, whisk flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt together, set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixture until creamy then add brown sugar and beat for approximately 2 minutes until mixture is blended and smooth.
- Add eggs one at a time beating well between additions then add vanilla.
- Add flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk in 2 additions, and beating just until blended after each addition.
- Heat water in the microwave for 60 seconds, add instant espresso, stir until dissolved.
- Gradually add hot espresso mixture into cake batter until smooth.
- Pour batter equally into both cake pans and place on the center rack in a preheated 325° oven.
- Bake until the toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 40 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and cool on the rack for 15 minutes then run a knife along the edge to loosen up the cake.
- Invert cake on rack, remove parchment paper then invert cakes upright to cool completely.
Caramel Filling
- In a small saucepan, melt butter over low heat.
- Stir brown sugar and milk into the pan, stir.
- Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly (which will be approximately 10-14 minutes total or until caramel sauce has thickened up a bit).
- Remove from heat, add vanilla. Stir.
- Let caramel cool for about 10 minutes.
- *Will be reserving about ¾ cup of the caramel filling to add to the buttercream frosting.
Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting
- Beat the butter until it is light and creamy. Add the milk and vanilla extract and beat until combined.
- Add the salt and powdered sugar. Beat until well blended.
- Next, add the caramel sauce once it has cooled completely. Beat until well combined.
Assembling the Cake
- Spread the caramel filling over the bottom cake layer.
- Add the top cake layer and frost with the salted buttercream frosting.
- Optional: top with pieces of soft caramel, if desired, then enjoy!
Notes
- Room temperature butter, eggs, and buttermilk help create a smoother batter and a softer cake texture.
- Cooking the caramel filling on low heat and stirring constantly helps keep the caramel smooth.
- The caramel filling needs to be thick enough to spread but not soft ball stage, or too thick, because some will be added to the frosting. It will firm up as it cools down.
- Adding hot caramel to frosting can cause it to melt, so be sure it cools completely before mixing.
- Cool the cakes completely before assembling, or the frosting will melt and slide off them.
- Give the cake pan a few gentle taps around the sides and bottom to help the cakes release from the pan.
- A short chill in the refrigerator helps the layers set and makes slicing easier.
Nutrition
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