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featured chocolate caramel ombre cake,

Chocolate Caramel Ombre Cake Recipe

Course: Cake, Dessert
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 1 hour
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 10 people
Calories: 1027kcal
Author: Becky Hardin - Easy Dessert Recipes
Allow yourself some pure indulgence with this delicious Chocolate Caramel Ombre Cake! Layers of chocolate, vanilla and caramel come together under a finger licking frosting - utterly decadent!
Print Recipe

Equipment

  • Kitchen Scale (optional)
  • 3 9-inch Round Cake Pan
  • Stand Mixer
  • Piping Tip Set

Ingredients

For the Chocolate Cake

  • 15.25 ounces chocolate cake mix 432 grams (1 box), such as Betty Crocker Super Moist Favorites Milk Chocolate
  • 1¼ cups water 284 grams
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil 67 grams
  • 3 large eggs 150 grams
  • ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 21 grams

For the Caramel Cake

  • 15.25 ounces yellow cake mix 432 grams (1 box), such as Betty Crocker Super Moist Favorites Yellow
  • 1 cup water 227 grams
  • ½ cup vegetable oil 100 grams
  • 3 large eggs 150 grams
  • 3 tablespoons caramel sauce 60 grams, store-bought or homemade
  • 1 teaspoon caramel extract 4 grams

For the Vanilla Cake

  • 15.25 ounces white cake mix 432 grams (1 box), such as Betty Crocker Super Moist Favorites White
  • 1 cup water 227 grams
  • ½ cup vegetable oil 100 grams
  • 3 large eggs 150 grams
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams

For the Vanilla Frosting

  • 2 cups unsalted butter 452 grams, room temperature (4 sticks)
  • 4½ cups powdered sugar 509 grams
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 4 grams
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt

For the Chocolate Ganache

  • ¼ cup heavy cream 57 grams
  • ½ cup chocolate chips 85 grams
  • 2 teaspoons corn syrup 13 grams

For the Caramel Layer

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 3 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and spray the sides with baking spray. Set aside.
  • Add all of the ingredients for the chocolate cake mix batter indicated on the back of the box as well as the additional cocoa to a large mixing bowl. Whisk together until fully combined. Pour the cake batter into one of the prepared cake pans just until ¾ full. You will not use all of the cake batter. Set aside.
    15.25 ounces chocolate cake mix, 1¼ cups water, ⅓ cup vegetable oil, 3 large eggs, ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
    chocolate cake batter in a cake pan.
  • To make a caramel cake layer, add all of the ingredients indicated on the back of the box plus the caramel sauce and caramel extract to a large mixing bowl. Whisk together until fully combined. Pour the cake batter into a prepared cake pan just until ¾ full. You will not use all of this cake batter. Set aside.
    15.25 ounces yellow cake mix, 1 cup water, ½ cup vegetable oil, 3 large eggs, 3 tablespoons caramel sauce, 1 teaspoon caramel extract
    caramel cake batter in a cake pan.
  • To make the vanilla cake layer, add all of the ingredients indicated on the back of the box plus the vanilla bean paste to a large mixing bowl. Whisk together until fully combined. Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pan until ¾ full. You will not use all of this cake batter either.
    15.25 ounces white cake mix, ½ cup vegetable oil, 3 large eggs, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1 cup water
    vanilla cake batter in a cake pan.
  • Place all of the cakes into the oven to bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each of them comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Once baked, remove from the oven and place them onto a cooling rack to cool completely to room temperature.
    baked chocolate caramel and vanilla cakes in cake pans.
  • To make the vanilla frosting, add all of the frosting ingredients to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment. Beat together on high-speed for 1-2 minutes or until a fluffy and smooth frosting has formed. Fill a piping bag fitted with a round tip ¾ full with frosting. If you want a naked cake look, simply halve the frosting recipe.
    2 cups unsalted butter, 4½ cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, ½ teaspoon kosher salt
    vanilla frosting in a stainless mixing bowl.
  • To make the chocolate ganache, heat the heavy cream in a microwave-safe bowl for 1 minute. Pour the heated heavy cream over the chocolate chips and let set for 1 minute. Mix the chocolate chips and heavy cream together until smooth and chocolate ganache has formed. Add in the corn syrup and mix until well combined.
    ½ cup chocolate chips, ¼ cup heavy cream, 2 teaspoons corn syrup
    chocolate ganache in a small white bowl.
  • Place the cooled chocolate cake layer onto a cake stand or serving platter. Pipe a border of frosting around the top edge of the cake. Spoon the chocolate ganache into the center of the frosting wall and spread to the inside edges.
    chocolate cake layer with a ring of vanilla frosting and chocolate ganache on a white cake stand.
  • Place the caramel cake layer on top of the chocolate cake layer ensuring that the edges line up. Pipe a border of frosting around the top edge of the caramel cake. Pour the caramel sauce into the center of the frosting wall spread to the edges.
    ⅓ cup caramel sauce
    caramel sauce poured over caramel cake layer with a vanilla frosting ring on a white cake stand.
  • Place the vanilla cake layer on top of the caramel cake layer ensuring that the edges line up. Use an offset spatula or rubber spatula to frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. If you so desire, pipe a decorative edge all around the bottom of the cake. You can also drizzle chocolate and caramel sauce over the top of the cake for a decorative touch.
    frosted chocolate caramel ombre cake.

Notes

  • As with other cakes, do not over mix the cake batter as this will cause the gluten to over develop resulting in crumbly cakes.
  • If the frosting is too thick, add in 1-2 teaspoons of milk and mix well. If it becomes too thin, mix in 1-2 tablespoons of powdered sugar.
  • When making the chocolate ganache layer, I find using an immersion blender does a quicker and better job than whisking does.
  • I drizzled chocolate ganache and caramel sauce on top of the cake in a lattice pattern.
  • You can flavor the frosting with either chocolate ganache or caramel sauce! Simply add the remaining ganache or caramel sauce to the frosting and mix until combined.
  • You could also divide the frosting into 3 bowls and add a bit of ganache to one bowl and a bit of caramel sauce to another bowl. You could then pipe the frosting in an ombre pattern, starting with the chocolate on the bottom, then the caramel, then the plain vanilla. Use an offset spatula to gently blend the ombre pattern.
Storage: Store chocolate caramel ombre cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 1027kcal | Carbohydrates: 118g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 62g | Saturated Fat: 30g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 180mg | Sodium: 679mg | Potassium: 164mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 91g | Vitamin A: 1339IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 160mg | Iron: 2mg