Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake Cake is a cheesecake smothered in a salted caramel sauce and surrounded by two layers of chocolate cake, all coated with homemade chocolate buttercream. Then, to every chocolate lover’s delight, mini chocolate chips are pressed around the outside of the cake for more chocolate! It doesn’t get much more decadent than this! For another layered cheesecake, be sure to check out my Snickers Cheesecake Cake!
Ingredients & Substitutions
There are three main parts to this recipe–the cheesecake, chocolate cake, and chocolate buttercream. It’s getting your cake AND cheesecake and eating it, too!
Room Temperature Ingredients: For the best results in all parts of this dessert, ensure the ingredients are room temperature (except for the hot coffee).
Chocolate Cake: Although my homemade chocolate cake is amazing, to save time, you could use a box cake mix.
Coffee: Freshly brewed hot coffee is used in my homemade chocolate cake. No, it will not make the cake taste like coffee. It simply enhances the chocolate flavor! If you are not a coffee drinker, you could substitute hot water.
Chocolate Buttercream: There isn’t much better than a light, fluffy, and rich chocolate buttercream frosting! You will want to add this frosting to lots of your cakes!
Salted Caramel Sauce: Look for a jar of salted caramel to drizzle over the cheesecake for an added layer of deliciousness! Then, don’t be afraid to drizzle even more over the assembled cake!
Chocolate Chips: For even more chocolate flavor, press mini semi-sweet chocolate chips all around the outside of the cake. It not only looks great, but it is like a chocolate bonus!
Can I Make Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake Cake Ahead Of Time?
Yes! You can certainly get the parts of this cake made in advance. Then, it is ready to be assembled when you are ready to serve it! The cheesecake can be made ahead of time and stored in the refrigerator for up to a day or two. After the chocolate cake has been made, store it at room temperature for a day or so. And finally, the buttercream can be made and stored in an airtight container for up to a week!
How To Store Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake Cake
To store chocolate caramel cheesecake cake, cover it and keep it in the refrigerator. It will last up to 3-4 days.
More Cheesecake Recipes
Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake Cake
Ingredients
Cheesecake
- 2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
- 8 ounces sour cream, room temperature
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar, superfine
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
Chocolate Cake
- 1 ¾ cups (210 g) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ½ cup (112 g) vegetable oil
- 1 cup (240 g) buttermilk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- ¾ cup (90 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (237 g) freshly brewed hot coffee (I use decaf), or hot water
Chocolate Buttercream
- 1 ½ cups (3 sticks / 340 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 4 cups (500 g) confectioners' sugar
- ¾ cup (94 g) cocoa powder
- 4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 pinch kosher salt
Toppings
- 1 jar salted caramel sauce
- 1 bag mini chocolate chips
Instructions
Cheesecake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-inch springform pan with bakers spray and line with parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, flour, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Stir in the beaten eggs.
- Pour the filling into the prepared springform pan.
- Place your springform pan with the cheesecake in it into a slightly larger pan and add about 1 inch of hot water to the outside of the pan for the water bath. (Using a teapot with hot water works very well, as it is easy to pour and the water is already hot.)
- Bake for 40-50 minutes or until the cheesecake is dark brown and does not jiggle aggressively in the center. Remove from the oven and cool in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before assembling the cake.
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 2, 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray.
- Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl and mix until combined.
- In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla.
- With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
- Pour the batter evenly into the two cake pans. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick comes out mostly clean (not wet).
- Let the cakes cool in the pans for 30 minutes. Then, turn them out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
Chocolate Buttercream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whisk butter and sugar on medium-high speed until very pale and fluffy or about five minutes. Be sure to stop at least once and scrape the bowl.
- With the mixer off, add in cocoa powder, vanilla and salt.
- Turn mixer on low and blend for about 30 seconds.
- Add in heavy cream one tablespoon at a time.
- Once all cream has been added and the mixture is mostly combined, turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Now turn the mixer onto medium-high to high and whisk for 3-5 minutes or until mixture is lighter and fluffier. The frosting will be shiny and seem to have many large air bubbles throughout and this is exactly what we are going for. (You can smooth those out on the cake if so desired.)
Assembling Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake Cake
- Place one 8-inch layer of chocolate cake on a cake stand.
- Carefully place the cheesecake on top of that. Trim the cheesecake to make it the same size as the chocolate cake.
- Drizzle some of the salted caramel sauce on top of the cheesecake.
- Set the other layer of 8-inch cake on top of the cheesecake.
- Cover cake with a crumb coat of chocolate buttercream.
- Press mini chocolate chips into the side of the cake making sure to cover the sides completely.
- Pipe out dollops of the buttercream on top of the cake around the edge, and drizzle more salted caramel sauce on top. Chill until you are ready to serve.
Did you make this recipe?
Thank you for making my recipe! You took pictures, right? Well go ahead and post them on Instagram! Be sure to mention me @iambaker and use the hashtag #YouAreBaker.
I had a White Chocolate Cheesecake recipe that was absolutely amazing, but I lost it. I remember it required you bake it for an hour and then let it sit in the oven for an hour. I have always been a big white chocolate fanatic, and this had white chocolate in spades. I haven’t been able to find the recipe again. Have you ever come across a White Chocolate Cheesecake recipe that might sound like this? Oh, and by the way it Did Not have in the recipe any ingredients like raspberries or anything like that. Just a cheesecake where the white chocolate is the Star. Did I mention that I am a white chocolate fanatic. When I was a kid, I would go to the neighborhood food store and get a big chunk of it and it a little of it every day for a week, I Love it.
Have you ever added coca powder to make a chocolate cheesecake using The Cheesecake Factory mix? If so how much coca powder and do I need extra wet ingredient? And can you use a spring pan to make cheesescake? I’m definitely trying this but would love to make it a version of their Godiva cheesecake.
So glad Lisa!!
Hi, I started asking you a question and it got lost so trying again. I had a chance to get two 16oz containers of vanilla paste but don’t know how to use it. I really haven’t seen it being used on any sites and in any recipes so hopefully you can tell me what the best way would be. I also don’t know how to store it or what the shelf life would be. Love your recipes so I hope you can help me with this.
Of course! Vanilla paste is such a wonderful ingredient, and I’m glad you asked! It’s more concentrated than vanilla extract, and it includes the seeds from vanilla beans, giving your dishes that beautiful vanilla bean speckled look and rich flavor.
Here’s how you can use it:
Substitute for Vanilla Extract: You can use vanilla paste in a 1:1 ratio for vanilla extract in most recipes. For example, if a recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, use 1 teaspoon of vanilla paste instead.
Great for Baking: It works beautifully in baked goods like cakes, cookies, muffins, and cupcakes. Since the paste has a thicker consistency, it’s also ideal for custards, ice creams, and frostings.
Storage: Store the vanilla paste in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight. No need to refrigerate it! The pantry is perfect.
Shelf Life: Vanilla paste usually has a shelf life of around 3 years if stored properly, but always check the label for specifics.
I’d suggest trying it in your favorite recipes, like a simple vanilla cake or a rich buttercream frosting. You’ll love the depth of flavor it adds!
Let me know if you have any more questions—I’m always happy to help!