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Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake Cake

It all starts with the perfect chocolate cake and rich cheesecake topped with salted caramel sauce and homemade chocolate buttercream.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time40 minutes
Chill2 hours
Total Time2 hours 55 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Chocolate Caramel Cheesecake Cake, Perfect Chocolate Cake
Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 1101kcal
Author: Amanda Rettke--iambaker.net

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

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.

Nutrition

Calories: 1101kcal