The Best Fluffy Pancakes recipe you will fall in love with. Full of tips and tricks to help you make the best pancakes.
Looking for a cake that delivers a delightful mix of sweet, salty, crunchy, and smooth? Meet the Salted Caramel Pretzel Cake—a show-stopping dessert that’s as delicious as it is beautiful. With layers of rich chocolate cake, gooey salted caramel, and crunchy pretzel pieces, this cake is sure to impress at any gathering. Topped with a dreamy milk chocolate buttercream, it’s the perfect blend of flavors and textures.
Salted Caramel Pretzel Cake
Course: DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Medium12
servings20
minutes35
minutes925
kcalIngredients
- For the Chocolate Cake:
1 ¾ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
¾ cup cocoa powder
1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
2 large eggs
½ cup vegetable oil
1 cup whole milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 ½ teaspoon espresso powder
1 cup boiling water
- For the Salted Caramel:
2 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 cup heavy cream
½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 stick unsalted butter, cold, cut into tablespoons
- For the Milk Chocolate Buttercream:
⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
⅓ cup + 1 tablespoon warm water
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1 10-ounce bag milk chocolate chips
1 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar
- Additional Ingredients:
5 cups petite pretzels, broken into pieces
½ cup whole pretzels (for decoration)
Directions
- For the Chocolate Cake:
- Prepare the pans: Grease and flour three 9-inch baking rounds. Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Mix dry ingredients: In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda.
- Mix wet ingredients: On low speed, add eggs, oil, milk, vanilla, and espresso powder. Mix for 1–2 minutes.
- Add boiling water: Carefully pour in boiling water. Mix on low speed until combined.
- Bake: Divide batter evenly between pans. Bake for 20–22 minutes. Cool completely.
- For the Salted Caramel:
- Heat sugar: Combine sugar and corn syrup over medium-high heat until liquid. Cook until dark amber color (10–12 minutes).
- Add cream carefully: Remove from heat and slowly stir in heavy cream. It will bubble up.
- Finish caramel: Return to heat and cook until mixture reaches 238°F. Stir in salt and cold butter. Let cool.
- For the Milk Chocolate Buttercream:
- Melt chocolate: Using a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips. Let cool.
- Beat butter: Beat butter and salt until pale and fluffy. Add confectioner’s sugar and continue to mix.
- Mix in chocolate: Slowly incorporate the melted chocolate and the cocoa powder mixture. Beat until smooth.
- To Assemble:
- Pipe frosting around the edge of the first cake layer. Fill the center with salted caramel and broken pretzel pieces.
- Repeat for the second layer, and top with the third layer.
- Frost the outside of the cake for a “naked” look, then decorate with broken pretzels around the base.
- Drizzle salted caramel over the top for a dripping effect, and pipe stars along the edges using the remaining frosting. Top with whole pretzels for a finishing touch.
Notes or Tips:
- Make sure the salted caramel cools slightly before adding to the cake layers.
- A double boiler works best for melting the chocolate without burning it.
- For a professional finish, use a flat spatula to smooth the frosting around the cake.
Conclusion:
This Salted Caramel Pretzel Cake is the perfect treat to bring to any celebration. With its layers of rich chocolate, sweet caramel, and salty pretzels, it’s sure to be the star of the dessert table. Give it a try and enjoy the compliments!