A four layer cake consisting of a rich mocha mud cake layered with pillowy salted caramel and chocolate cheesecake frosting finished with a salted caramel drip. Jump to Recipe
Over the last few years, birthdays have become something I truly value. I’ve become aware of how quickly life changes and realised the importance of spending time with those we love. Birthdays are the perfect excuse to do just this. There is nothing quite as special as celebrating the day your loved ones entered the world.
So of course when I heard that two of my close friends would be in Melbourne for their birthday I was thrilled! It had been 4 years since we’d last spent their birthday together, so I knew I had to make this occasion as special as possible. Of course, this meant making them a birthday cake. More specifically, a mocha salted caramel cake.
The cheesecake frosting sandwiching the dark, rich mud cake adds a delicious lightness to what would otherwise be a very dense cake. Loaded up with mascarpone, cream cheese, butter AND cream it’s like eating a smooth, cheesecake-y cloud. The salted caramel gives it a delicious savoury undertone, cutting through both the sweetness and richness of the cake.
Creating and assembling this beauty in 30 degree heat was not the easiest of tasks. I had to yo-yo the cake in and out of the fridge to stop the frosting and the chocolates from turning into one big melty mess. Needless to say, I was pretty thrilled with the final product. Topped with an additional drizzle of caramel and embellished with an assortment of gold dusted chocolates, it’s a cake with true elegance.
Unfortunately I was unable to capture any moments of the cake at the birthday party and therefore don’t have any photos of it sliced. I can however assure you it was enjoyed! In fact, the other birthday cake wasn’t even touched until the day after the party.
Baker’s Notes:
- I suggest that this cake is made over two days to allow plenty of stress-free time to assemble
- The mud cake can be made in advance and can be frozen for 2-3 months
- I used this salted caramel recipe
- 200g unsalted butter, cubed
- 200g 70% dark chocolate, chopped
- 150g dark brown sugar
- 250 mls hot coffee
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 150g self-raising flour
- 180g almond meal
- 750g cream cheese
- 250g mascarpone
- 300ml thickened cream, whipped
- 100g butter
- 2 tsp vanilla essence
- 3 tbs cocoa
- 4 tbs icing sugar
- 6 tbs salted caramel
- meringues, crushed
- cacao nibs
- roasted almonds, chopped
- salted caramel
- chocolates
- caramel popcorn
- gold dust
- Pre-heat your oven to 160°C, fan-forced. Grease a round and two deep round 8-inch cake pans with melted butter and line with baking paper.
- Place butter, chocolate, sugar and vanilla in a heavy-base saucepan. Stir ingredients over medium low heat for 5 minutes or until smooth. Stir in the hot coffee and set aside to cool.
- Beat the eggs into the chocolate mixture one at a time using a hand-held electric mixer.
- Sift flour over the chocolate mixture and mix in until well combined.
- Fold in the almond meal.
- Pour cake mixture into pre-prepared pans and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a skewer comes out almost clean. Leave cakes to cool in tins for 30 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool. Once completely cooled, cut each cake into two layers. Cover and set aside in fridge until cake assembly.
- Use an electric mixer beat the cream cheese, mascarpone, butter and vanilla essence until pale and fluffy.
- Gently fold in the whipped cream.
- Separate ¼ of the mixture and fold in the icing sugar and cocoa. Set aside.
- Fold in the salted caramel to the remaining cream cheese mixture.
- Gently fold in whipped cream until combined and set filling aside until needed.
- Place one cake later on the plate you intend to serve it on.
- Place a spoonful of chocolate frosting in the centre and pipe salted caramel frosting around the edges. Using an offset spatula, evenly spread frosting over the cake (about 0.5-1 cm thick).
- Sprinkle with crushed meringues, cacao nibs and almonds.
- Gently place a second cake layer on top and repeat the process.
- Gently place on the third cake layer and repeat one final time.
- Top with the fourth layer and place cake in fridge for 20 minutes.
- Apply a thin layer of frosting to the top and sides of cake (a crumb coat). Return cake to fridge for another 20 minutes.
- Remove cake from fridge and apply another layer of frosting to achieve a smooth layer.
- To decorate the cake: slowly spoon salted caramel along the edge of half the cake, allowing it to drip down the side. Decorate with caramel popcorn, chocolate and gold dust.
- Serve at room temperature.