When it comes to cake, it’s hard to beat the classic chocolate cake recipe. However, what better time to up the ante than Halloween? Inspired by our Chocolate and Caramel Dipped Pretzels, we thought we’d try recreating those flavors in a chocolate layer cake. The result was positively delicious.
This cake starts with ultra-light layers of moist chocolate cake. It is then filled with creamy caramel frosting and chopped chocolate covered pretzels (Mrs Prindables Chocolate and Caramel Dipped Pretzels or regular chocolate covered pretzels will do), coated with rich chocolate frosting, and decorated with more chocolate covered pretzels and festive sprinkles.
We pulled recipes from some of our favorite bloggers to share the best tried and tested individual cake and frosting recipes that you can use when assembling this delicious layer cake. However, you can absolutely supplement with a boxed chocolate cake mix and jarred frosting to save time, or use your own go-to chocolate cake and frosting recipes, and simply build your cake as outlined below.
Chocolate and Caramel Pretzel Cake
Ingredients
Equipment
- Offset Spatula
- Serrated Knife
- Small Chef's Knife
- Metal spoon
- Cutting Board
- Cake Plate
Instructions
1. Bake the cake layers as directed in your chocolate cake recipe (Brown Eyed Baker’s recipe has received rave reviews time and again) making sure to grease the cake pans with butter and line with parchment paper before pouring in the cake batter. Cool completely.
2. While the cake layers are cooling, make the caramel frosting. The caramel in the recipe from Two Sisters needs to cool to room temperature before whipping into a fluffy buttercream (if we knew how easy it was to make caramel frosting, we’d have started a lot sooner, it’s SO good). Set aside.
3. Once the cake layers are completely cool and the caramel frosting is made, mix the chocolate frosting together. The recipe from What’s in the Pan? is so airy and doesn’t require melting any chocolate, so it comes together really quickly! Set aside.
4. Grab a serrated knife and level the top of each cake layer so they’re nice and flat. If you skip this step, it makes it a bit more difficult to frost the outside of the cake as there will be more space between the layers.
5. With a chef's knife, chop up enough chocolate covered pretzels to scatter between each layer – you may need to chop more as you go.
6. Set the first cake layer on the cake plate and spoon on half of the caramel frosting, spreading it evenly across the top. Note: If you’ve only made two cake layers, you will likely not need to use all the caramel frosting to fill the center.
7. Sprinkle the chopped chocolate covered pretzels evenly over the caramel frosting and set the next cake layer on top. Repeat Step 6 if you’ve made three cake layers. Place the final cake layer on top.
8. With a clean spoon, scoop most of the chocolate frosting onto the top of the cake, then gently spread it across the top and ease it over the sides, covering evenly over any bare bits of cake. Smooth the frosting further with the offset spatula.
9. To decorate, press the chocolate covered pretzels into the side of the cake so they sit level with the base. We use pretzel rods because they look especially dramatic, creating a crown effect around the cake. Then, scatter your chosen sprinkles on top.
Serve and enjoy!
Note: The cake can be assembled a few hours ahead of serving and left at room temperature or a day ahead of time and refrigerated – just bring back to room temperature before serving.