Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake
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Salted Caramel Chocolate Cake

By August 9, 2024

Recipe courtesy of Aby Abraham, Pastry Chef, Saucon Valley Country Club (Bethlehem, Pa.)

Ingredients

Instructions

Procedure for the Old Fashioned Chocolate Cake:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F with a low fan. Prepare an 18 x 26-inch sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
  2. Sift together all dry ingredients and set aside.
  3. In a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, combine the eggs, sugar and oil.
  4. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract, mixing until combined.
  5. Gradually add in the dry ingredients, ensuring no lumps form.
  6. Bake for 10 minutes, then increase the fan to medium and bake for another 2 minutes.
  7. Cool at room temperature, then freeze. Once frozen, cut out circles using a 9-inch cake ring. Store circles in the freezer until assembly.
  8. Crumble the cake trimmings, toast in the oven, dehydrate and use as decoration.

Procedure for the Butter Caramel:

  1. In a heavy-bottomed pan, place sugar and scraped vanilla bean to make a dry caramel.
  2. Remove from heat, carefully add butter and mix until incorporated.
  3. Pour caramel onto a silicone sheet and let it cool.
  4. Using a food processor, turn the caramel into a powder.
  5. Store the caramel powder in an airtight container.

Procedure for the Salted Caramel Crunch:

  1. Melt and temper the milk chocolate to 86°F.
  2. Add butter caramel powder and rock salt, combining with a spatula.
  3. Spread the mixture thinly on parchment paper and refrigerate until set.
  4. Cut circles with a 9-inch cake ring and store them in the freezer until assembly.
  5. Save trimmings in the freezer for future use.

Procedure for the Caramel Crémeux:

  1. Bring cream and glucose to a boil; set aside.
  2. Make a dry caramel with the sugar in a separate pan.Once the caramel reaches the desired color, add the boiled cream mixture to stop cooking.
  3. Add butter and mix to combine.
  4. Add milk chocolate and salt, emulsifying with a hand blender.
  5. Cool at room temperature, then refrigerate overnight.

Procedure for the Milk Chocolate Mousse:

  1. Bloom gelatin sheets in ice water for 5 minutes, then squeeze out excess water and set aside.
  2. Partially melt the chocolate using a double boiler or microwave (30-second increments).
  3. Boil milk and half & half, then pour over partially melted chocolate.
  4. Melt gelatin sheets and add to the chocolate mixture.
  5. Blend until smooth with a hand blender.
  6. Fold in semi-soft whipped cream.

Procedure for the Vanilla Bavarian:

  1. Bloom gelatin sheets in ice water for 5 minutes, squeeze out excess water and set aside.
  2. Boil cream and half & half in a heavy-bottomed saucepan.
  3. Scrape vanilla bean into the cream mixture.
  4. In a mixing bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar.
  5. Temper egg yolks with hot cream, then return to the saucepan and cook to 179°F, stirring often.
  6. Add gelatin sheets and blend with a hand blender.
  7. Cool to 91°F, then fold in whipped heavy cream.
  8. Transfer to a piping bag.

Procedure for the Chocolate Dip:

  1. Melt cocoa butter in a saucepan.
  2. Pour melted cocoa butter over chocolate and let sit for a few minutes.
  3. Blend with a hand blender until combined.

Procedure for the Caramel Glaze:

  1. Bloom gelatin sheets in ice water for 5 minutes, squeeze out excess water and set aside.
  2. Combine cream, liquid glucose and butter in a pot and bring to a boil.
  3. In a separate heavy-bottomed pan, make a dry caramel with the sugar.
  4. Gradually add the cream mixture to the caramel, whisking to stop cooking.
  5. Cook on medium flame for another minute, then remove from heat and add gelatin.
  6. Add white and milk chocolate, whisking to combine.
  7. Emulsify with a hand blender and store in the refrigerator overnight.

To Assemble:

  1. Line a 10-inch cake pan with acetate around the edges. Place a 9-inch old fashioned chocolate cake circle at the bottom.
  2. Lightly spread a thin layer of caramel crémeux on the cake with a spatula.
  3. Place a 9-inch salted caramel crunch circle on top of the crémeux.
  4. Pipe a ½-inch thick layer of caramel crémeux on top of the caramel crunch.
  5. Pour 240 grams (about 8.47 oz.) of milk chocolate mousse and spread evenly.
  6. Place another layer of old-fashioned chocolate cake in the pan.
  7. Repeat the milk chocolate mousse layer, then another layer of old-fashioned chocolate cake.
  8. Finish with the vanilla Bavarian cream on top.
  9. Freeze overnight.
  10. The next day, demold the cake and return to the freezer.
  11. Melt the caramel glaze and chocolate dip, allowing them to reach 90°F.
  12. Place the frozen cake on a cooling rack above a sheet pan.
  13. Glaze the cake with a thin layer of chocolate dip, letting it set for a few minutes.
  14. Follow with the caramel glaze, letting it set for a few minutes.
  15. Transfer the cake to a cake board using spatulas.
  16. Decorate with whipped cream, dehydrated chocolate crumbs or other desired elements.
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