After only a few seconds perusing its pages at the bookstore several weeks ago, I fell in baking love with Baked, which is brought to us by the bakery of the same name in Brooklyn. I brought it home, poured over its recipes, and marked more than a few as “must-bake.”
Fast forward to a few days before Thanksgiving, when I was having a very hard time deciding what to make in the chocolate category for our dinner. Suddenly, I remembered this cake and became very excited about making it.
Now having made this cake, I will tell you that it is evil. It’s not a simple cake to make, thus making it evil in my book. However, it is so jam-packed with goodness, making it evil in a whole other way.
So, let me paint the picture for you. Three layers of chocolate cake soaked with salted caramel and frosted with a caramel chocolate ganache, which was perhaps the most decadent thing I’ve ever put on a cake. With a pound each of butter and chocolate, not to mention all that heavy cream, I think that is a safe assumption. The combination of all that chocolate and salted caramel is just amazing.
I readily admit that I won’t be eager to make this one again, just from an effort standpoint. That being said, it is probably one of the very best cakes I’ve ever had the pleasure to eat. So, for those of you who enjoy making these labor-intensive cakes, you’ll be doubly rewarded with baking it and eating it. Just be sure to save a piece for me.
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December 1st, 2008 at 9:33 pm
Wow, those close-ups are amazing. The salted caramel hot chocolate is all the rage at Starbucks this year. This sounds fabulous!! And probably worth the effort??
December 1st, 2008 at 9:47 pm
It was going to happen sooner or later… I was going to blog this tomorrow!
I made this for my friend Joc’s bday two weekends ago and it was, indeed, insane. I am still recovering from the POUND of butter, just in the frosting. Did you have any trouble with your caramel oozing out the sides? It kept popping through the frosting, decoratively, of course.
December 1st, 2008 at 10:08 pm
Oh, but what a way to kill an afternoon! Looks amazing
December 1st, 2008 at 10:43 pm
was it a long tedious process? I don’t know if I am up for that. Even though this looks delicious, I have a very short attention span, especially when baking!
December 1st, 2008 at 10:47 pm
Praise the chocolate gods this looks incredible. It reminds me of my favorite chocolate bar by Chocopologie, 71% cocoa squares filled with burnt caramel and hawaiin sea salt…. it’s pretty much this cake packed into a 1″x1″ confection.
December 1st, 2008 at 10:49 pm
Chocolate cake is my sister’s favorite, and I’ve been looking for a recipe to impress her with…looks like this is the one!
Lovely as always,
Hayley
http://www.buffchickpea.com
December 2nd, 2008 at 12:14 am
That looks seriously delicious. Your photography is beautiful!
December 2nd, 2008 at 12:44 am
Your photos look amazing! I’m a huge fan of salty/sweet combos, so I’m for sure trying this one!
December 2nd, 2008 at 4:25 am
I have htis cookbook, but have yet to make this cake…it looks AMAZING! You must try the banana espresso chocolate chip mufiins…they are SO good!!!!!
December 2nd, 2008 at 4:25 am
*this
December 2nd, 2008 at 5:11 am
It looks well worth the effort!! Wish I had a piece!
December 2nd, 2008 at 5:39 am
This looks wonderful, the caramel alone I could eat! They just moved into Charleston and I have yet to visit them or look at their book. You have so tempted me!
December 2nd, 2008 at 7:46 am
Thanks, everyone!
Deb, I suppose you’re right. This was sure to happen eventually. I’ll look forward to reading about and seeing your cake. As for the caramel, I didn’t really have problems with it, but then again the cake didn’t last long with our Thanksgiving crowd, otherwise it might have happened evevtually.
Amanda, nothing about making it was really that hard. There are just many, many steps. I think you can make parts of this over a couple of days and then put it all together. That would at least help some. I don’t have a lot of baking patience either, which is why Quinn is the official cake froster in our house.
December 2nd, 2008 at 8:51 am
That top picture is stunning. My dropped when I saw it. I so wish I had taken that picture
December 2nd, 2008 at 8:57 am
Wow, I can just taste that picture. Looks fantastic!
December 2nd, 2008 at 9:02 am
Hmmm… sounds like a delicious challenge to me! Wow… “whipped caramel ganache frosting?” thats like my 4 favorite words in one title.
This is going into my MUST Bake file. And… I hear good things about that cookbook, I should pick it up.
December 2nd, 2008 at 9:10 am
My jaw dropped, that is.
December 2nd, 2008 at 9:11 am
oh! I’ve been wanting to make this cake. Cakespy interview the guys from Baked recently and this cake sounds wonderful!! Judging by your description, I’ll have to make it!
December 2nd, 2008 at 10:02 am
Ooo this cake looks delicious and sounds even better! I still have to check out this cookbook.
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:42 am
This one has my name written all over it. I wish I could have a bite now!
December 2nd, 2008 at 11:57 am
oh my – taht cake looks absolutely decadent! I just found your blog – love it! I was also inspired by and loved to bake with my grandfather. I’m so glad I found this blog – thanks!
December 2nd, 2008 at 12:57 pm
I can’t seem to find the number of servings. I am in charge of Christmas dessert and need to feed about 16, would this work?
December 2nd, 2008 at 1:07 pm
WOW – I just licked my screen! This is amazing. Great cake
zesty
December 2nd, 2008 at 1:31 pm
I made this cake too and agree…it is sinfully delicious! The salted caramel sauce by itself is to die for!
December 2nd, 2008 at 1:32 pm
This is true porn in my opinion! It should be illegal. But seriously, thanks for sharing the amazing photos and graphic descriptions!
December 2nd, 2008 at 1:39 pm
looks amazing! also, your photographs are unbelievably wonderful. what lens do you use, if you don’t mind my asking?
December 2nd, 2008 at 2:32 pm
looks good in closeup. Love the combination of flur de sel in chockolate……
http://www.icelandicchef.blogspot.com
December 2nd, 2008 at 3:51 pm
You take the best pictures!!! You always having me drooling over your latest creation. The picture alone is enough to make me want this cake. I want cake! Salty caramely chocolate cake!!!
December 2nd, 2008 at 6:23 pm
Oh, the cake is evil alright….like sinful! THE BEST chocolate cake ever!! This was so good and was a definite hit at Thanksgiving! I regret not taking some with us when we divided the leftovers. What was I thinking?!
December 2nd, 2008 at 7:16 pm
Josephine, this cake should be plenty for 16 people.
katy, we have a Nikon D200 and a 60mm macro lens.
December 3rd, 2008 at 11:12 am
thanks! i have a canon, but i’m sure there’s something comparable.
funny story — one of my friends emailed this post to me after i’d already commented, which she hadn’t realized! obviously this recipe is right up my alley.
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:32 pm
good lord woman!
I am sooooo getting this book, everyone raves about it.
December 3rd, 2008 at 4:37 pm
evil, maybe if you are on a diet, but heavenly in the taste department i am sure
December 3rd, 2008 at 7:24 pm
If ever a dessert is orgasmic, this would be the dessert. I can’t even believe how good this looks.
Am I dreaming?
December 3rd, 2008 at 8:48 pm
I need that book desperately!! This looks insanely good!!
December 4th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
Oh I might have just drooled on my keyboard…that looks AMAZING!
December 5th, 2008 at 10:42 am
That cake sounds like something I would undertake, thinking I felt like make a grand cake and about half way through I’d just want the whole thing to be over! It looks great thought.
December 5th, 2008 at 9:10 pm
Oh.My.God. I need this cake..now! Wow that cake looks so sinfully delish!
December 8th, 2008 at 3:16 am
I had sea salt and caramel for the first time this week – it’s delicious. Lovely looking cake
December 8th, 2008 at 1:15 pm
Oh my days, I want that book so much! I’ve heard so much about it, and this is just the icing on the cake… or, er, the salted caramel chocolate ganache on the cake…
December 8th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
I’m not quite sure I know what “crumb coat the cake” means?
December 8th, 2008 at 7:58 pm
Stacey, a crumb coat is a thin layer of frosting applied all over the cake. Then, the final layer of frosting is spread on top of that. It keeps crumbs from showing up in the top layer of frosting, making your cake all the more lovely!
December 9th, 2008 at 8:58 pm
First time here…this cake looks absolutely delicious..a real treat.
December 9th, 2008 at 9:48 pm
I just bought this book and love it! This cake keeps calling to me every time I leaf through. Glad to hear it tastes as good as it sounds. I agree with Jennifer about the muffins – they’re great.
December 11th, 2008 at 9:35 am
Devilishly decadent…that’s what it is! SWOON!!
January 28th, 2009 at 5:56 pm
This looks amazing! Worth ditching my diet for!
February 5th, 2009 at 9:39 am
That is one crazy cake. I love salted caramel. All other “death by chocolate” cakes are amateurs compared to this!
February 14th, 2009 at 8:32 pm
I’m not sure if I can find fleur de sel around here – what else will work? OR is that just a fancy name for sea salt?
February 15th, 2009 at 11:20 am
Beverly, sea salt is just fine. Enjoy the cake!
February 25th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
I’m in the process of making this cake (the cake is already made and in the freezer). I just finished the caramel sauce and plan to do the frosting tomorrow and put it together for my sister’s birthday. I have a question – for the icing, the recipe says “dark chocolate” – I’m a little confused about this – does this mean bittersweet, unsweetened or semi-sweet chocolate?
February 25th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
Phillip, it’s really your preference. I would go with either semi-sweet or bittersweet. If I remember correctly, I used semi-sweet.
February 26th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
i am DYING to make this cake. the thing is, the crowd i roll with does not take well to things like salt on cake. i would make it for myself, but death by cake consumption is not in my 5 year plan. how would this fare without the salt? how much do you notice it when you eat the cake and do you think i’d be able to get away with putting it between the layers (not as a garnish on top)?
February 26th, 2009 at 5:18 pm
Courtney, you can certainly leave the salt off the top of the cake. The caramel layer is salty, but not too heavy. You might be able to sneak it past them. Good luck!
March 21st, 2009 at 11:10 pm
I made this cake today and had the hardest time with the syrup/sugar mixture. At 350 it was definitely burnt. I tried again and burned it at 300. Finally I just cooked it for the 6 minutes, let it rest for a minute and then added the cream, but portions of the syrup solidified and what I ended up doing was mixing it the best I could and then just putting it through a sieve to salvage what I had. The cake turned out very rich and was loved by all, but please tell me what I did wrong!!!!
March 23rd, 2009 at 6:40 pm
marie, I wish I knew the magic trick to getting that part right, but it took a couple of tries in my kitchen, too. Candy-making is not my strongest area, by any stretch. There’s a lot of trial and error on my part. I do have one bit of advice. If you’re using a pan that carries over heat, then try taking it off the heat before it’s done. That carry-over can cause disaster. Stopping at a lower temperature may help, especially considering that 320-350° or so is the usual temperature for making caramel.
April 14th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
I made this cake and took it to my in laws house Easter weekend.
EVERYONE LOVED IT! It is so amazing, describing its perfectness is impossible.
Thanks so much for posting this recipe! Well worth the time and effort!
July 21st, 2009 at 3:17 pm
I made this cake a couple of days ago it took about 3 hours to make. is it good?? Yes it is but i probably won’t be making it again any time soon! I will use the actual chocolate cake recipe from now on though…it is moist and rich..just delicious!
September 23rd, 2009 at 7:28 pm
I made this the other day and it took a long time granted but it tasted amazing! It was really moist and the caramel worked perfectly but the ganache I had to throw in the fridge for a bit. But all in all, delicious!
January 31st, 2010 at 7:09 pm
i love this cake.