Milk Chocolate Cake
With Chocolate-Caramel Frosting
I love this cake because it has a unique texture. There are so many words I could use, but these are the ones I choose: Light. Dense. Spongy. Airy. Rich. Brownie-like. Am I aware none of these terms line up well? Most certainly. Still, they all make sense. The majority of the chocolate used in this recipe is straight-up milk chocolate, with a much more limited amount of cocoa, which adds to the richness. The addition of buttermilk gives this cake some extra spring in its step.
I did take this recipe from Epicurious and adapted it slightly, as I was lazy and opted for milk chocolate chips over milk chocolate bars I could shave. My cake was sans chocolate shavings for the topping. I do not exactly agree with Epicurious referring to this as a “one-bowl” recipe. I definitely used three bowls in total, plus a saucepan. Then again, I’m Type A and had to sift my flour and other dry ingredients together prior to adding it to the chocolate, unlike in the original recipe in which Epicurious indicates to sift the dry ingredients straight into the chocolate mix. I’m just not that rebellious. #sorrynotsorry
Cake
– 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
– 1/2 cup cocoa
– 6 ounces high-quality milk chocolate, chopped, or 6 ounces high-quality milk chocolate chips
– 3 large eggs
– 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
– 1 & 1/2 cups sugar
– 1 cup buttermilk
– 2 &1/2 cups all-purpose flour
– 1 & 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
– 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
– 1/2 teaspoon salt
Frosting
– 9 ounces high-quality milk chocolate, chopped, or 9 ounces high-quality milk chocolate chips
– 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
– 1/4 teaspoon salt
– 3/4 cup heavy cream
– 1/2 cup store-bought caramel sauce
Before We Get Started…
– If you do not feel like buying buttermilk, combine 1 cup whole milk with 1 tablespoon lemon juice or 1 tablespoon white vinegar. Stir mixture and allow to sit for 10 – 15 minutes or until small curds are visible.
Editor's note: We are reposting this review and photos - with some modifications - and many thanks to Allison. Please visit her blog with the link below.