This is the easiest one layer chocolate cake baked in a 9×13 inch pan, with a whipped salted caramel ganache that gives you the yummiest salted caramel chocolate cake ever. It’s so visually impressive, but requires next to no skill. Sheet pan chocolate cakes are so simple!
Jump to:
- What makes this single layer chocolate cake so good?
- Ingredients you need:
- Ingredients you need for the salted caramel ganache:
- How to make this easy one layer chocolate cake:
- Storing leftover cake:
- Freezing chocolate cake:
- Tips for making the best salted caramel:
- Tips for making the best chocolate and caramel cake:
- For more chocolate cake recipes:
- One Layer Chocolate Cake
What makes this single layer chocolate cake so good?
It’s incredibly easy to make. The actual cake part needs no mixer! You can just whisk by hand for a couple minutes and the batter easily comes together.
The chocolate cake is made with sour cream which makes it so moist and decadent. The chocolate flavor is enhanced with coffee- you won’t taste the coffee, but it just makes the chocolate that much more intense.
The salted caramel chocolate ganache is very simple to make but adds such an impressive touch to the cake. It really elevates it, and the combination of salted caramel and chocolate is so tasty.
Making a single layer chocolate cake recipe is so handy to take to potlucks, parties, or any occasion. Really portable, and feeds a crowd without all the mess that comes with stacking, layering and frosting.
You can halve this recipe, and turn it into an 8×8 inch square pan. You can also double this salted caramel chocolate cake and bake it in to 9 inch circle pans, stack them frosting in between with salted caramel chocolate ganache. It’s a very versatile cake!
This recipe is barely adapted from The boy who bakes, whose recipes are pretty much foolproof, so you know it’s a good one to try out!
Ingredients you need:
Flour: regular plain all purpose flour
Cocoa powder: Unsweetened cocoa powder, and it’s best to use natural cocoa powder( (like Hershey’s) instead of dutch processed since this recipe has a high proportion of baking soda.
Baking soda and baking powder: a mix of both gives the perfect lift
Salt
Brown sugar: You can use light or dark.
Eggs: take these out of the fridge about 30 minutes before baking so they are at room temperature. This will help them combine in the batter more easily.
Vanilla extract
Sour cream: full fat sour cream will make this so moist and delicious.
Coffee: you can use freshly brewed coffee, or just mix instant coffee or espresso powder with hot water. This will NOT add coffee flavor to the cake, and you can substitute with hot water if you prefer, but the coffee really enhances the chocolate flavor.
Vegetable oil: I especially like using oil in chocolate cakes, because you don’t miss the flavor of butter and the oil keeps the cake moist for DAYS. Also makes the mixing process so easy when you don’t need to cream butter and sugar together!
Ingredients you need for the salted caramel ganache:
This whipped ganache is a DREAM. And it just needs a few simple ingredients.
Milk chocolate chips: or milk chocolate chunks/broken up bits of chocolate. You can also use semi-sweet chocolate if you prefer a deeper chocolate flavor!
Sugar, heavy cream, butter, vanilla and sea salt: These are the ingredients you need to make the salted caramel part of the ganache.
How to make this easy one layer chocolate cake:
- Start off by making the salted caramel chocolate ganache, because it’ll need to chill in the fridge for an hour or so before whipping:
- Make a caramel sauce by following the steps in the recipe card below. Pour the hot caramel over the chocolate chips, then mix until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Refrigerate until thickened, meanwhile, make the cake.
- Preheat oven, and prepare a 9×13 pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and brown sugar into a large bowl, then whisk to combine.
- Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients, and add the eggs, vanilla, sour cream, coffee, and vegetable oil. Whisk until smooth, but don’t over mix.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the pan comes out clean, and cake is springy to the touch.
- Cool completely. Meanwhile, whip the ganache. Trasnfer the set ganache into the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand mixer and the same bowl). With a whisk attachment, beat on medium speed for 1-2 minutes until thick and fluffy.
- Frost the cake with the ganache, and garnish with roasted peanuts, chocolate shavings, sprinkles, anything you like!
Storing leftover cake:
You can store the cake at room temperature covered if your kitchen is cool. If it’s hot and humid, it’s best to store the cake in the fridge. Make sure it’s tightly wrapped to prevent it from drying out. It’ll last 4-5 days.
Freezing chocolate cake:
The unfrosted cake, the frosted cake, and the salted caramel chocolate ganache all keep well in the freezer.
To freeze the unfrosted cake, tightly wrap in plastic wrap, and keep in the freezer for 2-3 months. It’ll thaw quickly at room temperature when you are ready to assemble and serve, or overnight in the fridge.
The whipped ganache will last for up to 2 months tightly covered in the freezer.
Tips for making the best salted caramel:
- Wait until the sugar turns to a rusty amber color before adding the butter and heavy cream. This is so you actually get a caramelized flavor out of the sugar.
- Use a deep saucepan, because the mixture may foam up when you add the heavy cream.
- Make sure the heavy cream is at room temperature before adding it to the hot caramel, otherwise it’ll seize up. If you do get lumps, don’t worry just keep stirring over low heat and those sugar lumps will melt.
Tips for making the best chocolate and caramel cake:
- Make sure the sour cream, eggs, and heavy cream are at room temperature before you start the recipe.
- To get a fluffy moist cake, don’t over mix once the wet ingredients are added to the dry ingredients. Just whisk until you don’t see flour streaks.
- Bake in the middle rack of the oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, and the top is springy and the edges are starting to pull away from the side of the pan.
For more chocolate cake recipes:
One Layer Chocolate Cake
Equipment
- 9×13 inch cake pan
Ingredients
For the salted caramel chocolate ganache:
- 1 1/4 cup milk chocolate chips 200g
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- 1 2/3 cup heavy cream, room temperature 400g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 50 g unsalted butter
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
For the chocolate cake:
- 2 cups all purpose flour 250g
- 3/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder ( like Hershey's) 75g
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar 300g
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup sour cream 230g
- 1 cup hot strong coffee (can use decaf) 230g
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil 95g
Instructions
For the chocolate caramel ganache:
- Place the sugar into medium sized saucepan and place over medium heat and cook until melted and caramelized to a rusty color. You don't need to stir at this point.
- Once caramelised add the butter and salt and stir to combine. Add the cream slowly, being careful as it will bubble up . Keep stirring, and once bubbling calms down you should have a caramel sauce. If there are any lumps, just keep stirring on low heat for a few minutes and they'll melt.
- Remove from the heat, and stir in the vanilla. Place the chocolate chips in a medium sized heatproof bowl. Pour the hot caramel over the chocolate, and set aside for a minute for the chocolate to melt. Stir to form a smooth ganache.
- Place the bowl in the fridge for an hour or until ganache has thickened. We'll whip this once the cake is ready.
For the chocolate cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350 F (180C). Line a 9×13 pan with parchment paper, with excess strips hanging over the sides so it's easy to lift the cake out once it's done.
- In a large bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the brown sugar then whisk to combine.
- Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients, and add the eggs, vanilla, sour cream, coffee, and vegetable oil. Whisk until smooth, but don't overmix.
- Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the pan comes out clean, and cake is springy to the touch.
- Cool the cake in the pan for 20 minutes, then lift it out onto a wire rack to continue cooling.
- Once the cake is completely cool to the touch, pour the set ganache into the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand mixer and the same bowl). With a whisk attachment, beat on medium speed for 1-2 minutes until thick and fluffy.
- Spread the ganache over the cake, and decorate with chocolate shaving, chopped candy bars, peanuts, sprinkles, or any other nut of choice. Enjoy! Store any leftovers in the fridge.
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