Yield: 30 servings

Chocolate Caramel Poke Cake

This chocolate caramel poke cake is incredibly fluffy and moist, and it's packed with delicious
pockets of delicious homemade caramel!!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Additional Time 30 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes

Ingredients

Homemade Caramel Sauce

1 cup granulated sugar (200 grams)

6 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature (85 grams)
1/3 cup heavy cream, room temperature (76 grams)
1/4 tsp table salt (1 gram)

Chocolate Sheet Cake:

3 cup all-purpose flour (390 grams)

2 3/4 cup granulated sugar (550 grams)
1/2 cup baking cocoa powder (50 grams)
1 1/2 tsp baking powder (6 grams)
1 tablespoon baking soda (18 grams)
 1/2 tsp salt (2 grams)
1 1/2 cup hot water (356 grams)
1 Tbsp instant espresso or coffee (6 grams)
1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature (115 grams)
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature (228 grams)
3/4 cup vegetable oil (170 grams)
3 large eggs, room temperature (168 grams)
1 tsp vanilla extract (4 grams)

Caramel Buttercream Frosting:

1 cup (or 2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature (226 grams)

1/4 tsp salt (1 gram)
1 tsp vanilla extract (3 grams)
3 cups powdered sugar (340 grams)
1/4 cup heavy cream, room temperature (60 grams)
1/3 cup caramel sauce - recipe above
1 Tbsp pasteurized egg whites - optional (15 grams)

Decorations and Tools:

9 x 13 inch baking pan

Flower nails (as heating cores)
Callebaut Milk Chocolate Crispearls
1 tsp sea salt
Small offset spatula

Instructions

Homemade Caramel Sauce

1. Turn stove on medium heat, and place a pot over element.

2. Pour in sugar gradually, adding 1/4 cup at a time. Wait until the sugar is mostly liquified,
 then add in the next bit of sugar.
3. As the sugar melts, it will gradually deepen in color.
4. Stir occasionally until the sugar is fully dissolved, and is an amber color.
5. Turn off the heat.
6. Mix in butter slowly (2 Tbsp at a time), then stir in cream and salt.
7. The mixture will be very thin, but will thicken as it cools.
8. Pour into a separate container, then place in fridge to cool for 30 minutes.

Chocolate Sheet Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a 9x13 (quarter sheet) pan with parchment paper and spray
with nonstick spray.
2. Place two flower nails in the center of the pan, with the flat side resting flat against the
cake pan. Make sure they are a few inches apart and spray thoroughly with non-stick
spray too.
3. In a large bowl, add the dry ingredients (AP flour, granulated sugar, cocoa, baking powder,
baking soda and salt).
4. In a separate bowl, stir together the hot water and espresso powder.
5. Add in the rest of the wet ingredients (sour cream, buttermilk, vegetable oil, eggs, and
vanilla extract), and whisk together until smooth.
6. Add 1/2 of the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk together until just
combined.
7. Pour in the rest of the wet mixture, and whisk again until just combined.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
9. Reposition the flower nails so that they’re event spaced across the pan.
10. Bang the pan on your counter to remove any air bubbles, then bake for 50-55 minutes.
11. Rotate your pan halfway through to help your cake bakes evenly.
12. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then carefully remove it from the
pan to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Fluffy Caramel Buttercream Frosting:

1. Beat the butter on a medium speed for 2 minutes with a whisk attachment, until smooth
and fluffy.
2. Add in the salt and vanilla extract, and mix on low until fully incorporated.
3. Slowly add in the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time. Alternate with small splashes of cream.
4. Mix in the cooled caramel sauce and pasteurized egg whites on a low speed.
5. Beat on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated, then increase the speed to
medium high and mix for an additional 2 minutes.
6. The frosting should be super fluffy at this point! Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.

Cake Decoration:

1. Allow the cake to cool completed, then remove the flower nails from the cake.
2. Use a straw or chopstick to poke holes about 1 1/2 inches apart from each other across
the cake.
3. Pour a majority of the remaining caramel sauce over the top of the cake, reserving about
1/3 cup to decorate with later.
4. Use an offset spatula spatula or the back of a spoon to spread the caramel over the cake
and into the holes.
5. Spread an even layer of caramel buttercream on top of the cake, making swirls with an
offset spatula or spoon.
6. Drizzle the remaining caramel sauce over the top of the cake, and top with chocolate
pearls or chocolate chips and a sprinkle of sea salt.

Notes

Making This Sheet Cake in Advance and Storage Tips:

Make your caramel ahead of time!! It can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge
for up to 3 weeks.
Make your sheet cake in advance and freeze it: This breaks the process up and make it
more approachable.
Make your frosting ahead of time too, or save any leftover frosting! It can be stored in
an airtight container in the fridge for up to a month, or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Be sure to give it a good stir once it thaws to get the consistency nice and smooth again.
In an airtight container, this cake can sit out at room temp for a day, in the fridge for up
 to 5 days, or in the freezer for up to a month.

Different Sized Sheet Pan:

You can also use this recipe to bake a 12x17 in sheet cake, but the bake time will be
shorter! Bake for about 25 minutes at 325 degrees F.

Cupcakes:

This recipe can be used to make cupcakes. Fill your cupcake liners about half way and
bake for about 18 minutes in a preheated 350 degree F oven. The yield varies based on pan
and liner size, but one batch makes about 2 dozen cupcakes!

Nutrition Information

Yield

30
Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 313Total Fat 12gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat
7gCholesterol 34mgSodium 272mgCarbohydrates 50gFiber 1gSugar 39gProtein 3g
© Chelsey White
Cuisine: American / Category: Cakes
https://chelsweets.com/2020/03/30/chocolate-caramel-poke-cake/
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