Chocolate Toffee Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Dark chocolate cake, layered with chocolate cream cheese frosting and bits of toffee.
Ingredients
Chocolate Layer Cakes
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 stick butter (4 oz.)
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 4 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup buttermilk or 2 cups milk plus 2 tsp. cider vinegar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temp
- 10 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened to room temp
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4-5 cups sifted powdered sugar
- 2 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup milk
Toppings
- 10 oz. Brown & Haley Dark Roca, crushed into bite-sized pieces or your favorite English toffee
Instructions
Chocolate Layer Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Cut parchment paper to fit the bottom of two 8-inch cake pans. Spray paper and sides of pans with cooking spray.
- Mix together flour, sugar, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl.
- Place butter, water, oil, and cocoa power in a medium-sized pan and cook over medium heat until butter is melted.
- Stir until well blended and pour over the flour mixture, again, stirring until well-integrated.
- Add buttermilk (or sour milk), eggs, and vanilla, and mix well.
- Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool completely on a cooling rack.
- When cakes are completely cool, remove parchment paper from the bottom of the cakes.
- Meanwhile, while the cake is baking, prepare the frosting.
Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy.
- Sift cocoa powder into the mixture and stir with a wooden spoon or fork until blended. (We try not to use the electric beater for this part because the cocoa powder will fly everyhwere!)
- Now, with the electric beaters, beat in powdered sugar and milk alternately, ending with powdered sugar. (You may not need all of the milk, or you may need a tiny bit more, to arrive at the right spreading consistency. This can vary depending upon the temperature of the butter and even what brand of butter you use. Adjust both the sugar and milk as you see fit for the right consistency.)
- Stir in vanilla extract.
To Assemble the Cake
- Place one layer of the cake on yoru cake platter.
- Spread the top and sides of that layer with half of the chocolate cream cheese frosting.
- Sprinkle half of the toffee bits evenly over the frosting.
- Place the second layer of cake on top of the first frosted layer.
- Spread the remaining frosting on the top and the sides of that layer, being careful not to close in the toffee layer below. (We like to see the layer of toffee in between the cake layer.)
- Sprinkle the remaining toffee bits over the top of the cake. Some will fall to the bottom of the cake plate and that's okay ... it makes a great little garnish!
- Refrigerate for at least two hours before serving to allow the cake and frosting to set up.
- Take the cake out of the refrigerator about 10 minutes before serving to allow the frosting to soften up just bit.
Notes
Serve with your favorite caramel sauce. We made Sally’s Baking Addiction Salted Caramel Sauce and it was perfect with this cake. We follow her directions exactly and it turns out great every time!