Salty Caramel Drenched Double Chocolate Loaf Cake.
Do you know what it’s like to stand barefoot in your kitchen and eat freshly bubbling caramel sauce off of a spoon?
Neither do I. Because I wore socks.
But I do have taste buds so burnt that even a whole jalapeno couldn’t bring me to shed a tear.
Back in the day of purple silk shirts and paisley vests, after I’d spend 3 hours hopping over my Skip It in my glittery pink jelly shoes, my mom and I used to make this cake that we called turtle cake. Now that I’m an immature 28 year old, it has dawned on me that this cake is probably what some refer to as better-than-sex cake. Back then, the only thing that I assumed was better than sex was the new Lisa Frank folder I bought at Ames.
It was evident that I spent a little too much time eating this turtle cake – with the fluffy chocolate cloud that we poked holes in with the end of a wooden spoon, covering it in jarred caramel sauce that sunk into the cake crevices and topping it with a fluffy whipped cream and a sprinkling of crushed Heath bars – as my favorite rolled jean shorts began to fray and I’d start to resemble a cased sausage. The cake was best chilled, and long after I’d changed into my New Kids on the Block nightgown I’d find myself creeping towards the fridge, opening the door and plunging my fork into the cool, gooey treat.
Clearly times haven’t changed much.
Except I finally made my own caramel. It was easy. And creamy. And holy heavens was it hot. I used it to drench a chocolate cake that I’ve made before and devoured in a matter of hours. Not helpful to that whole cased sausage look.
Double Chocolate Loaf Cake
from Nigella’s chocolate loaf cake
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup cocoa
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 1/2 sticks soft unsalted butter
2 eggs
1 tablespoon good-quality vanilla extract
1/3 cup sour cream
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees, putting in a baking sheet as you do so.
Add the flour, baking soda, cocoa, sugar, butter, eggs, vanilla, and sour cream into the processor and blend until smooth. Scrape down the sides and process again while streaming in boiling water.. Remove lid and fold in chocolate chips.
Scrape and pour the batter into a buttered and floured loaf pan and put into the oven. Bake for 50-55 minutes. When ready, the loaf will be risen and split down the middle. Let cake cool, then poke holes throughout the top with a fork or knife. Press all the way down into the cake so the caramel sauce can sink in.
Salty Caramel Sauce
caramel from Ina Garten
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup water
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon sea salt, crushed until fine
Mix water and sugar in a saucepan and heat over low heat without stirring until sugar dissolves. Increase the heat to medium-high, allowing the mixture to come to a boil. This will take about 5-7 minutes, and you can occasionally swirl the pan to stir. Once a golden amber color, remove heat and add cream, vanilla and salt – it will bubble up. Turn heat back down to low and stir continuously until mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and let sit at room temperature for 2-4 hours where it will thicken.
Once cool, drizzle over chocolate cake, making sure to hit all of the poked holes so the caramel sinks down in. Serve with additional caramel.
It.is.good. Almost better than a Lisa Frank folder, if you know what I mean.
140 Comments on “Salty Caramel Drenched Double Chocolate Loaf Cake.”
This looks incredible! And now I want to go out and by a whole bunch of Lisa Frank folders, notebooks and pens.
Holy Moley…. I can’t decide if I love you or hate you right now. Nope. Definitely love. I just hate that I’m not sitting in front of that cake right now with a strong cup of black coffee.
I know what you mean. And I’m glad I’m not the only one still wearing my NKOTB nightgown to bed. It’s a little short, but the Husband likes it that way.
If you know what I mean…
I know what you mean.
Omg the cake recipe from the cake to the caramel…to die for!
Better than sex cake….oh, totally. The cake will still love me in the morning :)
Jessica…this looks rather heavenly. And no, i have no clue what what it feels like to be tasting hot salted caramel! You are one crazy and brave woman!
I am slowly dying inside. I need this!
Lisa Frannnnnnk! I loved my Lisa Frank trapper keeper and folders <3 AND JELLY SHOES! And this cake. The end.
Thank you so much for making me laugh with your posts..every day. Especially today.. with the “socks” comment. It has been a rough morning and that brought a grin to my face. And as always.. thanks for the great recipe!
I hope your day gets 8 billion time better!
i just found my lisa frank diary the other day…where i’d gush about boys and who i liked and how wonderful they were. i’ll tell you what, this cake sounds a heck of a lot better than reading that old thing! ;)
Jessica you just crack me up. I wanted Lisa Frank so badly you have no idea!!!! But my parents were cheap and only bought me generic type school supplies :( I would have KILLED for a trapper keeper.
I love better than sex cake — I made one for Jason’s bday last year and he absolutely loved it — although I thin out PB and spread that on top instead of caramel.
I need to do that!
I don’t know if could beat a Lisa Frank folder (especially the one with unicorns and rainbows ) but it sounds like a dream! Love that you made a “better-than-sex” cake with your mom! Hysterical! ;) We were more of a boxed brownie mix family. Lamers.
Someone is having a sweet tooth recently = )
I am drooling over this – omg yum!
I feel like I start all of my comments off the same way, but I can’t help it- that looks SOOOOO good. And Lisa Frank? I was totally obsessed. I wanted every sticker, folder, and other accessory ever made haha. The drizzle on top looks so good. I bet that’d even rock on a bowl of sugared up fruit
I bet it would be too!
Gah! This looks completely divine…! Plus, we mean, Nigella & Ina’s recipes joining forces can only result in something totally amazing…
I truly believe you made this cake specifically for pregnant women everywhere.
Thank you! :)
I could never convince my parents that the Lisa Frank products were worth the investment. I remember shopping for my school supplies at Phar-Mor (also a flashback!).
Oh my gosh… sad thing is I was always so excited to go to Phar-mor for school stuff!
Not only did you describe my childhood to a T with the Lisa Frank, jelly shoes, Skip It and NKOTB comments, but now Phar-Mor…too funny! BTW Steve Madden came out with some jelly shoes that definitely take me back to when I was 5, of course I had to get them to make my inner child happy lol :D
What about the Trapper Keeper?! And Bonne Bell lipsmackers!! Ha, good times, good times!
Was OBSESSED with Bonne Bell! Think I had every single flavor.
Jelly Shoes!!
Oh the memories . . . :)
I have chocolate caramel obsession: Riesen, caramello, rolo’s, ghirardelli chocolate caramel squares… I could go on… and on… I am so saving this one.. YUMM!!!
I used to LOVE caramellos!
You are the BEST! Lisa Frank, Skip It, and NKOTB…. oh, and the caramel. Love.
Oh, wow. What a dessert. I’m sure the cake is heavenly, but I’d be okay with some of the caramel sauce alone – perhaps drizzled over cold vanilla ice cream.
I may have tried that…
LOL too many memories in this post. Skip its, jelly shoes and Lisa Frank UNICORNS!
But now I’d rather eat this cake than have all the above :D
oh my GAWD jessica…I think you did this because you KNEW im 2 days out from show ;) hahaha…ummm i am looking forward to that grapefruit today yay!
xoxoxox
Now I DO really remember looking forward to grapefruit… haha.
Oh my gosh, skip it! What memories! The cake looks to die for! Nothing better than homemade caramal–even better with a little dark rum in it ;)
I like the way you think.
looks absolutely delicious!
I LOVED my Lisa Frank folders…not to mention the trapper keepers :) And skip-it, and jelly shoes?! Holy goodness this post brings up fond memories! And the double-chocolate caramel cake makes it even better!
I really wanted a trapper keeper but we weren’t allowed to have them at my school!
I almost forgot about my hot pink skip it and jelly shoes! Oh how I loved that skip it, if only I could remember my highest number of skips that it counted so nicely for me. If only my mom and I made this cake after a good skip, it looks fantastic and gooey!
I can’t read your blog in the mornings because then I’m craving sweets all.day.long! That cake looks marvelous :)
Lisa Frank = The Best. :-D
that cake looks sooo amazing!!!
When I read the first line of this post, I immediately thought, “And burn my tastebuds off? Why, yes. Yes I do.” What I’m wearing is ultimately irrelevant. Greed is not a friend of self-control.
Oh, I miss the days of Skip It, Lisa Frank and Polly Pocket. Simpler times I tell ya.
This cake looks un-freakin-believable. You are trying to kill your readers. ;-)
omg. i think you’re everyone’s favorite person right now—that cake, plus all the talk of the good old days—perfect work morning for all. :)
Making caramel totally scares me…but this might convince me to try to overcome that fear.
I totally had an NKOTB night gown!! And, lots of Lisa Frank stuff…I definitely treasured my Trapper Keeper and sticker book:-)
Hehehe youre my generation …Lisa Frank and Ames, lol!!love carmel. Looks.outrageous! !!
This cake looks fantastic and now I really want to get out my Skip It! Too bad I think my foot’s too big to fit into it now :-(
Drooooooool. Will you come live with me? We can send Adam and Eddie off somewhere and just eat chocolate cake and shop all day?
This looks too good. And I just remembered Skip It after reading this. :)
This. looks. incredible.
Wow…that is some cake! The combo of the cake and salted caramel is genious, Jessica!
1. Yes, I’ve stood barefoot in my kitchen eating molten caramel.
2. Yes, it hurt.
3. Yes, it was totally worth it.
4. Lisa Frank folders. I loved those.
5. I want cake. This cake.
I don’t even like chocolate cake but that looks so good I might have to try to make it
Oh the days of silk shirts and skip-its. The memories…
I didn’t have NKOTB nightgown, but I did have an NKOTB comforter..oh yeah!
I want this NOW! Why can’t you be my neighbor?
salted caramel sauce? you’re killing me here!
p.s. i had the lisa frank gear and a trapper keeper. i wish i still had both, i would totally rock them at the office along with my jelly shoes, stone washed jeans and esprit sweatshirt.
Don’t forget B.U.M. equipment too!
HAhahaa, LOVE both parts about the Lisa Frank folder. What about a Trapper Keeper?? You are such a good story teller. :) I have never even heard of this type of cake. When the first photo popped up in my google reader, I laughed..like what insanely crazy delicious recipe has she come up with now!?
Do you ever think what the jelly shoes of today’s kids will be? Crocs? Those stupid roller skating shoes? Oh Lord…
They’ll be remembering silly bandz and iPods like we affectionately remember slap bracelets and Walkmans. Sigh..
I have not had sugar in 148 days but this could make me cave! I love homemade caramel — on anything and have been known to eat it straight out of the pan.
148 days?! Good for you. I would literally need rehab for that.
OH MY GOSH!!! That’s all I can say really.