When you read a recipe and it checks all the boxes, it’s difficult to resist. I’m talking about this One-Bowl Milk Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Caramel Frosting from Epicurious. 

Firstly this rich chocolatey cake is mixed in one bowl. Then there’s milk chocolate and cocoa powder. It’s all topped off with a decadent chocolate caramel frosting. I really love utterly delicious cakes like this, that require not too much effort.

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One-Bowl Milk Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Caramel Frosting

Course Dessert

Ingredients

For the Cake:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for pan
• ½ cup plus 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder divided
• 6 ounces high-quality milk chocolate, chopped
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 ¾ cups sugar
• 1 ¼ cups buttermilk
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp kosher salt

For the Frosting:

• 9 ounces high-quality milk chocolate, divided
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp kosher salt
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• ½ cup store-bought dulce de leche or caramel sauce

Instructions

Bake the Cake:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter a 13×9″ pan and dust with 2 tbsp cocoa powder, tapping out excess.
• Melt remaining 1 cup butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add chocolate and remaining ½ cup cocoa powder; cook, whisking constantly, until smooth. Let cool slightly.
• Whisk eggs and vanilla in a large bowl. Add sugar and whisk until smooth, lightened in color, and slightly aerated, about 2 minutes. Stream in buttermilk while whisking, then stream in chocolate mixture while whisking until smooth.
• Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into chocolate mixture. Whisk until batter is mostly smooth (there will be a few small lumps). Transfer to prepared pan.
• Bake cake until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 35–40 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cake cool completely.

Make the Frosting:

• Slice 2 oz. chocolate into long, thin shards; reserve for decorating. Coarsely chop remaining 7 oz. chocolate and transfer to a medium bowl. Add vanilla and salt.
• Heat cream in a small pot over medium until just starting to simmer. Pour over chocolate mixture and let sit 3 minutes. Whisk until chocolate is melted and smooth. Whisk in dulce de leche. Chill until firm, at least 1 hour.
• Whisk frosting to lighten and loosen, then use a spatula to spread over cake. If it’s too stiff to work with, let it sit out on the counter for a few minutes. Sprinkle with reserved chocolate shards. Cut and enjoy. Recipe inspired by Epicurious.