Snickers Chocolate Caramel Cake

Time consuming but well worth the effort.   This is what a consider a special occasion cake.  Make it for someone special in your life.

SNICKERS CHOCOLATE CARAMEL CAKE
(serves 12)

Sea Salt Caramel Ingredients:

*1/2 cup heavy cream

*1 teaspoon sea salt

*1 cup white sugar

*2 tablespoons light corn syrup

*1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

*1/3 cup sour cream

Cake Ingredients:
*1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
*2 cups sugar
*3/4 cups cocoa powder
*2 teaspoons baking soda
*1 teaspoon baking powder
*1 teaspoon kosher salt
*1 cup buttermilk, shaken
*1/2 cup vegetable oil
*3 large eggs, room temperature
*1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
*1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee

Sea Salt Buttercream Ingredients:

*3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
*1 cup sea salt caramel
*2 pounds powdered sugar
*2 snickers bars, cut up into small pieces

Sea Salt Caramel Directions:

~Combine cream & salt in a small saucepan, over low heat until salt is dissolved.

~Set aside.

~In a medium saucepan, add sugar & corn syrup.  

~Cook over high heat, swirling not stirring mixture, until mixture in very light amber color (watch carefully, mixture will burn easy).

~Remove from heat (the mixture will continue cooking, and the color will darken to a caramel color).

~Stir in cream mixture & vanilla.

~Whisk in sour cream.

~Let cool to room temperature, and transfer to refrigerator in a cover container until ready to use.

Cake Directions:
~Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
~Butter 2 (9 inch) round cake pans.
~Line with parchment paper, then butter & flour the pans.
~Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, & salt into a mixing bowl.
~Mix on low speed until mixed well.
~In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs & vanilla.
~Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry, while mixer is at low speed.
~Add the coffee, and mix just enough to combine, scraping the bottom & sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
~Pour the cake batter into the prepared pans.
~Bake for 38-42 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean.
~Cool in pans for 30 minutes.
~Turn cake out of pans onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Sea Salt Buttercream Directions:
~Cream butter in mixing bowl.
~Stir in caramel until just combined.
~Add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time, mixing on medium speed (scrape sides of bowl with a rubber spatula after each addition).

 Assemble Cake:
~Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a cake plate.
~Spread a generous layer of buttercream on top.
~Sprinkle half of the snickers on top of the buttercream.
~Drizzle a little caramel over the snickers.
~Top with second layer of cake (trimmed & leveled if necessary).
~Brush away any loose crumbs.

Two options for finishing cake:
~Spread buttercream on top and sides of cake, drizzle a small amount of caramel over top and sprinkle with remaining snickers.
~(this step is optional) Pipe some buttercream around top of cake & flood the top with caramel and sprinkle with rest of the snickers.