Sky-High Salted Caramel Chocolate Layer Cake

This is the perfect cake for any occasion! Don't let the many layers intimidate you; it's easier than it looks!

Ingredients:

Cake

2 

boxes Betty Crocker™ SuperMoist™ devil’s food cake mix

Water, oil and eggs called for on cake mix boxes

Salted Caramel Cheesecake Filling

3 

packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 

cans (13.4 oz each) dulce de leche (caramelized sweetened condensed milk)

1/4 

teaspoon kosher salt

Salted Caramel Buttercream

1 

cup shortening

1 

cup butter, softened

8 

cups powdered sugar

1 

teaspoon vanilla

15 

caramels, unwrapped

3 

tablespoons milk

1/4 

teaspoon kosher salt

Garnish

3/4 

cup toasted chopped pecans

3/4 

cup crushed pretzels

Salted Caramel Glaze

3 

tablespoons caramel topping

Additional kosher salt, if desired

Directions:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Spray four 8- or 9-inch round cake pans with cooking spray. If desired, line bottom of each pan with cooking parchment paper for easier cake removal.
• In large bowl, make cake batter as directed on boxes; divide among pans. Bake 32 to 38 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Run knife around edges of cakes to loosen. Remove from pan to cooling rack; cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat Salted Caramel Cheesecake Filling ingredients with electric mixer on medium speed just until smooth and well combined.
• Use serrated knife to level tops of cakes, if necessary. Place one layer, cut side down, on platter or serving tray. Top with one-third of the filling. Repeat with remaining cake layers and filling, finishing with a cake layer.
• To make Salted Caramel Buttercream: In large bowl, beat shortening and butter with electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating until combined; beat in vanilla. In large microwavable bowl, microwave caramels and 1 tablespoon of the milk uncovered on High about 1 minute or until caramels are melted; stir until smooth. Stir caramel mixture and kosher salt into buttercream mixture until combined, adding remaining milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, until smooth and spreadable. Frost top and side of cake with a thin layer of buttercream to make a crumb coat. Repeat, frosting the top and side of cake with a second layer of the buttercream.
• In small bowl, mix chopped pecans and crushed pretzels. Press mixture around bottom and 2 inches up side of base of cake. If desired, reserve some of mixture for top of cake. Drizzle cake with caramel topping, and top with any reserved mixture. Sprinkle with additional kosher salt. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Serve with ice cream, if desired.

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Source: tablespoon.com