Bundt Cake #11: Salted Caramel Mocha

Yup.  I went there. 

I have a deep love affair with Starbucks.  We're best friends.  This fall, they introduced a new drink...the Salted Caramel Mocha Frappuccino.  It's divine.  Simply divine.  My friend Ashley and I have shared many of them together this fall, so when she had a new baby girl last week, I knew she needed some cake to celebrate.  My hubby turned his nose up at the idea of putting salt in a cake...then he sampled the cake...let's just say, his nose is no longer turned up.  The salt really brings out the flavor of the cake and compliments the mocha and caramel beautifully.  So yummy.  Thank you Starbucks for the inspiration and congratulations Ashley and Eric on baby Hayden Avery!

Shopping List

1 box chocolate cake mix

2 small boxes of instant chocolate pudding

1/2 cup of veggie oil

1 1/4 cups of water, hot (something unusual for my bundt cake recipes!)

1 tablespoon instant coffee

4 eggs

1 cup caramel pieces

1 cup butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

  1/2 cup caramel ice cream topping

1 teaspoon sea salt, plus a pinch more for garnishing

4 cups powdered sugar

3-4 splashes of milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Grease (I use Pam) a 10 inch bundt pan

Start by heating the water in the microwave for two minutes...we need it hot.  Stir in instant coffee to dissolve.

In mixing bowl, combine cake mix, puddings, oil, coffee water and eggs with electric mixer.  Stir in caramel pieces.  Pour into prepared bundt pan.

Bake 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Let cake rest on counter in pan 10 minutes.  Then, invert cake onto serving plate to finish cooling. 

To make the frosting, beat butter and vanilla with electric mixer until smooth, then beat in caramel topping and salt.  Slowly beat in powdered sugar and milk until frosting reaches desired consistency.  Frost cake and garnish with a pinch more salt and a drizzle of caramel topping.

So yummy!