Anna Louise Salted caramel cake is the cake I make when I want to make something genuinely indulgent — the kind of cake that is greeted with a particular quality of silence when it is sliced and served. That silence, followed by the immediate reaching for a second slice, is specifically the response this cake produces, and it is completely earned.
The combination of the brown sugar sponge, the salted caramel drizzled between the layers, and the salted caramel buttercream — itself rich, slightly sweet, slightly salty, and deeply caramel-flavoured — gives a cake where every element tastes of caramel in a slightly different way.
The sponge has a caramel note from the dark brown sugar. The filling caramel is pure, slightly sticky, and slightly salty. The buttercream is smooth, pale golden, and deeply flavoured.
I make the salted caramel from scratch — sugar, butter, cream, and salt — which takes eight minutes and gives a caramel that is completely superior to anything from a jar. The jar versions are convenient; the homemade version is what makes this cake specifically outstanding.
Ingredients for Mary Berry Salted Caramel Cake
For the Brown Sugar Sponge
- 225g unsalted butter, softened
- 175g soft dark brown sugar
- 50g golden caster sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 225g self-raising flour, sifted
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 3 tbsp whole milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the Salted Caramel
- 200g golden caster sugar
- 90ml water
- 150ml double cream, warm
- 75g unsalted butter, cubed
- 1 tsp flaked sea salt — plus extra for finishing
For the Salted Caramel Buttercream
- 200g unsalted butter, softened
- 400g icing sugar, sifted twice
- 4 tbsp of the homemade salted caramel — cooled completely
- 1–2 tbsp whole milk — if needed
- Pinch of fine salt
To Decorate
- Remaining salted caramel — drizzled over the finished cake
- Extra flaked sea salt — scattered over the caramel drizzle
- Gold leaf or edible gold dust (optional — gives a completely spectacular finish)
How to Make Mary Berry Salted Caramel Cake
Step 1 — Make the Salted Caramel
Place the golden caster sugar and water in a medium, heavy-based saucepan. Heat over a medium heat — do not stir — until the sugar dissolves and begins to bubble. Continue cooking without stirring until the mixture turns a deep amber colour — the colour of dark honey. This takes eight to twelve minutes. Watch carefully — it can go from amber to burnt very quickly.
Remove from the heat immediately. Pour in the warm cream carefully — it will bubble vigorously. Add the cubed butter and sea salt. Stir until completely smooth. Return to a gentle heat for one minute if any lumps remain.
Pour into a heatproof jug. Cool completely before using — it will thicken as it cools. Reserve four tablespoons for the buttercream.
Step 2 — Make the Brown Sugar Sponge
Preheat your oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4. Grease two 20cm round sandwich tins and line the bases with baking parchment.
Beat the softened butter, dark brown sugar, and golden caster sugar together for four to five minutes until pale and fluffy. The dark brown sugar gives the mixture a slightly caramel appearance even before baking — this is correct.
Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Add the vanilla extract.
Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl. Add the milk. Fold gently until just combined.
Divide between the two tins — weigh for even layers. Bake for 22 to 26 minutes until golden, springy, and a skewer comes out clean. Cool completely on wire racks.
Step 3 — Make the Salted Caramel Buttercream
Beat the softened butter alone for four full minutes until very pale and fluffy. Add the double-sifted icing sugar in three batches, beating well after each. Add the four tablespoons of cooled salted caramel and the pinch of salt. Beat for two more minutes. Add milk one tablespoon at a time if needed to reach a smooth, spreadable consistency.
Taste — the buttercream should be clearly, assertively caramel-flavoured with a distinct but not overwhelming saltiness.
Step 4 — Assemble
Place the first sponge upside down on a serving plate. Drizzle two to three tablespoons of the cooled salted caramel over the surface — letting it pool slightly and run to the edges. Spread one-third of the buttercream over the caramel layer.
Place the second sponge on top. Spread the remaining buttercream generously over the top — slightly textured with a palette knife for a rustic, generous finish.
Drizzle the remaining salted caramel dramatically over the buttercream top — letting it run naturally down the sides. Scatter flaked sea salt over the caramel drizzle. Add gold leaf or edible gold dust if using.
Refrigerate for thirty minutes before slicing.
Serving Suggestions
On a cake stand as a birthday or celebration cake — it looks completely spectacular with the caramel drizzle and gold decoration. As a dinner party dessert cake. At any occasion where something genuinely indulgent and genuinely impressive is specifically what is wanted.
How to Store Mary Berry Salted Caramel Cake
In the fridge: Store covered for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature for twenty minutes before serving — cold butter cream loses some of its silky quality when very cold.
In the freezer: Freeze the unfrosted sponge layers for up to 3 months. Make the caramel and buttercream fresh for assembling.
Mary Berry Salted Caramel Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Make salted caramel: dissolve sugar and water over medium heat without stirring — cook to deep amber 8–12 minutes. Remove from heat — add warm cream carefully (will bubble vigorously). Add butter and salt — stir smooth. Cool completely. Reserve 4 tbsp for buttercream.
- Preheat oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / Gas 4. Grease and line two 20cm tins. Beat butter and both sugars 4–5 minutes. Add eggs one at a time. Add vanilla. Sift in flour and baking powder — add milk — fold gently. Divide between tins — weigh for even layers. Bake 22–26 minutes. Cool completely.
- Beat butter alone 4 minutes. Add icing sugar in 3 batches. Add 4 tbsp cooled caramel and salt — beat 2 minutes. Add milk if needed.
- First sponge upside down on plate — drizzle 2–3 tbsp caramel over. Spread one-third of buttercream over. Top with second sponge. Spread remaining buttercream over top.
- Drizzle remaining caramel over top — let it run down the sides. Scatter flaked sea salt. Add gold leaf if using. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Slice.
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use shop-bought caramel sauce?
Yes — good quality shop-bought salted caramel sauce gives a very good result with considerably less work. Biscoff caramel sauce or Carnation caramel give decent alternatives if homemade caramel is not possible.
Can I add the caramel between the layers and on the outside?
Yes — spreading caramel on the outside of the cake before the buttercream goes on gives an additional caramel layer. Apply a thin layer of caramel directly onto the cooled sponge surfaces before the buttercream.
Why did my caramel crystallise?
Stirring the sugar and water while it heats causes crystallisation. Heat the sugar without stirring until it has completely dissolved and begun to colour. A pastry brush dipped in water can be used to brush any sugar crystals from the sides of the pan during heating.
Can I make individual salted caramel cupcakes?
Yes — divide the batter between eighteen to twenty cases. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes. Core each cupcake, fill with a teaspoon of salted caramel, and top with the salted caramel buttercream.
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