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    Home » Recipes » Cakes & Cupcakes » Caramel Mud Cake | Melt & Mix

    Caramel Mud Cake | Melt & Mix

    Published: Aug 13, 2021 · Modified: Feb 21, 2022 by Lucy · This post may contain affiliate links · 61 Comments

    Jump to Recipe
    A serve of caramel mud cake on a black plate with a fork beside it, with rest of cake in the background

    Say hello to the MOST DELICIOUS rich, buttery and moist Caramel Mud Cake smothered with creamy caramel frosting. This simple melt and mix recipe is perfect for birthdays and celebrations and is ready to serve in just over an hour!

    A caramel mud cake on a white cake stand, with one serve on a black plate in the foreground

    Mud cakes are one of my favourite cake varieties - especially when baking birthday cakes!

    The rich, dense and moist texture of mud cakes makes them perfect for layering and decorating or simply smothering with creamy frosting!

    Just like my classic Chocolate Mud Cake recipe and my White Chocolate Mud Cake recipe, this Caramel Mud Cake is perfect for any special occasion - especially when you need to feed a crowd!

    A round mud cake topped with caramel frosting on a white cake stand.

    Why You're Going To Love This Recipe

    If you're a lover of all things caramel, then this is the recipe for you!

    The sweet, buttery and moist texture of the cake is perfectly complemented by the creamy caramel frosting.

    • Basic ingredients - this simple caramel mud cake is made using basic pantry and fridge staples - so there's no need to make extra trips to the supermarket.
    • Feeds a crowd - as this is a beautiful dense, rich and decadent cake, the servings only need to be quite small... which makes this a great option for serving to many.
    • Perfect celebration cake - perfect for a special occasion, a birthday or anniversary, or special dessert cake.
    • Layered cake option - the dense texture of this cake makes it perfect for creating a layered cake. Simply divide the batter into 2-3 smaller cake tins, bake (reduce the time slightly) and layer together with creamy frosting between each layer.
    • No-fail recipe - it's so simple to make... melt, mix and bake. The perfect recipe for everyone from beginner bakers or young cooks through to experienced chefs.
    • No mixer required - you don't need a stand mixer or beaters to make this recipe... just a spoon will do!
    • Thermomix or conventional method - this caramel mud cake recipe can be made using a Thermomix or conventionally using a microwave (or stovetop) and then baked in the oven. The choice is yours!
    A round mud cake iced with caramel frosting, with a piece cut and slightly removed showing the cake texture

    What You Need

    Just a handful of pantry and fridge staple ingredients are needed to make this easy caramel mud cake.

    Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.

    For The Cake

    Ingredients for caramel mud cake in individual bowls
    • butter - either salted or unsalted butter is fine to use in this recipe
    • brown sugar - for that moist caramel sweetness. You can use either regular brown sugar or dark brown sugar. Dark brown sugar will give you a richer caramel flavour than regular brown sugar. Note: I generally use regular brown sugar as I love the light caramel flavour it gives the cake
    • milk - I recommend using full cream milk in this recipe
    • white chocolate - use a good quality white baking chocolate such as Cadburys White Melts
    • plain flour - also known as all purpose flour
    • self raising flour - also known as self-rising flour, this is a blend of plain flour (all-purpose flour) and a raising agent. You can make your own by adding 2 tsp baking powder to every cup of plain flour.
    • vanilla extract - or vanilla bean paste or vanilla essence
    • eggs - use large eggs (60 gm) and have your eggs at room temperature before preparing the cake batter
    • pinch of salt - this perfectly balances the sweetness of the cake

    For The Frosting

    Ingredients for caramel frosting in a glass bowl
    • butter - either salted or unsalted butter is fine to use in this recipe
    • brown sugar - again, either regular brown sugar or dark brown sugar can be used in this recipe
    • milk - I recommend using full cream milk, rather than light or skim, for a fuller flavoured result
    • soft icing sugar mixture - use soft icing mixture, rather than pure icing sugar as you want the frosting to be soft, creamy and luscious, rather than set firm.

    Step By Step Instructions

    I just love the sweet wafting smells coming from the kitchen when this cake is baking in the oven!

    Note: Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom for the ingredients quantities and full detailed method.

    Step 1 - Melt

    Preheat your oven to 150 degrees celsius (fan forced) and grease and line both the base and sides of a 20cm round cake tin.

    Place the butter, brown sugar, milk and white chocolate melts in a bowl and heat in the microwave on 50% power (or on a stove top), stirring every 30 seconds for about 5 minutes. Allow the mixture to cool slightly.

    Butter, brown sugar, white chocolate melts and milk placed in a glass bowl

    Step 2 - Mix

    Sift over both the plain and self raising flour, add the vanilla extract, the eggs and salt.

    Eggs, flour, vanilla extract added to melted butter and sugar mixture

    Mix to combine all ingredients.

    Mud cake mix in a glass bowl with a wooden spoon

    Step 3 - Bake

    Pour the mixture into your cake tin and bake for 60 minutes, and then allow the cake to cool before transferring to a wire rack or plate.

    Caramel mud cake mixture poured into a lined round cake baking tin

    Step 4 - Make The Caramel Frosting

    Melt the butter in a microwave safe bowl on 50% power. Stir in the brown sugar and milk, then microwave for two to three 30 second bursts.

    Melted butter, brown sugar and milk in a glass bowl

    Allow the mixture to cool slightly.

    Melted butter, brown sugar, and milk combined in a glass bowl

    Sift the icing sugar over the wet ingredients and mix well together with a whisk.

    If your frosting is too runny, add a little more sifted icing sugar and mix through.

    Icing sugar added to other frosting ingredients in a glass bowl

    Remove the cooled caramel mud cake from the baking tin and spread the frosting thickly over the top.

    Expert Tips and FAQ's

    What makes the caramel flavour?

    While some mud cake recipes use sweetened condensed milk or golden syrup to get their caramel flavour, my recipe uses the classic combination of brown sugar and white chocolate melts which combine to create a smooth, sweet and creamy caramel flavour. Brown sugar and white chocolate give mud cakes the BEST rich caramel flavour!

    Can I make a layered caramel mud cake?

    Absolutely! Simply divide the mixture into 2-3 smaller tins and reduce the baking time. Ensure you make extra frosting to sandwich between the layers.

    How do I prevent the top browning too much when baking?

    If you notice that the mud cake is browning too much while cooking, loosely place a sheet of foil over the top and continue cooking until the cake is ready.

    How many servings does this cake make?

    Being a dense and rich sweet cake, servings only need to be small. This cake serves 16 people.

    Storing

    This caramel mud cake is best stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Do not store the mud cake in the fridge as it will dry out. Mud cake stays deliciously moist for days, making it perfect for preparing ahead of time.

    Freezing

    You can freeze this caramel mud cake frosted or unfrosted. Simply wrap in plastic wrap, then foil, and freeze the cooled cake for up to 3 months. Allow to come to room temperature before consuming.

    A serve of caramel mud cake on a black plate, in front of the remaining cake on a cake stand

    Related Recipes

    If you love caramel as much as I do (and really... who doesn't!), then you're going to fall head over heels for these sweet caramel recipes:

    • Easy Banana Blondies with Caramel Frosting - this moist slice is to die for, and a great way to use up those over-ripe bananas too. It is a must-make and perfect for school lunchboxes too.
    • White Chocolate Caramel Slice - a yummy twist on the classic caramel slice that we all know and love.
    • 3 Ingredient Caramel Cheesecake Balls - that's right, 3 ingredients! Made with caramel flavoured Tim Tams, cream cheese and then coated in chocolate - a sneaky treat to enjoy with that late night cuppa.
    • Chocolate Caramel Slice - I just couldn't miss out on including the most popular and classic caramel slice......it speaks for itself.
    A close up of a serve of caramel mud cake topped with caramel frosting on a plate

    WANT EVEN MORE DELICIOUS RECIPES? Subscribe to my newsletter or follow along on Facebook or Instagram. And if you love baking, then please come and join my Facebook cooking club group or subscribe to my YouTube channel. 

    A piece of caramel mud cake with frosting on top.

    Caramel Mud Cake

    Our easy Caramel Mud Cake is just so simple to make. Melt, mix and bake... that's it! Smother with our yummy caramel frosting for the ultimate caramel mud cake!
    5 from 106 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Cakes
    Cuisine: western
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 1 hour hour
    Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes
    Servings: 16 pieces
    Calories: 593kcal
    Author: Lucy - Bake Play Smile

    Ingredients

    • 250 g butter chopped
    • 2 cups (350g) brown sugar
    • 1 cup (250g) milk full cream
    • 200 g white chocolate melts or cooking chocolate
    • 1 ½ cups (225g) plain flour
    • ½ cup (75g) self-raising flour
    • 2 tsp vanilla extract
    • 3 eggs
    • pinch of salt

    For the frosting

    • 60 g butter
    • ½ cup (100g) brown sugar
    • 2-3 tbs milk
    • 2 cups (300g) icing sugar mixture
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    Conventional Method

    • Preheat oven to 150 degrees celsius (fan-forced). Grease and line a 20cm round cake tin with baking paper (on the base and sides) and set aside. 
    • Place the butter, brown sugar, milk and white chocolate melts into a microwave-safe bowl and heat on 50% power for approximately 5 minutes or until melted (stirring every 30 seconds). Allow to cool slightly.
      Note: Alternatively, you can do this step in a saucepan on the stovetop.
    • Sift over the plain flour, self-raising flour and add the vanilla extract, eggs and salt. Mix together until smooth. 
    • Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin. Bake for 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out with just a few crumbs on it. Allow the cake to cool before transferring to a wire rack or plate.
    • To make the caramel frosting, melt the butter in a microwave-safe bowl on 50% power.
    • Add the brown sugar and milk and stir together. Place back into the microwave for 2-3 30 second bursts or until slightly thickened. Allow to cool slightly for a few minutes.
    • Sift the icing sugar mixture over the top of the mixture and mix together with a whisk.
    • Spread the caramel frosting over the top of the caramel mud cake and serve. 

    Thermomix Method

    • Preheat oven to 150 degrees celsius (fan-forced). Grease and line a 20cm round cake tin with baking paper (on the base and sides) and set aside. 
    • Place the butter, brown sugar, milk and white chocolate melts into the Thermomix bowl and melt for 4 minutes, 60 degrees, Speed 2 (or until melted and smooth). 
    • Add the plain flour, self-raising flour and add the vanilla extract, eggs and salt and mix for 5 seconds, Speed 5. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and repeat for a further 5 seconds (or until smooth and combined). Pour the mixture into the prepared cake tin.
    • Bake for 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out with just a few crumbs on it. Allow the cake to cool before transferring to a wire rack or plate.
    • To make the caramel frosting, place the butter, brown sugar and milk into the Thermomix bowl. Melt for 3 minutes, Speed 2, 60 degrees (or until slightly thickened. Allow to cool slightly.
    • Sift the icing sugar mixture into the bowl and mix for 5 seconds, Speed 5. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and repeat for a further 5 seconds. 
    • Spread the caramel frosting over the top of the caramel mud cake and serve. 

    Notes

    Recipe Notes & Tips:
    Browning - if you notice that the mud cake is browning too much while cooking, loosely place a sheet of foil over the top and continue baking. 
    How many serves? - being a dense and richly sweet cake, servings only need to be small so I suggest 16 serves.
    Storing - this caramel mud cake is best stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week. Do not store in the fridge as the cake will dry out.
    Freezing - this mud cake freezes well - either frosted or unfrosted, allow it to cool completely, then wrap in a layer of plastic wrap, followed by a layer of foil, then freeze the cooled cake for up to 3 months. Allow to defrost before consuming.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 593kcal | Carbohydrates: 96g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 77mg | Sodium: 180mg | Potassium: 153mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 73g | Vitamin A: 555IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 1.5mg
    Did you try this recipe?Mention @BakePlaySmileBlog or tag #BakePlaySmile!
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Rozaria

      June 02, 2023 at 6:32 pm

      5 stars
      I’ve made this before and it’s absolutely delicious! One of the best cakes I’ve had, my family raved about it, so much so that my son wants me to make it into cupcakes for his birthday party, would this be possible?

      Reply
      • Lucy

        June 05, 2023 at 9:06 am

        Absolutely! Just make sure you reduce the cooking time.

        Reply
    2. Kari Conner

      March 03, 2023 at 3:01 am

      5 stars
      This cake is so good! My husband absolutely loved it! Thanks for sharing this recipe.

      Reply
      • Lucy

        March 03, 2023 at 7:01 am

        That's fantastic to hear! Thank you!

        Reply
    3. Rochelle

      January 18, 2023 at 4:15 am

      What size pan? 9 x 13? Thanks looks great

      Reply
    4. Daphne Hogan

      July 19, 2022 at 7:25 am

      What is the "icing sugar mixture"?

      Reply
      • Lucy

        August 03, 2022 at 4:33 pm

        It is a type of icing sugar that can be bought at most major supermarkets. The alternative is pure icing sugar which sets firmer than icing sugar mixture.

        Reply
      • Jill

        August 13, 2023 at 10:13 am

        I think this is referring to powdered sugar. I have never seen icing sugar at the store in US

        Reply
        • Lucy

          August 14, 2023 at 11:13 am

          Icing sugar is the same as powdered/confectioners sugar

          Reply
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    I’m Lucy! A mum, a wife, a food blogger and a lover of all things to do with food! I love creating delicious, no-fuss Thermomix and conventional recipes the whole family will love. Classic baking favourites, lunch box snacks, quick and easy family dinners and more!

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