Fluffy, rich chocolate cake with caramel buttercream, salted caramel, toasted coconut and mini chocolate chips. Inspired by Samoa Girl Scout cookies, this cake is full of wonderful flavors!

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Why this recipe works

First, the chocolate cake. It’s just SO good. Fluffy yet moist, rich but not overly so, and the perfect amount of sweet. It’s my absolute favorite chocolate cake. It’s that white whale of cakes: fluffy and moist yet sturdy and reliable. It’s great for stacking nice and tall.

Second, the frosting and filling. Using homemade salted caramel in the buttercream makes it smooth yet sturdy. But I felt it needed a little more and added some caramel drizzle along with the toasted coconut and mini chocolate chips for good measure. The combination is the beautiful array of textures and flavors that make for the perfect bite. If you are a fan of Samoa cookies, you will LOVE this cake.

Key ingredients

Flour. Be sure to spoon then level your flour so you don’t pack it in, and always sift with a fine mesh sieve!

Cocoa powder. Sifting this is a must, as it tends to clump. Be sure you use unsweetened cocoa. Regular is preferred, but Dutched will work as well.

Sugar. Obviously! You’ll need this in the cake as well as the caramel sauce.

Baking powder/soda. Both are needed to help the cake rise properly. Be sure they haven’t been open longer than a few months or they do start to lose their umph, regardless of the indicated expiration date. And be sure they’ve been well-sealed! Any moisture getting in will stop them from working properly.

Salt. Again, needed in all elements of this cake. I highly recommend sea salt, as it helps complement the sweetness better.

Buttermilk. I always make my own by adding 1 tablespoon white vinegar to a 1 cup measuring cup. I then fill it the rest of the way with room-temperature whole milk.

Oil. I prefer avocado or grape seed oil, as they are light and tasteless but still heart-healthy. Vegetable or canola oil work, too.

Eggs. Use fresh, large eggs and make sure they have reached room temperature.

Vanilla. Always use pure extract in baking, not imitation.

Hot coffee. Be sure your coffee is piping hot when you use it. You can make it as strong or light as you’d like. I prefer blond coffee in most cakes, but you really can’t taste it if you use a dark roast. It just serves to bring out a more intensely dark chocolate flavor.

Salted caramel sauce. I prefer my easy salted caramel, but you could use this old-fashioned caramel instead. Both are simple and delicious and simply use different methods to create caramel.

Salted caramel buttercream. This will actually use the caramel sauce from above, which is why I recommend making your own, as it is usually thicker and much sturdier.

Coconut. I prefer flaked coconut, but shredded would be just fine, too.

Mini chocolate chips. Regular work, too, but mini make for easier cutting and serving.

How to make chocolate coconut caramel cake

Make the cake

1. Sift and whisk dry ingredients. Don’t skip the sifting! It’s key to making this cake nice and fluffy.

2. Whisk eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Whisk very well to fully emulsify (blend) it all, especially the eggs and oil.

3. Slowly whisk hot coffee into wet ingredients. Whisk very quickly and pour slowly to avoid scrambling the eggs. If you do think you scrambled some, you can run it through your fine mesh sieve.

4. Slowly stir wet ingredients into the dry. Do this on low and immediately stop and scrape the bowl once everything is combined.

5. Beat on medium for exactly 2 minutes. Set a timer so you don’t under or over mix.

6. Bake. Bake until a toothpick or cake tester comes out with just some moist crumbs—not fully clean, as this can mean it’s over baked. Remember that it continues to bake a little when you take it out of the oven.

Assemble

7. Make the salted caramel and frosting. Make the caramel first, as you need to that to make the frosting. You can also do this ahead of time. The caramel will keep at least 2 weeks in the fridge and can be reheated in the microwave in 10 second intervals. The frosting can be refrigerated up to 2 weeks or frozen up to 2 months. Just let it come to room temperature on the counter while you bake the cake then stir well before using.

8. Toast the coconut. Toasting is optional, but I like the taste of toasted coconut and it’s much more classic with Samoas. You just need to bake it for 5-10 minutes at 350F/175C until golden.

9. Fill and frost cake. As you frost each layer, top with coconut, mini chocolate chips, and a nice drizzle of salted caramel. Be sure to go in that order, as the caramel acts as almost a glue helping the next layer of cake not slide off the coconut and chocolate chips.

10. Decorate as desired. I just drizzled more caramel and sprinkled the remainder of the coconut and chocolate chips, but feel free to get fancy!

Enjoy

Tips and FAQ’s for this recipe

Will this cake hold up in high heat or while traveling?

Yes, to a point. It won’t hold up well in really high heat, super high humidity, or a long car ride (due to bumps and such). But there’s an easy fix! Refrigerate the cake until serving (or leaving the house with it). I don’t recommend refrigerating it for more than a few hours though. If you need to make it a few days ahead and live in high heat, I suggest freezing it, as this will not dry out the cake the way refrigeration will.

Can I make this ahead of time?

Yes! I always split up my work for more complicated cakes. I like to make the frosting a few days in advance and keep it refrigerated. Just be sure it comes fully to room temperature before using. The same goes for the caramel, although that needs to be heated until drizzle-able (but not hot enough to melt the frosting) before using.

The cake layers as well can be made the night before and kept (well-covered) on the counter overnight, but only if you will be frosting the cake in the morning. Otherwise, it’s best to let the cakes cool completely then wrap them in a double layer of plastic wrap and freeze them. Just be sure to let them defrost jut enough to be able to cut any domed tops off—you want to avoid freezing cut cake layers. Finally, you can easily toast the coconut ahead and keep it in an airtight container.

Do I have to use coffee in the cake?

Probably. You could technically use just hot water, but I have never been a fan of how this cake tastes without coffee. Trust me, you will not taste the coffee if you use light roast. If you’re worried, you can make it half strength, which should be enough to bring out the chocolate flavor.

Measure dry ingredients carefully

Always spoon flour and cocoa into your measuring cup then level with the back of a knife or other straight edge. And be sure to sift with a fine mesh sieve so your cake is nice and fluffy.

Sift your dry ingredients

Sifting dry ingredients is KEY in baking, especially for baking cakes and extra important with chocolate cakes. You always want to ensure the cocoa is sifted because it can create little pockets of cocoa that never get mixed in and thus don’t bake. The one time I made this cake without sifting the dry ingredients, it turned out dense and chewy and just not good. So trust me—sift!

Use room temperature ingredients

This is another baking must. Room temperature ingredients (when called for) are non-negotiable. I have seen the difference in cakes that are tough and don’t rise. Plan ahead and make sure your ingredients have had time to sit out.

Use quality cocoa

Since cocoa is the main flavor here, you want a good brand. Opt for something organic and fair trade, if possible, because this usually means it was produced in smaller batches and thus higher quality and is often fresher, too. Plus, the flavor of the high quality cocoa is always noticeable in the brownies. My go-to is Volupta, from Costco, but some other good options are Ghirardelli, Guittard, Scharffen Berger, Anthony’s, or even Hershey’s Special Dark in a pinch.

My tools

Here are my must-have tools I use for making this cake. Affiliate links provided.

Stand mixer or handheld mixer

Mesh sieve (because sifting is KEY for a fluffy cake)

All-rubber spatula (this makes scraping the bowl easier so the batter and frosting doesn’t get all over a wooden handle!)

Silicone liners for 8” cake (or for 6” cakes)

8” aluminum cake pans or 6” aluminum cake pans (I’ve found nonstick doesn’t bake as evenly)

Offset spatula (for frosting the cake)

Baking spray

You might also like:

Samoa Ice Cream

Samoa Cookie Bars

Vegan Chocolate Coconut Tart

German Chocolate Cake

German Chocolate Ice Cream

Rocky Road Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Coconut Caramel Cake

Print recipe

prep time: 40-45 minutes
bake time: 25-30 minutes
total time: 1 hour, 15 minutes (plus cooling time)

servings: 12-16

Ingredients:

1 ⅔ cups (333g) granulated sugar
1 ⅔ cups (227g) flour, sifted
¾ cup (75g) unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder, sifted
2 teaspoons (8g) baking powder, sifted
1 teaspoon (5g) baking soda, sifted
½ teaspoon (3g) fine ground Himalayan sea salt (or 1 teaspoon table salt, but sea salt gives a better flavor)
2 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup (240g) buttermilk*, room temperature
½ cup (120g) avocado or olive oil
1 tablespoon (13g) pure vanilla extract
1 cup (240g) very hot coffee (light or dark roast is fine)
one batch salted caramel buttercream
¾ cup (75g) flaked coconut (or more, to taste)
one batch easy caramel sauce (or a thick store-bought sauce)
¾ cup (113g) mini chocolate chips (or more, to taste)

Instructions:

Preheat your oven to 325F/165C. Lightly grease and flour two 8” or 9” cake pans or three 6” cake pans (or use baking spray) and line the bottom with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. This is also a great time to set your coffee to percolate (unless using hot water or espresso and hot water, which is what I do).
In the bowl of stand mixer (or large bowl), use a large fine mesh sieve to sifte and whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, being sure to sift as instructed. I prefer using a hand whisk for this step as the whisk attachment doesn't always get the very bottom mixed in. Fit this to your stand mixer with the paddle attachment. You can also use a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer. * I also like to make my coffee at this time so it’s fresh and hot.
In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla.
VERY slowly, pour coffee mixture into the egg mixture, whisking the eggs quickly and constantly to avoid scrambling them. Feel free to do it in increments if this is your first time.
Turn mixer to low. Slowly pour wet ingredients into dry. It will clump up halfway through then settle into a liquid-y consistency. Immediately turn off mixer once all ingredients are combined then scrape down sides with a rubber spatula, making sure to get to the very bottom. Beat on medium for exactly 2 minutes. Do not overmix!
Pour batter evenly into prepared pans. Gently tap pans on the counter a couple times to get some of the bubbles out.
Bake for 20-25 minutes if using three pans or 15-18 minutes if using four pans, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out with some moist crumbs but no raw batter. Always check cakes a little early, as oven time can vary. If not using a convection oven, rotate cakes halfway through.
Cool in pans 5-10 minutes then remove to a cooling rack until completely cooled.
While the cakes cool, make the caramel and then the frosting (since you need the caramel for the frosting). This can also be made ahead and kept refrigerated up to 2 weeks (well-sealed). Let frosting come to room temperature on the counter then stir well until smooth. Reheat the caramel until drizzle-able but not hot enough to melt the frosting.
Toast the coconut. Place on a rimmed baking sheet and bake at 350F/175C for 5-10 minutes, until golden and fragrant. Let cool completely.
When ready to assemble, trim any rounded tops off of the cake layers with a long serrated knife or cake leveler. If you only made two layers, carefully cut each layer in half to make room for more filling (optional, but delicious).
Place your first layer of cake on your cake plate/platter/etc. Spread a layer of frosting on the bottom layer of cake. Sprinkle some coconut and mini chocolate chips
Drizzle with caramel. I used quite a bit, but you can use less. Just use enough to help “glue” the next layer of cake to the coconut and chocolate chips.
Continue stacking and filling each layer in this method until all layers of cake are stacked. Cover the cake in a crumb coat of frosting and refrigerate at least 20 minutes. If the cake is already shifting as you try to crumb coat it, you can refrigerate it for a few minutes to set the filling before adding the crumb coat.
Frost cake to desired thickness. Top with caramel drip and more coconut and chocolate chips.

Enjoy!

Seal leftover cake with a piece of plastic wrap placed right against the cut edges and “seal” it by pressing against the buttercream along the edge. Then core in another layer of plastic wrap or store in an airtight cake container.

*You can make your own buttermilk by adding 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to a 1 cup measuring cup then filling the rest of the way with room temperature whole milk. Stir and let sit 5-10 minutes.