Obsessed Cakes

Salted Caramel Blondie Cheesecake Cake

Three soft blondie cake layers baked with white chocolate blondie dough, filled with tangy cheesecake frosting and brown sugar vanilla salted caramel.

Prep
1 hr
Bake
22 min
Total
4 hr 30 min
Yield
One three-layer 8-inch cake

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Ingredients

Blondie Batter Dough

  • 113 g (1/2 cup) butter of choice, softened
  • 150 g (2/3 cup) light brown sugar
  • 120 g (1 cup) cake flour
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons milk of choice
  • 85 g (1/2 cup) white chocolate chips of choice

Blondie Cake Layers

  • 300 g (2 1/2 cups) cake flour
  • 20 g (2 tablespoons + 2 1/2 teaspoons) cornstarch
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 220 g (1 cup) light brown sugar, packed
  • 100 g (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
  • 240 g (1 1/8 cups) neutral oil
  • 240 g (1 cup) plain unsweetened yogurt of choice
  • 240 g (1 cup) milk of choice
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons vanilla bean paste

Classic Cheesecake Frosting

  • 680 g (3 cups) cream cheese of choice, room temperature
  • 212 g (1 1/8 cups) granulated sugar
  • 2 1/4 teaspoons nutritional yeast, sifted
  • 3/4 teaspoon mild white or yellow miso paste
  • 3/4 teaspoon lemon juice
  • 3 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or extract

Brown Sugar Vanilla Salted Caramel

  • 170 g (3/4 cup) light brown sugar
  • 40 g (2 tablespoons + 2 1/2 teaspoons) water
  • 2 g (3/4 teaspoon) cornstarch
  • 85 g (3/8 cup) butter of choice
  • 100 g (1/2 cup) heavy cream of choice
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
  • 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions

  1. Make the blondie batter dough. Cream the softened butter and brown sugar until smooth and cohesive.
  2. Mix in the vanilla bean paste and salt. Add the cake flour and mix until fully combined.
  3. Mix in the milk until a soft, scoopable dough forms, then fold in the white chocolate chips. Chill while preparing the cake batter.
  4. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and line three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment.
  5. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
  6. In a large bowl, whisk the brown sugar, granulated sugar, oil, yogurt, milk, apple cider vinegar, and vanilla bean paste until fully smooth.
  7. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk just until combined.
  8. Remove the blondie batter dough from the refrigerator. Tear it into small, irregular pieces and gently fold them into the cake batter.
  9. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and smooth the tops.
  10. Bake for 22 minutes, or until the centers spring back lightly when touched.
  11. Cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then transfer the layers to wire racks and cool completely. Once fully cool, wrap and chill the layers flat until assembly.
  12. Make the cheesecake frosting. Add the cream cheese, granulated sugar, nutritional yeast, miso, lemon juice, and vanilla to a bowl. Mix until completely smooth, creamy, and emulsified.
  13. Scrape down the bowl and mix again briefly. Refrigerate until ready to use.
  14. Make the caramel. Whisk the brown sugar, water, and cornstarch together in a saucepan until smooth.
  15. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until bubbling.
  16. Add the butter and heavy cream and simmer for 2-3 minutes, whisking, until glossy.
  17. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla bean paste and salt. Cool completely, then chill before assembly.
  18. Place one chilled blondie cake layer on a serving plate or cake board. Spread an even layer of cheesecake frosting on top, leaving it slightly higher around the outer edge.
  19. For more than a light drizzle of caramel, spread the cheesecake frosting slightly higher around the edge to create a small border. Spoon a conservative layer of chilled brown sugar vanilla salted caramel inside it.
  20. Add the second cake layer and repeat with cheesecake frosting and caramel.
  21. Top with the final cake layer and frost the outside as desired.
  22. Chill the assembled cake until stable before slicing. Spoon additional caramel over individual slices just before serving.

Helpful notes

  • I developed and highly recommend this cheesecake frosting with non-dairy cream cheese. The nutritional yeast supplies a subtle savory note that helps it taste baked, the mild miso adds umami, and the lemon juice brings the tang.
  • If you use dairy cream cheese, you can leave out the lemon juice because dairy cream cheese already provides more natural tang.