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Three Layer Caramelly Sponges with Chocolate Buttercream Frosting, Gooey Caramel, and Mini Shortbread Bites make the BEST Millionaires Cake Ever!
So I adore anything Millionaires themed… how can I not?! Biscuit, caramel and chocolate is THE BEST COMBINATION. Ever. Honestly, I love it! My Millionaires Cupcakes post has been so popular since I posted it; I adore the secret caramel centre, with the naturally caramelly sponge and chocolate buttercream on top. The photos look so good on that post because they show the caramel oozing out so it never surprises me that they’re a hit!
My Salted Caramel Millionaires Shortbread has always been a massive hit as well because its a salty twist on the classic. I adore it! I love the salted caramel, which you can easily add to this recipe as well. You could simply add a tsp of salt to the tin of caramel, and it would be delicious!
With this recipe, I did base it quite heavily on my Millionaires Cupcakes as I adore it so much. I used the Light Brown Sugar recipe again as I just adore the flavour of the sponges, and it keeps it so moist and lovely. I then went with an easy Chocolate Buttercream frosting using Cocoa Power, but you can easily swap to using actual chocolate if you wanted instead.. I simply use whatever I find easier sometimes (and whatever I have in the cupboard!)
I went for a big three layer cake as I just love the look of them, and it certainly makes them a showstopper. However, if you want to make a smaller cake, then the details are in my Tips and Ideas section below. You can using whatever caramel you like, or even swap it to a caramel buttercream, but chocolate drizzled on it instead! But honestly, this is one of my favourite bakes in a long time and I hope you all love it too! Enjoy! x
Millionaires Cake!
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 400 g Unsalted Butter/Stork
- 400 g Light Brown Sugar
- 8 Medium Eggs
- 400 g Self Raising Flour
- 2 tsp Baking Powder
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
- 350 g Unsalted Butter (room temp)
- 650 g Icing Sugar
- 75 g Cocoa Powder
- 1-2 tbsp Boiling Water
Decoration
- 350 g Caramel (carnations)
- Shortbread Bites
- Sprinkles
- Crushed Shortbread
Instructions
For the Cake!
- Heat the oven to 180C/160C Fan and line three 20cm/8inch sandwich cake tins with baking parchment – leave to the side.
- In a stand mixer, beat together the butter and light brown sugar for a few minutes until light and fluffy. Add in the flour, eggs, baking powder and beat again briefly till combined – try not to overbeat!
- Divide the mixture between the three tins and smooth it over – bake for 25-30minutes until the cakes are golden and when the cake springs back (skewer should also come out clean)!
- Once baked, leave the cakes to cool in their tins for 10 minutes or so, and then remove and leave to cool fully on a wire rack. If the cake has domed slightly, leave the cake to cool upside down to flatten it slightly so its easier to decorate later!
For the Decoration!
- Beat the butter with an electric mixer for a couple of minutes to loosen it – Gradually add the icing sugar on a slow speed until it is combined then speed the mixer up and mix for 3-4 minutes until thoroughly combined and smooth.
- Add the Cocoa Powder to the buttercream and continue mixing. If its really stiff, add in 1tbsp of Boiling Water at a time until you reach the desired texture.
- When its summery I don’t usually need to add any, when its colder weather its usually 1-3tbsps! Keep on beating for 5 minutes until whipped and silky smooth!
- On the first layer of the cake, pipe your buttercream using a 2D Closed Star Piping Tip, and then drizzle/spread some of the caramel on top. Repeat again with the next layer.
- For the top layer, pipe on the rest of the buttercream, and add some little swirls. Drizzle over some more caramel. On top of each swirl, add a mini Millionaires Shortbread Bite, or a piece of Shortbread.
- Sprinkle on some crushed shortbread, some sprinkles, and ENJOY!
Notes
- I love this style of cake as you can tell from the few I have made, and I happen to have 3 8″ tins, if you don’t have 3 tins you can make a smaller version of the cake, use 300g of everything in the cake mixture rather than 400g, 1.5tsps of baking powder, 6 medium eggs (and it might take an extra 5-10 minutes to bake) and use 2/3 of the decoration recipes!
- I used Carnations Caramel which is like the condensed milk you can buy, but you can realistically use any caramel sauce you like or Dulce de Leche.
- This cake will last in an airtight container for 3 days!
ENJOY!
Find my other Cake, Chocolate & Caramel Recipes on my Recipes Page!
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J x
© Jane’s Patisserie. All images & content are copyright protected. Do not use my images without prior permission. If you want to republish this recipe, please re-write the recipe in your own words and credit me, or link back to this post for the recipe.
60 Comments
Sian
March 30, 2021 at 7:51 pmHi Jane, I wondered how you pipped the icing in between each layer ? Was it like you would do a cupcake or did you just hold the bag upright and let the nozzle do the work? Also does the butter cream need to firm up in between each layer or can you do it all at once?
Thank you so much for your help!
Sian
March 28, 2021 at 9:58 amHi Jane- how did you pipe the layers? Was it in circles like you’d pipe cupcakes or do you just push on the bag and lift up and let the tip do the work? Or another way? Thanks so much!
Carolann
March 23, 2021 at 6:22 pmHi Jane! I am wanting to make this recipe at the weekend for my anniversary, the only issue is that I only have one deep 8″ cake tin. Can I pour the whole recipe into this and just allow it to bake for longer then cut it into 3 layers?
Jane's Patisserie
March 26, 2021 at 1:52 pmHello! You can but I have no idea what the timings would be for this I am afraid x
Stephanie Dean
February 21, 2021 at 10:22 amHi I ordered some light brown sugar for this cake, but its been substituted for dark brown sugar. Is this OK to use? It was quite nice in the butterscotch cupcakes but not used in a big cake before. I will be doing the smaller 2 tin version. Thank you x
Jane's Patisserie
February 21, 2021 at 1:41 pmYes its totally fine to use! Just a slightly deep flavour! X
Stephanie Dean
February 21, 2021 at 2:30 pmThank you! X
Cristal
February 10, 2021 at 9:29 pmHi Jane,
I’m just wondering what the measurement would be for a 4inch cake ? I want to make a smaller one for Valentine’s Day.
Thank you,
Cristal
Jane's Patisserie
February 11, 2021 at 8:31 amI’ve not bake a 4″ cake before as it really is so tiny, but it would be about 1/3 of the recipe so the timings will be less x
Hannah
January 17, 2021 at 8:43 amHi Jane,
Could this recipe be covered in a fondant icing for a birthday cake?
Thanks!
Jane's Patisserie
January 17, 2021 at 11:42 amYes it could – but I would recommend a decent crumb coat to seal all the crumbs in first!
Gemma Smart
January 8, 2021 at 7:42 pmHi
I don’t have a stand mixer! Would it make a big difference if I used an electric whisk when making the cake mix?
Thank you
Jane's Patisserie
January 9, 2021 at 3:52 pmNo that would be fine, just try not to over mix it way too much x
Hannah
December 21, 2020 at 10:50 amI made this cake last week for a birthday and it came out incredibly well! The sponge was perfect and the buttercream was delicious. I only used half the caramel but if I made it again I’d put more caramel between each layer! I ordered the icing nozzle that was recommended in the post and it was so easy to use! Even for a first timer like me! Perfect!
Hayley M
November 15, 2020 at 11:33 amHi, if i was to use 3 x 6 inch tins would the recipe be the same as the smaller recipe using 2 x 8 inch tins?
Jane's Patisserie
November 15, 2020 at 11:36 amSo for a 6″ version I usually say to use about 2/3 of a recipe – so you can use the smaller version if you want but I’m not 100% sure on timings!! x
Lauren
September 9, 2020 at 9:10 amHi, my son has picked this recipe for me to try for his birthday cake this year! I can’t wait to taste it myself as it looks amazing! However, on the day I need it I will be short of time, so am planning to bake the cake the day before and then decorate on the day. Would the butter cream be ok to pipe the next day if I made it the day before too? Just trying to save as much time as possible. Thank you x
Jane's Patisserie
September 9, 2020 at 9:43 amYou would need to re-mix the buttercream to freshen it up to be able to pipe it again – You could definitely do the sponges the day before, but personally (unless you don’t mind the re-mixing) would make the buttercream on the day! X
skye gordon
September 3, 2020 at 9:39 amLooks amazing !! Thinking of making this. When you say ‘light brown sugar’ do you mean caster sugar?
Jane's Patisserie
September 3, 2020 at 2:09 pmNo, light brown sugar is a soft brown sugar. It’s not caster, muscavado or Demerara – it’s just light brown sugar x
aliyah
August 30, 2020 at 2:46 pmDo we pipe all over the cake with the buttercream.
Jane's Patisserie
August 30, 2020 at 3:58 pmYep, three layers of buttercream!
Jo
August 17, 2020 at 8:48 pmHi Jane,
Another fantastic creation! Can I ask why the addition of baking powder to this cake recipe? Normally you make your sponge without.
Jane's Patisserie
August 18, 2020 at 9:23 amI have several recipes with baking powder, not just this one – and I find it just lightens the texture! You can leave it out if you want x
Hermione
August 16, 2020 at 8:44 pmDid you melt the caramel and then drizzle it?
Jane's Patisserie
August 17, 2020 at 8:13 pmI don’t melt it, no. I just mix it a little in a bowl or the tin and then drizzle x
Dawn brown
October 9, 2020 at 7:36 pmHi Jane.
I made this cake for my son for his birthday. The sponges came out lovely, but the butter cream so was thick. I did everything precisely as per recipe, but it was that thick I couldn’t pipe it! In the end after a couple of attempts at re mixing it, I gave up and just had to smooth it onto the sponges, which spoilt the affect. Help….what did I do wrong?
Jane's Patisserie
October 10, 2020 at 8:21 amYou just need to add a little boiling water or whole milk to thin a buttercream out if it’s too thick xx
Chantelle
July 20, 2020 at 5:28 pmHi jane,
I’d like to make this cake in 6” tins for my mums anniversary. How would I adapt the recipe please!?
Jane's Patisserie
July 20, 2020 at 7:14 pmYou use about 2/3 of the recipe, and follow the method, but baking time is shorter x
Steph
August 17, 2020 at 10:02 pmThis looks insanely good !! In your notes where you talk about adapting the recipie to make a smaller version, how many tins was that in reference to w.g. was it for 2 x 8 inch tins ?
Jane's Patisserie
August 18, 2020 at 9:22 amYes, two 8″ xx
Liza
May 18, 2020 at 10:35 amI made this cake yesterday but two layered and it came out amazing. Made this for my family and they have said it tastes so amazing and the cake itself was really soft! Can’t wait to bake some more cakes from your page! Xx
Holly
May 3, 2020 at 8:01 pmI made this epic millionaire cake for my birthday last year and it was fab! Easy recipe to follow, looked and tasted incredible. Thank you for sharing it, Holly x
Sam
April 26, 2020 at 3:00 pmHello! I’ve made this recipe before and loved it but wanted to make it again with chocolate sponge? How much flour would you need to swap out to coco powder/ would it work? Thanks
Jane's Patisserie
April 26, 2020 at 3:08 pmI would swap out 50g of flour for cocoa powder! x
Niamh
January 21, 2020 at 5:58 pmWhat size tin for the smaller recipe, please?? Love your recipes 😊😊
Jane's Patisserie
January 21, 2020 at 10:06 pmStill 8″, just two not three!
Tammy
January 21, 2020 at 11:37 amThis looks amazing how much ingredients would I need to use 3 6” round cakes instead of 8” ? Thankyou in advance x
Amber
August 15, 2019 at 5:45 pmI have just made this cake and Its amazing! So so easy but yet looks so spectacular! Thank you for sharing!
Kelly
March 31, 2019 at 1:20 pmMade the 2 tier version of this cake for
Mother’s Day and it’s amazing. Thanks for much for the recipe – have some very happy (and full) family 🙂
Jane's Patisserie
March 31, 2019 at 7:56 pmAwh yay! I’m so glad!
Hayley Brimicombe
January 18, 2019 at 4:34 pmI’m wanting to make this for a cousins birthday but she would like 2 layers instead of 3. How much would I need to change the amounts to, for this? Looks amazing and I can’t wait to make it!
Jane's Patisserie
January 19, 2019 at 9:18 amThere’s notes on how to do this in the notes section of the recipe xx
Hayley
January 26, 2019 at 8:10 pmThank you. Am in the middle of making it now and can’t wait for my cousin to see it and hope she’s like it xx
Debbie Vandeventer
September 25, 2018 at 6:43 pmI live in the US and I am wondering what the difference is between the flour in the UK and our flour. I believe that our “self RISING flour” is different than your “self RAISING flour”. Would you happen to know what I need to use in place of, or in addition to, our regular all-purpose flour to achieve the right texture for this cake? I love your creations and I cannot wait to make this cake!!
Jane's Patisserie
September 25, 2018 at 7:42 pmI believe your all-purpose flour is the same as our plain-flour. For this cake, I would add in probably 3tsp more baking powder. x
Yasmin
March 3, 2018 at 3:28 pmWow I can’t wait to bake this cake for my sons birthday! Thank you for all your amaaazing recipes
John Malcon
December 7, 2017 at 12:07 pmHello, Jane!
Thank you for the perfect recipe! I sent to my wife a link on your blog!
John
Weedit.photos
Lily
November 28, 2017 at 3:20 pmI have 372g of the brown sugar would it be ok to do the last 28g’s as dark brown sugar?
Jane's Patisserie
November 28, 2017 at 5:34 pmYes! X
Clare Smith
August 16, 2017 at 10:37 pmJust made this cake for my birthday. Substituted Gluten Free Flour for the unusual but rest of recipe remained the same.
Its turned out wonderfully, im sure any visitors will enjoy the luxurious treat. Thanks for your recipes and ideas they are spot on
Daniella Modern
July 30, 2017 at 9:39 amLooks divine. Do you weigh the eggs in their shells or not? Cheers
Jane's Patisserie
July 30, 2017 at 6:18 pmI personally weigh them out of the shells but it doesn’t reeeeally matter. ?
Natalie
July 25, 2017 at 8:59 pmAn this be made in a 8″ 3″ deep tin? X
Jane's Patisserie
July 25, 2017 at 9:38 pmYes – the cakes won’t be that deep so they’d be fine.
Jane's Patisserie
July 25, 2017 at 9:39 pmSorry I missread that ? did you mean one tin? It should be fine but I’d lower the baking temperature to 140C and bake for a long time.
Natalie
July 26, 2017 at 6:11 amThank you yes I meant one tin.
I was looking for a very chocolatey chocolate cake for a few weeks time this will be perfect x
Jo
July 25, 2017 at 2:23 pmOh.My.Goodness. This is STUNNING! Seriously, I don’t even know where to begin. I’m definitely bookmarking this to try out sometime, thanks 🙂
Jane's Patisserie
July 25, 2017 at 3:28 pmThank you, Jo!! x