Dulce De Leche Cake

A luxurious dulce de leche cake featuring browned butter layers, salted caramel buttercream, and shattery crystallized sugar for the ultimate sweet-and-salty showstopper.

Prep Time 1 45

Cook Time 40

Total Time 2 25

Equipment

8-inch Cake Pans
Stand mixer
Saucepan
Offset spatula

Ingredients

For Caramel Cake Layers

For Salted Caramel Buttercream

▢ 2 cups butter softened at room temperature
▢ 14 ounce can dulce de leche
▢ 1 tsp vanilla extract
▢ 1/4 teaspoon salt
▢ 2 to 3 cups confectioner's sugar

For Caramelized Sugar Garnish

▢ 1 cup white granulated sugar
▢ 1/2 cup water

For Filling

▢ 14 ounce can dulce de leche for filling

Instructions

Prep, pans, and the browned butter twist

Heat the oven to 350F, then line three 8-inch cake rounds with parchment paper, or use two 9-inch rounds, and set them aside so you are not scrambling with batter in hand.
Take the 3/4 cup butter meant for the cake layers and brown it in a small saucepan. It will foam, then the milk solids will turn golden and smell like toasted nuts. Pour it into a heat-safe bowl and let it cool until it becomes room-temperature solid again before creaming.

Mixing the batter without losing that fluffy texture

Cream the browned, re-solidified butter with the sugar until it looks pale and airy, like sweetened whipped butter.
Add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla. Microwave the dulce de leche for 30 seconds so it loosens, and blend until the batter looks glossy and caramel-colored.
Pour in the milk gradually, keeping it warm so the mixture stays smooth instead of clumping around the butter.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt, then add the dry mix to the wet in small additions, whisking only until the last streak of flour disappears.

Baking, cooling, and leveling

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. You will know it is ready when the top springs back and a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool the cakes completely, then use a long serrated knife to level the domes so the layers stack neatly without sliding.

Garnish, buttercream, and assembly

For the crystallized sugar garnish, cook the sugar and water over medium heat without stirring until it turns deep amber, then pour onto parchment and spread as it cools. Once fully hard, break it into shards.
For the buttercream, whip the softened butter in a stand mixer on high for 5 to 7 minutes until it turns pale and fluffy, scraping the bowl a few times so everything aerates evenly.
Add the dulce de leche, vanilla, and a few pinches of salt, then whip until light. Add the confectioner’s sugar and keep whisking for 3 to 4 minutes until it holds soft, creamy peaks.
If the frosting looks flat because the butter was too warm, chill it for 1 hour, then whip again until it regains volume.
Assemble by spreading each layer with a generous blanket of dulce de leche filling, then buttercream, and sprinkle a generous pinch of flaky sea salt directly onto the dulce de leche between layers.
Apply a thin crumb coat first, chill briefly if you like, then smooth the final coat with an offset spatula. Pipe the remaining frosting if desired, and finish with sugar shards along the sides.

Notes

Milk Temperature: Warm the milk before adding it to the creamed butter to ensure the batter stays perfectly smooth and does not separate.

Sugar Work Safety: Never stir the sugar and water while it cooks. Stirring causes crystallization and will ruin the glass-like amber finish.

Frosting Fix: If your buttercream becomes soupy or flat, the butter was likely too warm. Chill the entire bowl for an hour and re-whip to restore its fluffy structure.

Garnish Timing: Wait to add the sugar shards until shortly before serving. The moisture from the refrigerator will soften them and cause them to droop instead of crackle.

Nutrition information is estimated based on common ingredients and serving sizes and may vary.

Keyword dulce de leche cake

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