This is a vanilla layer cake with dulce de leche in the filling and in the whipped cream frosting. If you haven't tried the magic that is a cake with these flavors, you're in for a treat! The components can be made in advance.
SAVE THIS RECIPE
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
A classic birthday cake
Growing up in Argentina, most birthday cakes were filled with dulce de leche, and most were plain vanilla cakes. Sometimes, you got chocolate cake, but always with the same filling.
Nobody complained, and you have to taste it to understand how fantastic dulce de leche is for simple layer cakes.
However, it made all cakes pretty much the same.
The thing is that it will always be such a fantastic combination that we keep on making them. If you're new to dulce de leche, you're in for a sweet surprise of the best kind.
It can even be made in stages since both the cake layers and the frosting can be made in advance.
Nowadays, chocotorta, an icebox cake, shares the birthday pole position.
Testing notes
Sift dry ingredients and don't overbeat once you add them. This is important for a soft and tender crumb and to avoid impurities or clumped ingredients in the batter.
Bake the cake layers the day before. The crumb will settle and gain the structure necessary to hold the filling and frosting. Cover them in plastic wrap after they've cooled down completely to prevent dryness, and leave them at room temperature overnight.
Use thick dulce de leche for the filling, not the regular one, or it will drip and be messy. The brands I use are below and in the recipe card.
Don't overwhip the cream for the frosting at the beginning, before adding the dulce de leche, or it might curdle by the time it's all integrated. Medium-firm peaks mean that the body has structure, but the tip drops immediately when you lift the beaters.
Make ahead: the cake layers can be frozen for a month or kept at room temperature for up to 2 days, always covered in plastic wrap. Fill it up to a day before, but frost it close to serving as whipped cream is best kept cold.
Make a 3 or 4-layer cake: To make a stunning layered birthday cake, bake the batter in three pans (for a 3-layer cake) or bake two and cut them in half (for a 4-layer cake). In between, make thinner layers of dulce de leche than the one shown in the photos.
How to make dulce de leche layer cake
Mixing: an electric mixer (or stand mixer with the paddle attachment) is highly recommended for this type of cake.
Preparing the springform pans: for layer cakes, you can grease the pans with soft butter, shortening or baking spray. Then, they need a light dusting of flour. This gives me the best results when I remove them.
Sifting
It's an essential step that should not be skipped. It adds air to the batter and is crucial for some dry ingredients, like baking powder, which can clump during storage.
Cake batter
You can make one 9-inch layer and cut it in half, resulting in a wider and shorter cake.
If you bake two 8-inch layers and stack one on top of the other when assembling, the cake will be taller. This is what we did.
Baking
They can be made ahead and kept covered at room temperature for a day or two. Or frozen for a few weeks.
You can also refrigerate them, but I find it makes the crumb denser. But you can, always covered in plastic wrap to prevent dryness.
Filling
You need to use what we call pastry dulce de leche, much thicker than the regular kind. Look for the word Repostero on the label.
The best one available online (that I also use here!) is Vacalin Dulce de Leche Repostero. Another good one is Veronica dulce de leche repostero.
Whipped cream frosting
Make sure you don't overwhip it at first, before you add the dulce de leche.
It's better to under whip it if in doubt and adjust after you add the milk jam.
Dulce de leche mousse frosting
The half-whipped cream is whipped with dulce de leche to create a fantastically smooth, caramel-flavored frosting with a mousse-like consistency.
Vintage Kitchen Tip
This cake is best filled the day before so the flavors settle and meld.
You can assemble the cake in the cake pan (several hours or the day before), using the bottom of the pan as the base. Place one layer, fill it with dulce de leche and place the second layer on top. Then, close the springform ring around the cake again and wrap the whole pan in plastic. That way, the cake is covered and tight. Keep it refrigerated. Frost it close to serving time.
Chocolate frosting variation
This vanilla cake with dulce de leche filling also pairs very well with a chocolate frosting. I like the classic chocolate ganache or the sweeter and old-fashioned chocolate sour cream frosting.
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read my disclosure policy.
Dulce de Leche Cream Cake (vanilla layers)
Ingredients
For the vanilla cake:
- 2 tablespoon shortening, softened, to grease the pans
- 2 tablespoons flour, to flour the pans
- 2 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour, or cake flour for a softer crumb
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 ⅔ cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 eggs, at room temperature
- 1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
For the filling:
- 1 ½ cups thick dulce de leche , the thick one labeled 'repostero', such as dulce de leche Vacalin, the one I use
For the cream frosting:
- 2 cups heavy cream, cold
- 1 cup dulce de leche
- ½ cup thick dulce de leche, extra, for piping, optional
Instructions
For the vanilla cake:
- Preheat oven to 350ºF (180ºC).
- Grease two 8-inch (22cm) round springform cake pans with 2 tablespoon shortening. Dust with 2 tablespoons flour, shaking off excess. Reserve.
- Sift 2 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking powder and ½ teaspoon salt. Reserve.
- In a large mixing bowl beat soft 1 cup unsalted butter until creamy, about 1 minute.
- Gradually add 1 ⅔ cups sugar, and beat for 4 minutes, until very light. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed.
- Add 4 eggs, one at a time, and beat until smooth between additions.
- Add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with 1 cup whole milk and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract in 2 additions; you start and end with the flour mixture. Mix *just* until well integrated and smooth. Overbeating will make the cake tough.
- Pour into the prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Let the pans cool on wire racks for 15 minutes. Then, remove the cakes and let them cool completely on the wire racks before filling and frosting.
- You can make a 2-layer or a 4-layer cake. Cut the cake in half, trying to cut it as even as possible. To achieve this, start by using a large thin knife, and cut while rotating the cake. With each turn, the knife should go deeper, until you reach the center. At that point the cake will be completely cut in half.
- Spread 1 ½ cups thick dulce de leche on top of one half, spreading evenly.
- Top with the other cake layer and press lightly. At this point, you can wrap the cake and refrigerate it for 1 day. I put them back in the cake pan, close the springform ring and wrap the whole pan.
For the whipped cream:
- In a large bowl whip 2 cups heavy cream until medium-firm peaks form.
- Fold in 1 cup dulce de leche until it's evenly colored. Use a spatula or beat at low speed but be careful not to curdle it.
- Frost the top and sides of the cake. An offset spatula is a great tool for this. You can use an extra ½ cup thick dulce de leche to pipe decorations on top.
www.you-made-that.com says
This is a beautiful cake that looks so rich and delicious. I'm sorry you had problems with flooding :(. I like your positive attitude to realize you still have so much while others lost much more. I hope you get everything fixed soon and back to normal.
Sandra Lee says
Happy to hear that you're OK. Your cake looked amazing worth all the time and calories. I have to start giving away my baked goods again.
thelittleloaf says
I'm so sorry to hear about your house but I'm very pleased you managed to still make this incredible cake. It looks so so yummy. Hope you're ok and keeping safe with a big slice of this 🙂
Nancy @ gottagetbaked says
Paula, I'm incredibly sorry to hear about the devastation happening in Buenos Aires! My heart goes out to you. While it's terrible to lose physical possessions that you love and cherish, I'm relieved that you're safe and you haven't lost any loved ones. I'm thinking of you and sending prayers and best wishes to your city.
As for cake...I love your attitude, girl. Cakes don't need to look perfect - they need to TASTE perfect and I know that this one does. Gah - there is so much amazingness in there, I'd do anything for a slice right now! I wish I grew up with dulce de leche filled cakes. I guess I just need to start making them now.
Pink Patisserie says
Beautiful and I bet deliciously yummy! I don't think I've ever had a cake with dulce de leche in the middle, but I will now! So sorry to hear of the flooding there, but glad to hear that you all are alright..
Liz Berg says
Oh, I'm so sorry to hear about your flooding...I hope your life and the lives of those affected by the storms will be back to normal ASAP.
I love that you grew up with dulce de leche filled cakes...what delicious memories! And I'm the same way with decorating cakes...simple and easy. Yours is beautiful!
Laura Dembowski says
I hope you are doing okay, Paula and things get back to normal quickly 🙂 This cake looks great! I love dulce de leche and the hazelnut praline has my mouth watering.
The Sketched Chef says
That looks extremly beautiful and tasty !
Medeja says
So sorry to hear about the floods. But I am really glad you are ok yourself.
This cake looks so gorgeous 🙂 I wish I could ask you to make a cake for my birthday 😀
yummychunklet says
Oh, the filling and the frosting look divine!
Laura says
You already know that I love dulce de leche--this cake looks fabulous.
I am sorry to hear about the flooding. I hope your community recovery goes as smoothly as possible.
Gloria Baker says
Paula this look absolutely delicious!, me mata el dulce de leche!!
Que terrible lo de las inundaciones Paula y que pena tus cosas, de todas maneras son cosas que cuesta tener, pero me alegro que estes bien, espero se vayan recuperando.
Me impresiona que haya sucedido en esta época que aún no es invierno!
Un abrazo
Renee says
I'll be dreaming about this cake for days, no make that months. I've come back to look at this post at least three times already. What a special cake. Seriously. Very special. It's one I would love to have for my birthday and half-birthday and quarter-birthday.
ahu says
Paula - this cake looks incredible. Best to you and the community as you recover from the devastating flood!
Viviane Bauquet Farre - Food and Style says
Paula, this looks incredible!
Abbe@This is How I Cook says
Paula, I'm so glad you are OK. Most things can be replaced, thank goodness! And this cake, I give thanks for that. I am going to try this. What do I have to do to be that friend that receives everything? I hope she is skinny or she won't be for long!
Holly @ abakershouse.com says
This is a beautiful cake, even the name makes me hungry and happy! I am terribly sorry to hear of the floods and am sorry you've had to experience that this week. Thanks for sharing your positive attitude and your concern for others who lost even more. Take care!
Lisa says
Paula...I made a similar cake last year for my BF's birthday, but I made a macadadmia praline. However, it was nowhere near as gorgeous as yours! This cake is mind-blowing, aesthetically and flavor wise. I'm dying to see your cinnamon swirl challah...and I know there is no way it's ugly! Your baking skills are off the charts, seriously.
Kate@Diethood says
Holy moly!! My jaw is on the floor... I want!! That is beautiful!
I also don't have patience for cakes... I give up at the very beginning! 🙂
Stacy says
I LOOOOOVE that you put more nuts in the middle too on top of the dulce de leche filling, Paula! Absolutely fabulous! It's a beautiful cake.
I am sorry that you suffered any damage but, as you say, it's hard not to be grateful when so many lost so much more. I hope you were able to save the most precious things. For me that would be family photos and other irreplaceables. In time, we can always buy a new rug or sofa. Heart-connected family items are harder to replace.