The ultimate combo of chocolate and caramel come together in this delicious Chocolate Dulce de Leche Cake.
This post has been sponsored by Fat Daddio’s. Thank you for supporting the brands I love – they help make Liv for Cake possible! All opinions expressed here are my own.
First off, sorry for the lack of a post last week. I have no excuse other than I’m having a hard time getting back into the swing of things after being away for 3 weeks, and the weather here has been cloudy and rainy so I haven’t been able to take pictures. I guess that’s kind of an excuse? Never mind the fact that we literally came back to SNOW. From a sunny Sydney summer, to snow. In Vancouver. In MARCH.
It literally almost never snows here, but this winter has been crazy. It’s officially spring now, and my winter coat should be put away and I should be staring out at a garden full of flowers. Unfortunately, neither of those is a reality, so it’s a good thing I have copious amounts of this Chocolate Dulce de Leche Cake in my fridge right now.
I’m so excited to bring you this post today because it’s in collaboration with one of my favourite brands in the baking world — Fat Daddio’s.
Fat Daddio’s is renowned for manufacturing high quality, professional bakeware. They have a seemingly endless variety of cake pans and baking tools. Literally anything you could ever need or want. This family owned company has been around for decades and they are the go-to brand for professional pastry chefs and bakeries.
I’ve been using Fat Daddio’s products for as long as I can remember and they are my favourite brand when it comes to bakeware. I specifically love their cake pans over any others I’ve tried, as they are sturdier and bake more evenly. Just look at those perfect, even layers!
Cleanup is a breeze too! The most used Fat Daddio’s products in my kitchen are the 6″ cake pans (shown below) and the cake lifter (which makes transferring cakes from the turntable to a cake stand a much less stressful endeavour).
Fat Daddio’s doesn’t sell directly to consumers, but you can easily find their products online on Amazon or Golda’s Kitchen. If you happen to live in Vancouver, my favourite place to get them is at the Gourmet Warehouse.
This Chocolate Dulce de Leche Cake is a new fave. I used my standard chocolate cake recipe (why mess with a good thing, right?) and paired it with a silky Dulce de Leche brown sugar buttercream. I used dark brown sugar instead of regular granulated sugar in the buttercream, because I wanted to enhance both the color and flavour. I wanted a rich caramel color to the buttercream, and I knew that 1/4 cup of Dulce de Leche wouldn’t be enough to do that. The brown sugar also adds to the caramel flavour. It’s truly delicious.
Now, I went the easy route and used store-bought Dulce de Leche. Partly because I had some in my fridge from this Dark Chocolate Ganache Tart, and partly because I’m lazy. It’s actually really easy to make Dulce de Leche at home. All you need is a can of sweetened condensed milk, a pot, some water, and time. I went with the leftover stuff I had, but you can make your own if you prefer!
The rich chocolate cake and silky caramel buttercream go so well together. Who doesn’t love a good chocolate and caramel combo, right?? I amped up the flavour even more by drizzling Dulce de Leche over each slice. Pure heaven right there!
Notes & tips for this Chocolate Dulce de Leche Cake:
- You can make your own Dulce de Leche at home rather than using store-bought if you prefer.
- To enhance the chocolate flavour of the cake, you can use strong hot coffee instead of hot water.
- For the ganache, I let mine set overnight (with plastic wrap placed directly on the surface). It will be too thick at this point, so I microwave it for 10 secs and stir it until it’s the right consistency.
- The drip technique works best on a chilled cake so that the drips set quickly.
- Be sure to check my Swiss Meringue Buttercream post for tips and troubleshooting.
- To help ensure your cake layers bake up nice and flat, see my Flat Top Cakes post.
Chocolate Dulce de Leche Cake
The ultimate combo of chocolate and caramel come together in this delicious Chocolate Dulce de Leche Cake.
INGREDIENTS
Cake:
- 1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder sifted
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup buttermilk room temperature
- 3/4 cup hot water
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla
Dulce de Leche Buttercream:
- 3 large egg whites
- 1 cup dark brown sugar lightly packed
- 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter cubed, room temperature
- 1/4 cup Dulce de Leche storebought or homemade
Ganache:
- 2 oz dark chocolate finely chopped
- 2 oz heavy whipping cream
INSTRUCTIONS
Cake:
- Preheat oven to 350F, grease three 6" round baking pans and dust with cocoa powder. Line bottoms with parchment.
- Place all dry ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Stir to combine.
In a medium bowl whisk all wet ingredients (pour water in slowly as not to cook the eggs if very hot).
- Add wet ingredients to dry and mix on medium for 2-3 mins. Batter will be very thin.
- Pour evenly into prepared pans. I used a kitchen scale to ensure the batter is evenly distributed.
Bake until a cake tester comes out mostly clean. A total of 30-35mins.
Cool 10 minutes in the pans then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Dulce de Leche Buttercream:
Place egg whites and dark brown sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk until combined.*
Place bowl over a hot water bath on the stove and whisk constantly until the mixture is hot and no longer grainy to the touch (approx. 3mins).
- Place bowl on your stand mixer and whisk on med-high until the meringue is stiff and cooled (the bowl is no longer warm to the touch (approx. 5-10mins)).
Switch to paddle attachment. Slowly add cubed butter and mix until smooth.**
Add dulce de leche and whip until smooth.
Ganache:
- Place chopped chocolate and cream into a microwave safe bowl. Stir to combine. Microwave for 20 seconds, stir. Microwave in 10 second intervals, stirring in between, until ganache is smooth and silky. Set aside to cool completely and thicken slightly before using on cake.
Assembly:
- Place one layer of cake on a cake stand or serving dish. Top with about 2/3 cup buttercream. Repeat with remaining layers. Frost and smooth the outside with a thin crumb coat. Chill for 20mins.
- Using a small spoon, place dollops of ganache around the top edges of the cooled cake, allowing some to drip down. Fill in the top of the cake with more ganache and spread evenly with an offset spatula.***
Top with decorative dollops of frosting (I used Ateco tip 825). Drizzle slices with dulce de leche if desired.
NOTES
* Ensure there is NO trace of egg yolks in your whites and that your mixer bowl and whisk is completely grease free or your meringue won't stiffen.
** The buttercream may look like it's curdled at some point. Keep mixing until it is completely smooth.
*** You may have some ganache left over.
The nutritional information and metric conversions are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this data. If this important to you, please verify with your favourite nutrition calculator and/or metric conversion tool.
Hi! Is it ok to bake one layer at a time? I only have one form:) and what does “frosting the top with crumbs “ mean? Do I put just a bit of cream on top? Thank you!
Hi Anastasia! The batter should be baked immediately, I don’t think one at a time would work. A crumb coat is just a thin layer of frosting on the cake, like you see here. I put frosting between each layer and then a thin frosting coat all around that I scraped off. I hope that helps!
Thank you!
Wow perfect thank you for the recipe everybody is raving about it.Thanks a million and keep doing what you do best baking.Love your recipes.
Hi Lu! So glad everyone liked it 🙂
Hi Olivia! I would love to make it for my daughter 1st Birthday. I have a quick question. What do you mean by “frosting with thin crumb coat? Do I coat the last cake layer with buttercream and then add ganache? Was confused a bit… Also, the sides of the cake.. it looks like the cream spread out unevenly which makes it look stunning. How to achieve it?
Hi Anastasia! A crumb coat is just a thin layer of frosting on the cake, like you see here. I put frosting between each layer and then a thin frosting coat all around that I scraped off. I hope that helps!
Made this cake for Christmas dinner and got rave reviews. Such a quick recipe to make with easy to follow directions. Thank you so much!!!
Thanks for the feedback Denise! I’m so glad you liked it 🙂
So I love this cake and have made it twice now! I have a question and sorry if its been asked already. I am making it for a dinner party on Monday night. Can the cakes be made the night before? And the buttercream should be make the same day? Also the ganache? Trying to figure out how to work 9-5 on Monday and churn out the perfect cake!! Thank you
Hi Laura! Everything can be made the night before and assembled day of. You can actually assemble the day before too!
What a great recipe! I made this for a going away party for two chocolate lover at my work, and this was an absolute hit. I only had round 9-inch cake pans, so I made a two layer cake – they were a little thin, so I would suggest using 8-inch for two-tiered if you want to try that route.
This is the best chocolate cake I have ever had and will definitely be my go-to from now on. I highly recommend using coffee instead of water.
Hi Gabriela! So glad to hear that it was a hit and thanks for the tips!
If we use light brown sugar, will it turn out good? I don’t really know the difference between dark brown and light brown sugar. When you say dark brown sugar, you mean the one that is soft and has molasses in it ?
Hi Anastasia! Light brown sugar should work just fine!
It’s not soft…it’s crystal light brown sugar.Will that still be ok to use ?
I’m not totally sure but it should? Just make sure the crystals totally dissolve when cooking the egg whites.
il est magnifique votre gâteau svp.pouvez-vous me donner les mesures en gram
Hi there! At the bottom of the list of ingredients you can switch to Metric to get the grams.
Sorry never mind I see it now. I must add it. Sorry
No problem! I hope you like it 🙂
This cake looks great. Gona attempt to make it for my hubby’s bday. My question is about the buttercream and dulce de leche….
do you only use the dulce to drizzle on top or do you add it to the buttercream? Not clear to me in the recipe?
Hey! Does the Meringue need to peak or just be stiff? Mine is pretty stiff but it won’t hold a peak.
Hi Terri! Yes, it needs to hold a peak.
Hi,
I would like to make this cake for my daughter 3rd birthday party. Since we have lot of kids at the party , I was thinking to do the same cake as 9 inch 3 tierrr . Would the baking time change for the cake? How long do I bake the cake for?
Thank you!
Hi Aastha! For a 9″ 3 layer cake I would double the recipe. Baking time may need to be adjusted (reduced slightly).
This was perfect. I made it with 2 9 inch pans instead of the 6vinch pans and it still came out excellent. I followed your instructions carefully and the consistency of the cream was perfect. I started a new tradition of making my own birthday cake and I started with your recipe and I can’t be happier. Thank you for sharing. I posted it on my Instagram. #jorgelovescooking.
So happy to hear that Jorge! Happy belated birthday!
I have just discovered your website and I am amazed with the cakes you bake! Makes me want to bake a new cake every week 🙂
I was actually at one of our local bistros and they had dulce de leche mini cake that looked EXACTLY like this one. I am going to have to ask if she uses your recipe, it looks identical and was very, very delicious.
Hi Heidi! Hah, I wonder, I’d be curious to know! I hope you try this one yourself 🙂
This is such a beauty! I’m attempting to make it, but ran into issues with the buttercream, it’s liquidity although I followed your steps. Do you know what may have went wrong or if there is a way I could make it work? Thanks!
Hi Toni! Was the meringue nice and stiff before you added the butter? If so I suspect either the meringue was too warm still or the butter too soft. You can place it in the fridge for 20mins and rewhip and it should come together 🙂
This cake was absolutely fabulous! Everything went as planned. I doubled the cake batter and made it in three 8” pans. The chocolate cake was so rich and moist. The dulce de leche came out great via the crockpot method. And the Swiss meringue buttercream was heavenly! Highly recommend this recipe!
Hi Jennifer! So glad to hear you liked it and that everything worked well!
Jennifer,
I’m thinking of trying what you did and doubling to bake in 8” pans – did you also double the icing? Or was it enough to cover the extra cake?
Hi there! First of all I love your chocolate cake recipe. Sooo good. I wanted to make this cake as a 10inch. How would you recommended altering the recipe ?
Thank you
Hi Evelina! Converting pan sizes is always tricky. Here’s a site I use as a guideline: http://www.joyofbaking.com/PanSizes.html
Can I use this recipe for three 9 inch cake pans? I do not have 6 inch pans as instructed. Thanks!!
Hi Alec! The layers will be too thin in three 9″ pans. The recipe as is will work for two 8″ pans, or you two 9″ pans with thinner layers.
I made this for my friends birthday and it was amazing. The cake was perfect. I had to do the buttercream twice, but only because I messed up and had never done it before. Thanks!
Hi Natalie! So glad you liked it! Swiss meringue can be a bit tricky to work with, glad it worked the second time around!
Hi! I’m going to make this cake tomorrow, but I was wondering if I could make the entire cake with frosting and ganache and all and store over night In the fridge. Or do I need to add the ganache the next day when it’s ready to be served. If I do it overnight, will it still have the drip effect as on the pics?
Hi Brandi! If you do the ganache before and keep it in the fridge, it will lose its shine. There is also a possibility that it could crack.
Add a few drops of corn syrup to keep the ganache shiny.
Hi,,,i want to get the right pan size pleade ,,6x2inch or 6x3inch ,,,thx
Hi Grace! Either will work. Mine are 6×2″.
I made this cake on Sunday and it was absolutely delicious!
I just have one question – I have 7 inch pans, so I baked 2 layers instead of three, then it kind of fell in a little bit. Should I rather make 3 layers, which would be thinner than yours, or adjust the oven temperature for 2? Hope you can help because this is definitely going to be my go to chocolate cake from now on!
Hi Jenet! At what point did it fall? It might have needed a bit more time in the oven possibly. Or are you at high altitude by chance? I would not adjust the oven temperature, only baking time.
It fell during the last 10 minutes or so. I tested at 35 minutes and the middle was still wet (and by that time already fell in). So I left it in for another 5 – 8 minutes and it was done but didn’t rise any more.
Not really high altitude though.
Ah I think you probably tested it a bit too early which caused it too fall — since the middle was still wet. Maybe bake them a bit longer next time and see?
Made it again in 3 pans and with baking strips and it was so perfect, I wept. My family raved and I thank you!
How many people would you estimate this would serve? My son asked me to bake a cake for his work party: 18-20 engineers. This looks like something they would love to eat.
Hi Julie! This cake makes 12 generous portions. You could get more out of it, but it would be harder to cut thinner slices. I don’t think it would feed 18-20 though.
Hey Olivia,
Could you turn this recipie in to a vanilla cake, by not adding the cocoa and adjusting the quantity of Vanilla??
I love how moist this cake is but am struggling to find a go to vanilla recipie. Please help
Hi Tegan! I keep meaning to try that, but never have. This recipe/formula is quite different than any vanilla cakes that I’ve tried. You’d need to replace the cocoa powder with something though, maybe more flour? I’d have to experiment with it to see the best ratios. Have you tried my vanilla cake recipe? It’s not *quite* as moist as this one, but the density is similar: https://livforcake.com/vanilla-cake/
I tried this cake at Easter! It was my first attempt at Swiss Meringue, but it turned out great! It was probably one of the most delicious cakes I’ve ever eaten! I had enough frosting to crumb coat the cake but not to make the pretty swirls to decorate the top.. next time I’ll make two batches! Hubby was a huge fan!
Hi Kristy! So happy to hear that you liked it and that the SMBC was perfect on your first time!!
Hello Olivia,
I made this cake and attempted to make the turtle cake. The cake turned out great, but I have been having some trouble with the frosting. I keeps turning out kinda lumpy and gets very soft and “greasy” quite quickly. What am I doing wrong???
Hi Cheryl! That’s a common stage for Swiss meringue buttercream, you just need to keep whipping it (sometimes 5mins +)! It will come together beautifully eventually 🙂
Keep mixing it! I made it too and thought it looked curdled. I just walked away from the mixer and came back a few minutes later and it was perfect!
I always walk away too!! Haha
I made this twice last week! It was delicious. The chocolate cake is so perfect. The icing and ganache are very rich.
So happy to hear that Lisa! Glad you liked it 🙂
Hi Olivia, I’m attempting your recipie for a baby shower, this coming Sunday, all the way over in New Zealand. How ever I may have to make the cake on the Friday night. How would you suggest I keep the cake moist until I assemble it on the Sunday morning. ??
Freaking out a little as their baker fell through and I’m the next best choice !!!!
Hi Tegan! I always spread out my baking, so I double wrap my cake layers in plastic wrap and freeze them. I take them out 2-3 hours before I’m ready to decorate the cake. You will be totally FINE! Let me know how it turns out!!
It turned out amazingly , a bit gutted I can’t send you a picture
Aww, I’m so glad to hear it turned out though 🙂
Hello,
I have an Argentine friend visiting me next week and I promised her a cake. Yours seems like the one that would make an Argentine lady happy 🙂
I have a question, though, about the frosting. When you say”whisk until combined” do you really mean it just till it is combined or should I whisk it till it has stiff peaks? I also wanted to make sure if I understood right; first use the stand up mixer whisk and then while you keep whisking over the hot water, you use just a regular kitchen whisk?
Anyway, the cake looks gorgeous, thanks for the recipe… and ,please, wish me luck in reproducing it!:)
Hi Anna! For the frosting, just whisk (with a regular kitchen whisk) until combined before you put it over the hot water bath, then just keep whisking until it’s hot and no longer grainy. You can whisk slowly here though, it’s only so that the egg heats up evenly. Once that’s done you move it to your mixer and whip with the mixer whisk until stiff peaks and it’s completely cooled. I hope that helps!! Good luck 🙂 Let me know how it goes!
Can you use a electric beater instead of a stand mixer?
Hi Katie! You can for sure. It will be a bit tiring though for the buttercream as you’ll need to whip it for a long time.
Can you make the completed cake the day before you plan to serve it? I’ve never made a meringue frosting before so I’m not sure if that is bad to have frosted and in the fridge 24 hours or if it should be fine?
Hi Brianna! For sure, it will be totally fine! Just store it in the fridge overnight and take it out 2-3hours before serving.
Good evening Olivia! I love the entire layers and cake. It is phenomenal. I guess my sweet tooth is fairly simple today as I have over a cup of frosting left. I have always froze my Swiss meringue buttercream, Italian and ABC however, I am wondering about this one only because I am not sure if brown sugar affects the frosting if I freeze the rest.
Thank you, and thank you for the inspiration and easy to use recipes. ❤🇨🇦
Hi Lori! You can totally freeze it like the other frostings. Thank you so much for your sweet comments!! <3
Could I use honey to replace the brown sugar in the buttercream recipe? Thanks
Hi Lorna! No, I would only make this with sugar.
Hi! I LOVE dulce de leech but I feel like 1/4 cup is not enough. Can I increase it? Or could I add dulce de leche in between the cake layers (in addition to the buttercream)?
Hi there! Yes, you can increase it and add it between the layers! I’m sure that would be delicious 🙂 Just know if you add it between the layers it might make the cake harder to stack (slippery). Just something to be aware of. Ideally pipe a dam of frosting along the top of the layer and add the dulce de leche inside the dam. I hope that helps!
Thank you! will do cake, frosting, edge of frosting and dulce de leche inside. fingers crossed it turns out well 🙂
HELLO I HAVE A QUESTION , THIS CALLS FOR A STAND MIXER . . WHAT IF WE DONT HAVE ONE ? WOULD A REGULAR HAND MIXER DO THE JOB ? ( I KNOW I KNOW MIGHT BE A DUMB QUESTION BUT I NEEDED TO KNOW. )
Hi Elizabeth! A hand mixer will work just fine for the cake. It will work for the frosting too, but note that you’ll be mixing for a long time for the meringue to whip up and cool completely.
I just made this cake. I didn’t see the comment about the frosting looking curdled until after I was done. I wish I would have kept mixing! 🙁
The ganache has some weird separation going on. I’m going to let it sit for a while and maybe try mixing it. Have you ever had this happen? What would you recommend?
Hi Stephanie! It sounds like your ganache split which can sometimes happen if it gets too hot. You should be able to save it though by adding a splash of warm cream or milk and stirring it in. Add a bit more at a time until it comes together. Let me know how it turns out!
Hi! I want to make this cake for my sisters 15th birthday, we are from uruguay and love dulce de leche. Can you please please please tell me how I can make this cake for about 40 people. Do I just triple the size of everything but If I do do that will it still taste amazing and also what size cake pan should I use. It would be for saturday so I hope I get an answer, Thank you!
Hi Maria! Increasing a recipe by so much is difficult. To feed that many people I would recommend making multiple cakes. You can double the recipe and use three 8″ cake pans instead, but that still would not feed 40 people.
OMG if only I could be sure I could succeed into making that beautiful luscious cake I would but I know it’ll come out very bad. You’re extremely lucky to have that talent. Congrats.
Thanks so much Odette! I am sure you could make this! It might not look the same, but I’m sure it would taste delicious, and that’s what matters! 🙂
I made it with two 9” pans, same temp and time, and this cake KILLED it at my boyfriend’s family’s Thanksgiving dinner. I sorta snuck it into the garage fridge so no one knew who had brought it and I’m not gonna lie…I totally reveled in the moans of delight and exclamations when it was served. “Who made this?? This cake is amazing!” Thank you, Liv! (from a happily childless late 30-something also HIITing away the cake calories this weekend)
Haha! I’m so happy to hear that you (and everyone else) liked this one! It’s definitely a favourite 🙂 Glad to know it worked in the 9″ pans!
If indont have 6″ pans can I use two 9″ ones? If so, what’s the timing and temperature on that?
Hi Connie! Yes you can use two 9″ ones but your layers will be a bit thinner than mine. Baking temperature should stay the same. As for baking time, start checking the cakes at 25mins. If they still jiggle in the middle, bake for 5 more mins at a time until they stop jiggling then test with a skewer to see if they’re completely done.
I just wanted to check the flour measurement states 1 1/2 cups is that the total for all three layers or each cake layer?
Hi Katin! It’s the total for all three. I know it seems low, and the batter will be very thin, but it bakes up perfectly!
Hi Olivia,
Ive made this cake twice in the past 2 months. First time for my daughter’s birthday and 2nd time for my mother in law, who loved my daughters cake and asked me to bake her one as a b-day gift. Everybody loves it, and have become one of my favorites! The cake is super moist and rich, I love the buttercream recipe, it turns out soo smooth and creamy and with just one cup of sugar! yaay! For my second cake, I used peanut butter instead of dulce de leche and salted butter, turned out pretty good!
Thank you very much for sharing!
Hi Giselle! I’m so happy to hear that everyone loves it! And that peanut butter combo sounds like pure heaven.
Hi Olivia.
I managed to get the cakes level enough for a wonderful drip cake. The Macmillan Cancer charity event was yesterday. My cake was auctioned for £46, not sure what that is in Canadian dollars. It was promptly devoured the same afternoon by the young man who bought it, along with his ever increasing number of friends. They all stood round and took turns with a fork, queuing to get a bit. Thanks for the advice along the way.
Hi Zelma! That is awesome to hear, I am so glad it went well!
Hi
Two cakes were higher in a sort of a crescent shape if that makes sense. Like a bulge. The third was a little rounded across the whole top and would need trimming too. .
Of course my oven may not distribute heat evenly. It’s a fan oven but trays of cookies for example always have an uneven colour across a batch. I wonder if I just didn’t soak the strips long enough.
Try soaking the strips longer next time and see if that helps. These chocolate layers bake particularly flat so I’m surprised to hear you had problems 🙁 Do you have an oven thermometer? It’s possible that your oven runs hot too. Especially if it uses a fan — you should decrease the oven temp by 25 degrees to compensate for that.
I’ll give that a go. I don’t have an oven thermometer. Perhaps it’s time. The cakes look beautiful though, dark, rich and moist. It’s definitely no problem to pop in another batch. It will all get eaten.
Thanks for the advice.
Hi Olivia.
I baked my cakes. They turned out beautifully moist and glossy on top. However they rose a bit uneven. I used baking strips. Although these were new. I wonder do you have any advice about where I may have gone wrong? I baked carrot cake yesterday in the same pans with the strips and got totally level results. I did leave the strips to soak for a while first though. Could this be a factor.
Either way I’m planning to bake more chocolate cakes and am hoping to get a level bake. But it’s no bad thing having extra lovely chocolate cake available while perfecting my technique.
Zelma
Hi Zelma! What do you mean by they rose unevenly? I usually soak my strips for a good 10mins (I do it while I’m making the cake batter) and then squeeze out the excess moisture.
Yes the cake layers. Thank you. I shall make them this weekend.
Good luck! Let me know how it turns out 🙂
Hi Olivia
I’m planning on baking this for a Macmillan cancer charity coffee morning here in the UK . It will be auctioned off to raise extra cash. I’m so excited about baking it. I don’t have much time near the event (14th Oct). I wonder could I bake the cakes in advance and freeze them. Would it freeze well do you think?
Hi Zelma! Do you mean the cake layers themselves? Totally you can freeze them, I do that ALL the time. Just cool them and wrap them tightly in plastic wrap (twice) and freeze.
Hi, Do you advise to stick with the all purpose flour recommended in the recipe? Have you tried cake flour or pastry flour with the recipe? Wondering if you used all purpose to avoid the cake from being unstable. Also, I have seen some recipes doing swiss meringue buttercream by not making a meringue. Would that work in this recipe?
Hi Michelle! I have only used all purpose for this recipe and advise sticking with it. The batter is quite thin and rises a lot, so I wouldn’t try it with a different flour. And I’m not sure what you mean about making a swiss meringue without making a meringue, can you clarify?
I am planning to make this recipe this week and will double to make it into 3 8inch pans. I was wondering how tall this cake is. I have wilton cake boxes. The dimensions are 12X12X6. If it’s taller than 6, I’ll need to find an alternative for packing the cake.
Also, for the buttercream, would you suggest to double the recipe and make it while doubled, or make 2 batches?
Hi Hakima! It is definitely taller than 6″, especially with the rosettes. What about making a two layer 8″ cake? You could leave the recipe amounts as is for that and it would work! Doubling the buttercream will work fine IF your mixer is large enough to handle it 😉 It might be safer to split it into two though if you end up doubling the recipe.
I made the cakes yesterday. Doubled the recipe and used 8 inch pans. These cakes came out PERFECT, flat tops, beautiful. This might be my new go-to chocolate cake. I was a bit worried when doubling the recipe because it all seemed like SO MUCH. But I didn’t realize the cakes were legit about 2 inches thick. Most cakes I make are flatter than that. I can’t wait to make the buttercream and decorate tonight.
My husband gave me a tip for the box. So the wilton box I have, the bottom assembles and then the top is basically a lid and it’s detached from the bottom. He said I could prop the lid up by using wooden skewers that we have (tape them to the edges of the box) and then place the lid on top. So I’ll try that and for future, maybe try finding taller boxes that aren’t going to cost an arm and a leg.
Oh, and I have a professional 500 (600?) bowl lift kitchenaid, so I think it has enough power for the doubled buttercream recipe? I guess we’ll find out tonight! 😀
I don’t know if you’ll see this, but I saw your comment and I was going to ask the same thing. I needed to double the recipe for the buttercream. Did it work for you? I have the artisan tilt head. I would like to know before I start the recipe. I do not want to waste ingredients.
Hey Olivia! First off, this cake is to DIE FOR! I had accidently picked up a bottle of Dulce de Leche and a quick Google search for recipes brought me to your page. Can’t be more grateful to have been introduced to your page!
I made this cake for my Dads 55th birthday. But, I felt that the cake got super fluffy. And no matter how much I levelled them, it just kept falling in. I don’t know if it is because I used an 8″ pan and 4 layers.
I did give it enough time to cool down as well. Any suggestions to avoid this?
Hi Samantha! I’m so happy to hear that you liked this one! I’m not sure what you mean by then kept falling in… you mean after they were baked but before you stacked them? Did you use both baking soda and baking powder as per the recipe. The cake does rise a lot when baked, but it should be quite sturdy, a bit on the dense side.
No, as in after I baked them and I tried stacking them, the cakes couldn’t hold the weight of the layers above. So I had an unevenly layered cake.
Anyhow, I’m taking your example and ordered a Fat Daddio pan and I’m super excited for it to arrive!!
Huh, that is super bizarre! That really shouldn’t happen since these layers are more on the dense side. Were they dry or anything? And yay to the pans!! You will LOVE them 🙂
Do you think we could use cocoa instead of processed cocoa?
Yes, that should work fine. It will affect the flavour and texture slightly, but will be ok!
Hi Liv! I was so excited to make this cake for my BFF for her birthday. But I did not realize how hard ditch processed cocoa powder would be to find! I don’t have enough time to order it online. Do you have any recommendations on how to substitute regular cocoa powder? Thank you!
Hi Monika! You can use regular cocoa and the cake will turn out just fine. It might be a bit lighter in color and the flavour will be slightly different, but it will still be delicious! Let me know how it goes 🙂
Hi Liv! So, my dad’s 90th birthday was yesterday and we’re having a (small) party for him tomorrow. When asked what kind of cake he wanted, he said chocolate. Of course. And, of course, I immediately came back to your site to choose my 2nd cake ever to make! I chose this one because although I don’t like chocolate(!!), I do love caramel. Question: I couldn’t find Dulce de Leche at Whole Foods last night (shocking because I KNOW I’ve seen it before). I bought caramel instead. Is that ok?? Is there any difference in dulce de leche vs caramel? Thanks for all your amazing recipes and your help!
Hi again Gaye! Bummer about not being able to find the Dulce de Leche 🙁 There is a diff between the two (caramel is made with sugar, cream, and butter; dulce de leche with sweetened condensed milk), but honestly, it’s not drastic. Caramel will totally work just fine and still be just as delicious. Let me know how it turns out 🙂
Hi! This is absolutely dreamy!!! Would love to bake this for a birthday this weekend, but the birthday girl doesn’t do chocolate (crazy, I know!) if I exclude the cocoa, do I need to make any additional adjustments to the recipe? I am planning on cutting open some vanilla beans and scraping some of the good into the batter, hoping I turn it into a vanilla cake or something. She lovesss dulce de leche, this would be perfect.
Hi Ingrid! I would not modify this recipe to a non-chocolate one. I would use this one for the cake layers: https://livforcake.com/vanilla-cake/ It will work for three 6″ pans like the chocolate cake one. I hope that helps!
Hi. The cake looks lovely! I was wondering if I could reduce the baking soda and increase the baking powder instead? As I do not like the strong taste and smell of the baking soda.
Hi Judy! I would recommend sticking it the recipe as is for best results. However, you can give it a try, but make sure to substitute the appropriate amount of baking powder (not 1 for 1).
When you mention about the stand mixer using paddle attachment – I only have a hand mixer with whisk attachments – should I use this, or mix by hand with a spatula?
I’m going to be making this cake for my partners 21st – I want it to be as perfect as my limited baking skills can get it 😂
Hi Patricia! I would use the hand mixer vs doing it by hand. It should be fine! For the buttercream though, you’ll be holding that hand mixer for quite a while (around 10mins) until the frosting is cool enough to add the butter. Just FYI! Let me know how it turns out 🙂
I made the frosting yesterday to frost a butterscotch cake and this is the first time making a Swiss meringue buttercream for me. I loved the way it spread on the cake, but it seemed very buttery tasting, almost too fatty if that makes sense. Is that the texture/taste of this buttercream? I may just be too used to American buttercream frosting. The caramel flavor was there too, it might have just been a textural thing for me.
Hi Nancy! I would say that a Swiss meringue is more buttery than an American buttercream, but it shouldn’t taste greasy :\ I wonder if the meringue deflated too much while you were adding the butter… did you add it slowly and was it room temperature? Also, this frosting is very customizable — you can add less butter if you prefer!
I wasn’t very confident about how long to heat the egg whites and sugar, maybe it wasn’t hot enough and I think they were stiff peaks… Lol! Yes, the butter was room temperature, i may have been a little impatient and added it too quickly. I loved the way it frosted the cake and will definitely try it again!
I’m glad you’re willing to give it another go!! Adding the butter too quick may have done it. Re: heating the egg whites — if you have a candy thermometer, you can check to see if they are at 160F, then they’ll be ready, otherwise as long as the sugar has dissolved completely and you can’t feel any grains. Then just whip the meringue until it’s completely cool before you add the butter. Let me know how your next attempt goes!
I’ve used your recipe three times since I found it a few months ago, and it’s amazing every time! I never want to use another chocolate cake recipe…my question is whether it can be made in a bundt pan with as much success, and if I would need to adjust the baking times? Thank you!
Hi Christina! So happy to head you liked this one 🙂 I’ve never made it in a Bundt pan before… usually ones I make in Bundt pans have much thicker batter. But I imagine it *should* work. You’d need to adjust the baking time for sure, depending on the size of the pan. It can be anywhere from 45mins to over an hour. I hope that helps! Let me know if you try it 🙂
Made this yesterday and it was amazing!!!!
I can’t thank you enough for the dish towel around the edges trick to keep the cake from crowning. Worked like a charm! I have never had a cake come out of a pan and be so even…next thing on the agenda….buy the Velcro strips so I’m not saving my yucky, cut up kitchen towels to wrap around my pans. My cakes didn’t rise quite as nicely as yours…not quite sure why….I too use Fat Daddio’s for everything…they are really the best.
This is a new go-to for my fun, glamour cake for entertaining repertoire. I can’t believe how quickly it came together. I know you quote two and a half hours but of course the pessimist in me said, “sure it does…”. But, it really did. Came together beautifully.. Tasted fabulous. The frosting had a few scary moments when I thought for sure I wrecked it and I must have been a bit heavy in my use of it between layers because I had to make a second batch to get the swirls on the top but all in all this recipe was really quite outstanding. Found it on Pinterest. Thank you so much for your sharing!
Hi Debra! Wow, thank you so much for your detailed comment and feedback! I am so glad you liked this recipe as it is one of my favourites 🙂 Strange that your layers didn’t rise as much — is your baking soda/powder expired by chance? That’s the only thing I can think of…
The velcro bake even strips are the BEST. I love them and use them on every cake. Well worth the small investment 🙂
Hi olivia,
I am going to double the recipe to make it in an 8″ pan, but still had another question.. do i double the frosting and ganache as well? Also how far can you make this in advance/would you recommend freezing it?
thanks!
Hi Netta! Yes, I would double the frosting and ganache. You may have some left over, but its always better than not enough!
You can make the cake the day before and keep it in the fridge, but serve at room temperature. Or, you can do like I do and split up the baking. You can freeze the cake layers (wrapped well in plastic wrap) for up to 3 months. The buttercream can be made in advance and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature and re-whip before using.
I’ve never frozen the cake whole, only the cut slices. Those freeze totally fine. I hope that helps!
Hi! I’m going to try freezing the cake layers so that’s done ahead of time 🙂
Thanks tons!
Hi! can we make buttercream in advance, like a day before? what better? make on same day or in advance?
thanks:)
You can make it in advance if you like, but I would refrigerate it overnight and bring it to room temperature before using. You may need to re-whip the frosting once you bring it to room temp. I prefer to make the buttercream on the same day.
Hi! I’m making the cake right now but my buttercream is completely curdled. What can I do? Thank you
Hi Branka! Keep whipping the buttercream — it will come together! (see recipe notes).
This cake was absolutely awesome. I made it exactly the way you had written. I would, however, need to figure out why the icing was a little grainy when I put it on the cake. It seemed perfect when I made it. Maybe keeping it chilled while the cake cooled wasn’t a good idea. Or maybe when cooking the brown sugar mixture, it wasn’t as melted as I thought! Nevertheless it was a huge hit! My new favorite! Thankful my son allowed a new cake for his birthday!
Hi DeeDee! I am so happy that you liked it! This cake is a new fave of mine 🙂 Regarding the grainy frosting — I’ve had that happen once before with another cake, and it’s totally due to not dissolving it completely during the cooking process. I was over eager one time and paid the price for it with grainy frosting. Good thing it still tastes delicious 😉
Is there a way to make the buttercream without eggs? I plan on making this for a baby shower and it kind of freaks me out having raw eggs in an icing. Does heating it on the stove cook it enough to make it safe for pregnant ladies? I’m new to baking with homemade icings…
Hi Christy, for this particular buttercream, you need to use egg whites. Heating it on the stove does cook it to a safe level. If you want to be 100% sure, you can use a candy thermometer and cook the egg whites until the temperature reaches 160F — that’s the temperature at which salmonella (and other kinds of bacteria) are killed.
Thank you! I am excited to make it!
I’m making this cake this weekend! If I double to make three eight inch layers as suggested do I need to make more frosting and ganache?
Hi Jenny! Yes, double the frosting for sure… the ganache *might* be enough, but maybe 1.5x that 🙂 Let me know how you like it!
Olivia,
The cake turned out perfectly and was delicious! I did one and a half times the frosting, weighing my egg whites and doubled the ganache. Also I poured the cooled ganache over the chilled cake and gently spread it to the edges to let it drip naturally. It looked very pretty and I think the chocolate cake will be my new go to! Thank you
I plan on making more frosting next time too. 😊
Yay! I’m so glad it worked out and that you liked it! 😀
Very sad, batter was delicious but cake fell.
Hi Cory! Sorry to hear that, perhaps you took it out of the oven too early?
Hi. I made this cake twice and it is so delicious and it looks so pretty.
Hi Ellen! So glad to hear you liked it 🙂
This cake looks amazing! I would like to make it for my sons birthday. Unfortunately I only own 8″ and 9″ pans. Could I substitute? I need this cake for 4/30/17. Thank you. DeeDee Bryans
Hi DeeDee! You can double the recipe and make it in three 8″ cake pans instead 🙂 I hope you like it!
Thank you. I ordered the 6″ just in case. 😊
I had two 8-inch pans and one 9-inch. I made 1.5 times the cake batter and doubled the frosting and the ganache. I used all of the batter and it was the perfect amount. Of course, I had to trim the 9-inch cake but it worked out just fine! This cake was amazing! I made it for my mother’s retirement dinner and everybody loved it. Not too rich or too sweet. Plus, it is beautiful.
Yay! So glad it worked out and that everyone love it 🙂 Thanks for the update!
So inspiring is this cake that i am going to make this for my nephews birthday next weekend so thanks for the post. Can I pour cooled hot water/coffee into the wet ingredients to make it even more less likely to cook the eggs? Or there is some logic to the hot water? I will have to double the recipe as only have 8″ pans. Do I fill them half way as ?
Hi Angela! The hot coffee helps to dissolve the cocoa powder, so I would keep it hot 🙂 If you’re whisking while pouring slowly, it should be fine! If you’re concerned, you can always pass the wet ingredients through a strainer afterwards. If you use three 8″ pans then double the recipe will work perfect. The batter is thin, and rises a lot, so half way should be fine.
Thank you for making the time to reply. Explaining why you pour hot liquid into batter makes a whole lot of sense.
Hi Olivia!
I love your cakes. About your respies would i have to do any ajustments for high altitude?
Hi Emily! I’m actually not totally sure… I’ve never baked in high altitude 🙁 I found this though, it might be a good place to start?
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/learn/high-altitude-baking.html
Hi Liv. Does this need to be refrigerated? In the process of making it for tomorrow.
Hi Jackie! I tend to refrigerate all of my cakes, yeah. You can do so and then take it out 2-3 hours before serving. It would probably be fine if you left it out though… depending on how warm your house gets. There is no way I could leave it out in mine! Lol
Is there a conversion if you don’t have 6 inch pans??? Perhaps if you use slightly larger pans and only make it a double layer??
Hi Katie! You can use the recipe as is in two 8″ pans. Your layers will be slightly thinner, but it will work. Or you can double it for three 8″ pans. I hope that helps!
Hello, I plan to use two 8 inch pans. Is the cooking time and temperature the same if I do it that way? Thanks! Excited to try it out.
Hi Jessica! The baking time would be roughly the same since they’d be about the same depth. It’s always good to start checking at 25mins or so though. I hope you like it!
I did 3, 8 inch pans and it turned out perfect!
Awesome, so glad it worked out!
Hi! I was trying to order the pans but it doesn’t state whether they are 6 inch x 2 inch, 6 inch x 3 inch or 6 inch x 4 inch pans. Please help
Hi Kim! So sorry, I will clarify this in the post! The ones I have are 6″x2″, but really any would work. 6″x3″ would allow you to bake taller layers if you wanted to 🙂 6″x4″ are a little too high for the average home baker in my opinion :). I hope that helps!
Made this yesterday..It’s amazing..LOVE the brown sugar buttercream..Not sweet..So soft and smooth OMG..Wish I could post a picture..I will be making this again as it’s my favorite now
Hi Brenda! I am so happy that you liked this cake! 🙂
I made this cake this weekend. It was super-duper delicious! And I used my Fat Daddio pans!
Yay! They are the best, right?? I’m so glad you liked this cake, it’s a new fave 🙂
Hi Liv, Thank you for the recipe- your pic looks delicious!
I made this tonight & the cake came out superb! I had some difficulties with the ganache- I know it’s a ‘me’ thing as my first batch split. I made another batch which appeared good but it did not drip down sides as nicely as yours….I will have to work on that. Any suggestions?
I will try this one again soon.
Hi Tami! I’m so glad you liked the cake, but sorry to hear about your ganache 🙁 You can save a split ganache by adding a splash of warm cream to it and stirring till it’s silky smooth again. I know we did that in school at least and it seemed to work. For your second batch, what was the consistency like (too thick or too thin?). Figuring out the proper consistency to use is a bit of trial and error. I always let mine set up over night (it will be way too thick at this point), then I microwave it for 10 seconds and stir it to thin it out. That works well for me, but everyone’s microwave is different! I always do a test drip first too, on what is destined to be the “back” of the cake, and see how well it drips down. Also, make sure your cake is chilled as it helps the ganache set up. I hope that helps! Please let me know how your next attempt goes 🙂
This is simply gorgeous and would definitely get me out of my cold weather doldrums. Yum!
Thanks Cindy!! xo 🙂
This cake looks Devine,.. I am definitely going to try this and I will let you know how it comes out.
Yay! I hope you love it 🙂
Looks delicious
Thanks Deborah! 🙂
Oh my!! You have so many tempting cakes. I would love to try them all….Which one is your favorite?
Thanks so much Aisha! That is a TOUGH question hmm. This one is up there for sure as I love the chocolate/caramel combo. For something other than chocolate, I love my Milk & Cookies Cake and my Walnut Cake was surprisingly delicious!! But my all time fave has to be my Mocha Chocolate Cake. I hope you try one of them!
Great!! I’ll put them on my bake list.
What kind of camera and editing software do you use? Your cakes always look superb! I always get motivated to write on my blog after I read your posts!
Thanks so much Aliya! I use a Canon 6D with a 50mm 1.8 lens and I edit all of my pics in Lightroom — it’s a lifesaver!
Do you also resize your pictures for Instagram in Lightroom?
Hi Aisha! No, I just use the same pics from my post and upload them into IG.
Oh nice! So Instagram just automatically resizes it correctly?
I’m not totally sure what you mean…You can adjust the size of the picture when you use it in IG 🙂
This is pretty much my dream cake! I’d like some with my coffee right now! I hope you get back in your groove! It’s no fun feeling like you just aren’t in the swing of things. I’ve been feeling like that for this whole month so far.
Glad to hear I’m not alone. Thanks so much Meg! <3 xo
O…M…G!!! This must be made this week. Oh wait I’m on night shift this week. Easter. I am making this for Easter!!
Yay! I hope you like it 🙂 Please let me know!
Hi Liv, I was wondering about you! I totally understand that you sort of sank into a winter depression (can I call it that?) after coming home to snow after sunny Sydney. Probably what would have happened to me.
Love this recipe! Great idea to add brown sugar to the dulce de leech buttercream for color and flavor. And great idea to keep it in the fridge to snack on 😉
Hi Nila! It’s totally a winter depression — Jan to Mar is usually the hardest chunk of the year for me to get through, and it’s been particularly with our crazy winter and very late spring 🙁 Things are finally starting to bloom though! So I’m happy about that 🙂
The brown sugar in this buttercream is seriously amazing, you need to try it!! xo
Actually I have a question regarding the Buttercream Frosting. When making it do you need to bring the egg whites and sugar up to 160 degrees to avoid any problems. Some recipes say to cook until there is no graininess approximately 3 minutes and other recipes suggest you cook until it reaches 160 degrees.
Not sure which is the correct method.
Thanks
Pam
Hi Pam! Honestly, I never actually use a thermometer to check that it gets to 160, but if you’re concerned about the raw egg whites, you should cook it to this temperature as any bacteria will be killed at this point. I just test it to see that it’s no longer grainy and feels hot. So scientific, I know. Haha.
Thank you for this fabulous recipe. I made this gorgeous cake for thanksgiving. It was a huge hit. Absolutely one of the best cakes I’ve ever eaten.
Yay! So happy to hear that Donna!!