May 4, 2010
18
reviews
Rate & Review

Dulce de Leche Cake

Luxuriant moistness is this dessert's calling card. The secret to achieving the cake's decadent texture is to poke it all over with a knife while it's still warm, before dousing it with a rich milk mixture so that it penetrates every part of the cake's interior.
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Dulce de Leche Cake Photo: André Baranowski
2 tsp. butter
1 tbsp. plus 2 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 1⁄2 tsp. fine salt
6 eggs, at room temperature, separated
1 1⁄4 cups sugar
1⁄2 cup whole milk
1 1⁄2 tbsp. dark rum
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1  14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1  12-oz. can evaporated milk
1 cup heavy cream
1  16-oz. jar dulce de leche (milk caramel)

1. Heat the oven to 350°. Grease a 9" × 13" baking pan with the butter and dust with 1 tbsp. of the flour. Invert the dish, tap out the excess flour, and set aside.

2. Sift the remaining flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and set aside. Put the egg whites into a large bowl and beat with a hand-held electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. While the mixer is still running, add the sugar in a gradual stream and continue beating again to soft peaks. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add the reserved flour mixture and the whole milk in 3 parts, beating until smooth after each addition. Add the rum and vanilla and beat again briefly until smooth.

3. Pour batter into reserved baking pan and bake until golden brown, about 30 minutes. Set the cake aside and let cool slightly for 30 minutes.

4. Whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream in a bowl. Using a knife, poke the cake with holes all over, penetrating to the bottom of the pan. Pour the milk mixture over the warm cake and set aside to let cool completely.

5. Cover the cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled and liquid is absorbed, at least 4 hours. Spread the dulce de leche across the top of the cake and serve.

MAKES ONE 9" × 13" CAKE

Dulce de Leche Cake

This article was first published in Saveur in Issue #108

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Ratings & Reviews (18)

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what a cake!  it was so delicious.  i've made it twice, the  first time i decided to make the dulce de leche from scratch...what a mess and it never thickened.  the second time i used the dulce de leche recommended in the recipe...much easier and it was a very good product.  please make this cake...what a treat!

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amazing! absolutely delicious and a hit at any party! i made it for a dinner and was asked to make another for a potluck two days later! 
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excellent excellent!  great recipe!!!!!!!!!!  i will make this over and over.   i may however next time, add a little bit more milk mixture (like 1/3 of an additional can of evap milk and condensed milk, and 1/3 cup heavy cream).  however, you can still make it as is and you'll love it.  saveur's recipes are awesome!
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extremely delicious and decadent!  the only dulce de leche topping i could find was too thick to spread without lifting up the top layer of cake. next time i will warm the topping and drizzle.  i suggest poking holes with a skewer, instead of a knife, for a prettier top if you do drizzle.
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made 2 for school's teacher appreciation lunch.  everyone loved it.  i was surprised at how much milk  the cake swims in even after refrigerating.  very tasty, rather sweet.

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this is the exact recipe i group up with dulce de leche, it is a typical dessert in south america. the cake is commonly served at social gatherings. the simmered can of condensed milk is poured over all kinds of desserts, including jello. i use mrs. richardson's butterscotch caramel topping after warming it up for 30 seconds in the microwave (without the lid).for the cake, it works great. thanks for bringing this old recipe to light.
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This is much better than what I can buy at the bakeries in my neighborhood!
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This is by far the worse version of this cake ever. I am so disappointed in Saveur. I should have known by making other cake that this cake omitted an ingredient. Most cake calls for butter, and sugar to be creamed. Since I was new to this recipe, it is sorely lacking in consistency and texture as far as cake goes. My mother in-law makes this cake, and this is noting even remotely like hers. This is like a bad bread pudding. I am praying that the milk actually absorbs, because this cake looks like I can build a house. It is hard, not soft. The real recipe uses 1/2 cup less of flour, and the main ingredient should be butter.
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Excellent. I make it all the time. Requita's comments that this is the worst cake ever and that it's like a bad bread pudding is pure nonsense. She must not have followed the directions of beating the egg whites to soft peak. Believe me. I have made this more than ten times and it always turns out perfect.
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Excellent. I make it all the time. Requita's comments that this is the worst cake ever and that it's like a bad bread pudding is pure nonsense. She must not have followed the directions of beating the egg whites to soft peak. Believe me. I have made this more than ten times and it always turns out perfect.
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This was delicious and incredibly easy. I'm a baker but have never made a dulce de leche cake. I made this for my husband and his family (they are from Mexico City) and they absolutely loved it. I'm making it again for a Mexican themed birthday party tomorrow. I'm not sure what Requita is thinking but I agree with rmc2, if you whip the egg whites to soft peaks the cake is very light. Enjoy!
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This is a recipe for tres leches cake. It really should be called Tres Leches cake with dulce de leche... and rmc2 you are right, it is pretty foolproof if you get the egg whites fluffy. :)
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Delicious! The cake was dense and super moist, but not at all "soggy." Super rich and sweet. Excellent paired with strong coffee.
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This is one of my favorite cakes to make - I have made it several times, and every time it has been met with rave reviews from guests/friends/family. The tres leches "sogginess" really adds a nice balance to the rich and sweet dulce de leche. This has already become a life-time favorite!
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After tasting a cuatro leches cake at a Latin American food fair in Atlanta, I decided to make this into a cuatro leches cake. Instead of using the dulce de leche as a "frosting", I mixed it with the other three milks. I frosted it with a fresh whipping cream frosting. My family and co-workers think it's the most divine cake ever!
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Wonderful cake, very easy to make. I was afraid it would be extremely sweet because of the condensed milk, the 1 1/4 cup of sugar and the dulce de leche, so I used only 1 cup of sugar. It was delicious, I'm so doing it again.
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This is a very delicious sweet, moist, and rich cake. Although I love the taste of sweet milk, I was very concerned about the texture and sweetness of the cake. I decided to half the amount evaporated milk and condensed milk in order to maintain its cakey texture. (I did not want it to become the equivalent to bread pudding.) The cake also tasted more delicious a day after--especially when it is chilled. By then, the dulce de leche and the whipped milk combination toppings were able to seep into the cake. This is a great cake to eat with a strong, robust black coffee.
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I am in heaven. With all due respect, to the reviewer who deemed this "the worst cake ever", well... there is no possible way you didn't do something wrong! The only change I made to this recipe was using whole milk in the place of heavy cream as I had none in the house; Other than that, I prepared this exactly as written. It. was. phenomenal. I was sure to mix my egg whites until they were very fluffy but not over beaten. I added the other ingredients in very small amounts, beating well between each addition. This made for a cake that was dense and light at the same time, with a perfect crumb. The milk mixture (which was so good I took a sip out of the bowl) when soaked into the cake gave it an angelic quality and refreshing moisture. The dulce de leche on top was the perfect finishing touch. This cake isn't too sweet or rich. It is simply delightful!
Dulce de Leche Cake 5 5 14 18

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