This rich, moist Dulce de Leche Chocolate Cake features a cocoa based olive oil cake and dulce de leche buttercream frosting. It’s easy to whip up and perfect for any occasion!
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This simple yet decadent this chocolate dulce de leche cake has two layers of moist chocolate cake. It’s topped with delicious dulce de leche buttercream frosting!
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Why We Love This Recipe
- Chocolate cake: I used the same chocolate cake recipe that I used to make my mini chocolate cake. It’s rich, delicious and is so easy to make.
- Dulce de leche buttercream frosting: I have been wanting to make this cake since I made these incredible dulce de leche cupcakes. They are topped with the most flavorful dulce de leche buttercream. I knew it would also be the perfect frosting for a chocolate cake!
- Olive oil makes baked goods so rich and moist. One of my favorite olive oil bakes is this flavorful Lemon Rosemary Olive Oil Cake!
YOU CAN BUY DULCE DE LECHE
I find it in the baking aisle near the sweetened condensed milk in most grocery stores where I live. You may also find it in the international foods aisle.
YOU CAN MAKE IT AT HOME
If you can’t find dulce de leche in the store, you can make your own. Cooking sweetened condensed milk is the easiest way, but you can also make it completely from scratch with milk and sugar. Preppy Kitchen has a thourough post on how to make dulce de leche.
Ingredients
- Olive oil: Olive oil provides moisture and flavor. It’s best to use a good quality extra virgin olive oil.
- Granulated sugar
- Brown sugar: Use light or dark packed brown sugar. Make sure your brown sugar is fresh.
- 1 egg: Use 1 large room temperature egg.
- Buttermilk
- All purpose flour
- Cocoa powder
- Butter-Use unsalted, room temperature butter for the frosting.
- Dulce de leche: I use store bought dulce de leche for this frosting. Dulce de leche is a confection that’s popular throughout Latin America. It’s made by slowly heating sweetened condensed milk til develops a rich caramel color and flavor. It’s thick, luscious and so irresistibly good!
Substitutions And Variations
- Canola or vegetable oil can be used instead of olive oil.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F and line two 6″ straight edge cake pans with parchment paper. Spray the sides with cooking spray.
- Whisk to combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl then set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk the egg, oil, sugars, buttermilk and vanilla extract until combined.
- Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients then pour in the hot water and stir until just combined.
- Pour the batter into the pans and bake 28-32 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.
HOW TO MAKE DULCE DE LECHE FROSTING
- Cream the butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for one minute. Add the sifted powdered sugar and beat on medium for 3-4 minutes, until creamy. Add the heavy cream or milk. Slowly beat in the dulce de leche a little bit at a time. Beat in the vanilla followed by the salt.
- If buttercream is too thin, add more powdered sugar, if it is too thick, add more milk or heavy cream until it is the consistency you desire. To firm buttercream up a bit more before frosting, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate it for 20-30 minutes.
TIPS FOR MAKING BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
- Use Room Temperature Butter: I leave my butter out overnight in the wintertime. The amount of time you leave it out depend on the temperature of your kitchen. To be on the safe side, allow butter to sit out for at least 1-2 hours before using it.
- Add More Powdered Sugar: If you find your buttercream is too thin, gradually add more powdered sugar to thicken it.
- Add More Heavy Cream or Milk: If you find your buttercream is too thick, very gradually add more heavy cream or milk. By gradually, I mean a little splash (around a teaspoon) at a time. Definitely don’t add a whole tablespoon at a time.
HOW TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE
PREPARE THE CAKE LAYERS
Make the cakes and allow them to cool. Once cooled, tuse a long serrated knife to slice off just the top of your cakes. This will give you even layers.
HOW TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE
Frost the top of the first layer with the frosting. Drizzle with a little extra dulce de leche if desired. Place the top layer cut side down on top. Frost with frosting and enjoy!
Recipe FAQs
Dulce de leche means sweet or candy of milk in Spanish. The ce in dulce sounds like an s and the e at the end of the words is not like ee. It’s like eh. It’s pronounced dool seh deh lehcheh.
I recommend using layer cake pans because they have perfectly straight sides. I use two 6 by 2 inch pans.
Store the unfrosted cake in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days.
Once the cake is frosted, I recommend storing it an airtight container in the chocolate and dulce de leche cake in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Freeze unfrosted cake in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator.
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Dulce de Leche Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
Mini Chocolate Cake
- 1 cup (125 g) all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (43 g) unsweetened natural cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (1/2 teaspoon) baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon (1/2 teaspoon) baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon (1/4 teaspoon) salt
- 1/2 cup (118.29 ml) olive oil canola or vegetable oil can be substituted
- 3/4 cup (150 g) plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (55 g) plus 1 tablespoon brown sugar light or dark, packed
- 1 (1) large egg room temperature
- 1 3/4 teaspoons (1 3/4 teaspoons) vanilla
- 3/4 cup (177.44 ml) buttermilk
- 1/4 cup (59.15 ml) boiling water
Dulce de Leche Buttercream Frosting
- 6 tablespoons (84 g) unsalted butter room temperature
- 1 1/4 – 1 1/2 cups (210 g) powdered sugar sifted to break up lumps
- 1/2 (1/2) tablespoon- 3/4 tablespoon milk or heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon (1/2 teaspoon) vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup (56.5 g) plus 2 tablespoons dulce de leche
- pinch (pinch) of salt
Instructions
Chocolate Cake
- Preheat oven to 350 F. Line the bottom of two 6″ straight edge cake pans with parchment paper. Spray the sides with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk to combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a medium sized bowl, whisk the egg, oil, sugars, buttermilk and vanilla extract until combined.
- Use a rubber spatula to gradually stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined, being careful not to over mix. Pour in the hot water and stir until combined.
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pans and bake 28-32 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Place pan on a wire rack and allow to cool in the pan for 30 minutes then remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.
Dulce de leche Buttercream Frosting
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large bowl using a hand held mixer, cream the butter for one minute. Add the sifted powdered sugar and beat on medium for 3-4 minutes, until creamy. Add a half a tablespoon of milk or heavy cream. Slowly beat in the dulce de leche a little bit at a time. Beat in the vanilla followed by the salt.
- If buttercream is too thin, add more powdered sugar, if it is too thick, add more milk or heavy cream until it is the consistency you desire.
HOW TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE
- Use a long serrated knife to trim the tops off the cooled cakes. Place first cake cut side up and frost the cake. Drizzle with a tablespoon or two of dulce de leche if desired. Place second cake cut side down on top of the first layer. Check to see that the layers are even. Top second layer with frosting and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that nutritional values are created by an online calculator and should only be used as an estimate.
Britt
Officially one of our favorite recipes!
Natalie
Yay! Thrilled to hear this is one of your favorites! Definitely one of mine as well 🙂
Jess
Holy moly. This recipe was so easy to follow, came together quickly and turned out ABSOLUTELY delicious!!! One of the most moist cakes i’ve ever had. Also, extra props for being the only recipe i’ve come across that has the exact amount of icing needed with no waste! 10 stars!
Natalie
Hi Jess! Thank you so much for making this dulce de leche chocolate cake! I’m so happy you enjoyed it 🙂 It sure is moist and haha thanks for the extra frosting props!! xx Natalie
Barbara Briggs Ward
Absolutely Amazing!
Natalie
Well that is the best compliment! Thank you! Chocolate and dulce de leche are amazing together which makes this cake definitely amazing!!
Kelly
Can you use this recipe for cupcakes and if you can hire king to bake them?
Natalie
Hi Kelly, Yes you can use this recipe for cupcakes. The baking time would need to be adjusted, but otherwise it should work fine.