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Easy Dulce de Leche Cake with luscious caramel frosting and vanilla sponge.

Easy Dulce de Leche Cake - Argentine Caramel

A rich and soft cake packed with deep caramel milk flavor, perfect for those who crave a bakery-style dessert without complicated steps.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 30 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Course: Bakery, Dessert
Cuisine: Argentinian, Latin American
Calories: 350
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Dulce de Leche Ingredients
  • 4 cups whole milk Best for richness
  • 1 cup plain white sugar For sweetness
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda Helps with color and texture
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Optional but highly recommended
Cake Ingredients
  • 2 layers your favorite vanilla cake base or yellow cake mix Cake does not need to be complicated
Optional Add-Ins
  • 1 banana sliced bananas For a banoffee vibe
  • 1 cup chopped toasted pecans or walnuts For crunch
  • 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder To deepen the caramel flavor
  • pinch flaky sea salt To enhance the caramel flavor

Method
 

Making the Dulce de Leche
  1. In a heavy bottom pot, combine the milk, sugar, baking soda, and vanilla over low heat.
  2. Stir constantly to prevent scorching until the mixture thickens and turns caramel in color, about 1-2 hours.
Baking the Cake
  1. Bake two layers of your chosen cake base according to the recipe or package instructions.
  2. Let the cake layers cool completely before assembling.
Assembling the Cake
  1. Spread a generous layer of dulce de leche in between the cake layers.
  2. Top with either more dulce de leche or whipped cream.
  3. Drizzle warm dulce de leche over the top for an impactful finish.

Notes

The cake is better after a few hours in the fridge. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.