SECRET CHOCOLATE DULCE DE LECHE CAKE
INGREDIENTS
Dulce de Leche Buttercream:
cup dark brown sugar
4 egg whites
0.25 cup Dulce de Leche storebought or homemade
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter cubed, room temperature
Ganache:
2.5 oz heavy whipping cream
2.5 oz dark chocolate finely chopped
Cake:
0.75 cup hot water
3 eggs
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
0.75 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder sifted
0.25 cup buttermilk room temperature
2.5 tsp vanilla
tsp salt
tsp baking powder
0.25 cup vegetable oil
INSTRUCTIONS
Cake:
In 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.
Add wet ingredients to dry and mix on medium for 2-5 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 35-40mins.
Cool 12 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 .
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
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 12 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 25mins.
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.
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