Dulce de Leche Cake

Dolce de leche is sweetened condensed milk that is cooked in a water bath until it turns into a delicious caramel.The cake is really a Tres Leches cake with dolce de leche spread on top just before serving. The whipped egg whites give it a light and airy texture and the 3 milks give it its richness. In a word scrumptious!

makes 1 9x13 inch cake


6 eggs separated
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup half and half
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tbsp rum (I used coconut flavored rum)
1 cup heavy cream
1 14 oz can evaporated milk
1 12 oz can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups homemade dulce de leche(recipe below)

Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a 9x13 baking pan with baking spray. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a small bowl and set aside. Beat the egg whites on high until soft peaks just begin to form. With the mixer running, add the sugar gradually until all is added and the whites form soft,glossy peaks. Switch to a paddle attachment on your mixer and with the mixer going at medium speed, add the yolks one at a time. Alternately add the flour mixture with the half and half, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Add the vanilla and rum beat again briefly until all is just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Use an off-set spatula to spread the batter evenly in the pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and the top springs back when lightly touched. Let the cake cool for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a large glass measuring cup, whisk together the heavy cream, condensed milk and evaporated milk. Using the end of a wooden chop stick or table knife, poke several holes in the cake. Pour the milk mixture over the cake and set aside until the cake is cooled completely. Cover and refrigerate until the cake is well chilled and all the milk is absorbed. Spread the dolce de leche across the top of the cake just before serving.

Dolce de Leche
This delicious topping will store in your frig for several months. Try it as an ice-cream topping for vanilla bean ice-cream or on top of cheese cake. Yum!

Remove the paper from 2-4 cans of sweetened condensed milk. Place them in a large dutch oven and completely submerge them in water. Bring the water to a boil. Reduce to simmer and partially cover the dutch oven. Let the cans simmer in the water for 2-4 hours. I simmered mine for 3 hours. Remove them from the water bath and let them cool for 1 hour. Remove the lid and pour the contents into an air tight container. Store in the frig.