Description
This Autumn Embrace Dulce de Leche Cake is a delightful fall dessert featuring warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. It combines moist cake layers rich with dulce de leche and toasted pecans, topped with a creamy whipped cream or cream cheese frosting, perfect for cozy gatherings and seasonal celebrations.
Ingredients
Scale
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup dulce de leche (plus more for drizzling)
Optional Ingredients
- ½ cup chopped toasted pecans
- Whipped cream or cream cheese frosting for topping
Instructions
- Prepare the Pan: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or line it with parchment paper to prevent sticking.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a medium bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves until well combined.
- Cream Butter and Sugars: In a large bowl, beat the unsalted butter along with the light brown sugar and granulated sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add Eggs and Vanilla: Incorporate the eggs one at a time into the butter mixture, beating well after each addition to ensure a smooth batter. Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredients in three portions, alternating with the buttermilk. Begin and end with the flour mixture. Stir gently until just combined to avoid overmixing.
- Fold in Dulce de Leche and Pecans: Carefully fold in the 1 cup of dulce de leche and the chopped toasted pecans if using, ensuring they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.
- Bake the Cake: Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the surface with a spatula. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool the Cake: Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then, turn it out onto a wire rack and let it cool completely.
- Serve: Drizzle additional dulce de leche on top before serving. Optionally, garnish with whipped cream or cream cheese frosting for added richness and flavor.
Notes
- For easier mixing, warm the dulce de leche slightly before folding it into the batter.
- This cake pairs wonderfully with spiced cider or coffee, enhancing the autumn flavors.
