Chocolate Dulce de Leche Cake
This post is sponsored by Lifeway Kefir. All opinions are my own
A deliciously decadent and rich chocolate cake with dulce de leche buttercream. This is truly the best recipe EVER! Perfect to celebrate birthdays and special occasions.
If you’ve been following Yoga of Cooking for a while, you may have noticed that chocolate recipes are my favorite ones to make. Every year for my birthday, since I can remember, I’ve baked a simple chocolate cake to celebrate. This year I wanted to take it a step further, so I created a 2 layer chocolate cake with (my favorite) dulce de leche buttercream.
Plus, I chose to partner with one of my favorite brands I discovered this year – Lifeway Kefir. I love the story behind the company and their mission to create the best probiotics and nutritious foods.
How to use Kefir in Baked Goods
We can all agree that cakes aren’t necessarily a nutritious food, however, when you use high quality ingredients you can feel so much better about your choices!
There’s a few reasons why I love about Lifeway Kefir Organic Plain Whole Milk. First, it’s a product we consume at home every day – wether it’s in our morning smoothie or in our overnight oats. When baking, kefir adds a creamier consistency to cakes, quick breads and muffins, which is perfect for testing and developing recipes.
Also each bottle of Lifeway Organic Plain Whole Milk Kefir is made with certified organic, full fat milk that is up to 99% lactose-free, gluten-free and made with non-GMO ingredients and no added sugar. Plus it’s packed with protein (10g per cup!), calcium and 12 live and active probiotic cultures.
Due to it’s high acidity, it acts similarly to buttermilk in baking, resulting in a light and airy, and moist texture. To use kefir as a buttermilk substitute, use a 1-to-1 ratio.
I’m so excited to be sharing this birthday cake with you. It’s really my favorite cake to celebrate! For more recipes using kefir check out this s’mores pie and Lifeway Kefir website.
I’m so happy you’re making one of my recipes, and would love to see how it turns out! Share it on Instagram using #yogaofcooking so I can see it, it always makes my day!
Happy Baking! xo
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Chocolate Dulce de Leche Cake
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 1 cake, 12 servings
Description
A deliciously decadent and rich chocolate cake with dulce de leche buttercream. This is truly the best recipe EVER! Perfect to celebrate birthdays and special occasions.
Ingredients
For the Chocolate Cake
- 10 tbsp unsalted butter
- 175 gr dark chocolate, chopped
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1/2 cup dark cocoa powder, sifted
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup superfine sugar
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar
- 1 tsp Himalayan pink salt
- 3 eggs + 1 yolk
- 1 cup Lifeway Kefir Organic Plain Whole Milk, or whole milk
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips, optional but highly recommended
For the Dulce de Leche Buttercream
- 2–3 tbsp Lifeway Kefir Organic Plain Whole Milk, or whole milk
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup dulce de leche
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
Instructions
For the Chocolate Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease two 8″ cake pans with baking spray, line with parchment paper and grease lightly again.
- In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt the chopped chocolate and butter until smooth. Set aside and let cool.
- In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients: flour, sifted cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, light brown sugar and salt. Whisk until fully incorporated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolk. Add the remaining wet ingredients and beat until smooth.
- Mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients, and mix until there are no longer any clumps of flour.
- Fold in the chocolate chips, if using.
- Divide the batter amongst the 2 cake pans. I like to weigh the batter using a scale, to get even sized cakes.
- Bake for 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow to cool for 10 minutes and transfer to a cooling rack.
For the Dulce de Leche Buttercream
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and powdered sugar until creamy, about 5-7 minutes.
- Start adding the kefir one tablespoon at a time, until desired consistency (I used 3 tbsp).
- Add 1/4 of the dulce de leche and beat until incorporated. Add another 1/4 and repeat until you’ve used up all the dulce de leche.
- Add the vanilla and salt and beat.
- If the mixture is too liquid, add more powdered sugar. If it’s too thick, add another tbsp of kefir until you’ve reached the desired consistency.
Assemble:
- Place the first chocolate cake layer, flat side up, on a plate or cake stand. Using an offset spatula, spread the top with the dulce de leche buttercream.
- Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the buttercream evenly on the top. If you want to make swirls like I did, add the remaining buttercream to a piping bag with a star tip. Decorate in a half-moon style and add sprinkles!
- Enjoy!
Notes
*Lifeway Kefir products are available nationwide. For more information, visit the Where to Buy section on their site.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40-45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American, Hispanic
* This post is brought to you by Lifeway Kefir. All content, including recipe, photos, and words are my own. Thank you for supporting the brans that keep Yoga of Cooking, mindful.
