This chocolate and dulce de leche layer cake with fresh berries is perfect for any caramel lover!
I don’t bake layer cakes that often, but when I do, I always use my favourite chocolate cake layers. They are so fudgy, and perfect with any filling. Today, I have filled the first layer of filling with dulce de leche buttercream and raspberries, and the second with the same buttercream and blackberries. Then I covered all the cake with the dulce de leche buttercream (semi naked) and topped with loads of fresh berries. I had strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries, but you can top with your favourite berries.
I am not a big fan of buttercreams, but this one came out really good! Actually, I made two different kinds of dulce de leche buttercreams and chose one of them. I chose the Russian version but I am writing down the recipe for the swiss meringue dulce de leche buttercream too if you like swiss buttercreams. I can’t say which one I liked the most, because they are totally different. The russian felt more fat, but hade more caramel taste. The swiss one felt lighter, but didn’t taste as much. Maybe I will choose the swiss next time.
I think the original russian buttercream is made of buttter and condensed milk, but this is a version of it with dulce de leche instead of condensed milk. No sugar is needed, but I added to get the cream more sweet. Add as much as you like.
The cake layers are so great! I found the recipe at this blog, but it’s not active anymore. Try and see why I am in love with them!
PS: If you think my buttercream looks patchy, it’s because I started to add some chococlate ganache on the cake and then regretted it haha…
Recipe for this amazing chocolate and dulce de leche layer cake with fresh berries (Chokladtårta med dulce de leche och bär)
- 3 dl flour
- 3.3 dl sugar
- 2 dl cacao powder
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate
- 0.6 dl natural tasting oil (I use canola oil)
- 1.8 dl milk
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 1.9 dl water
- 2 eggs
- 100 g raspberries
- 100 g blackberries
- 300 g mixed berries for topping
- 300 g salted butter, room temperature
- 1 can dulce de leche (397 g), chilled
- 1.5 dl icing sugar (approx.)
- 3 egg whites
- 2.4 dl sugar
- 1/4 tsp vanilla powder
- 340 g salted butter, room temperature
- 0.5-1 can dulce de leche (start with less and taste the flavour)
Chocolate cakes:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C. Grease and flour three round baking pans (17 cm) and place some parchment paper in the bottom of each pan. I made 3 thick cakes but if you want, you can make 4 thinner.
Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add all remaining ingredients and whisk together. Pour the batter into the baking pans and try to distribute them evenly. I like to weigh the pans with batter to be sure to get equal thick layers.
Bake in the middle of the oven for about 20-25 minutes. Try with a toothpick to see if it comes out dry.
Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool a few minutes before taking them out from the pan. Let cool completely before putting together the layer.
Dulce de leche Russian buttercream:
Whisk the butter white and fluffy with an electric mixer. Add the chilled dulce de leche and mix again. Taste it and add some icing sugar if needed.
Dulce de leche Swiss meringue buttercream (If you choose not to use the Russian one):
Whisk together egg whites and sugar. Boil some water and place the bowl with egg and sugar on top of the saucepan. Keep stirring until the sugar is dissolved (65 degrees C). Remove the bowl from the water and whisk with an electric mixer until stiff peaks forms. Add vanilla and butter and mix with a paddle attachment. When the buttercream is smooth and nice, you can beat it quickly with a whisk again.
Putting together the cake:
Spread a layer of your buttercream on the first layer of cake. Cut your raspberries into half and distribute them over the buttercream. Add the second layer of cake and spread the buttercream again. This time cut the blackberries into half and spread them over the buttercream. Add the third layer of cake and cover the whole cake with buttercream. Top with fresh berries, and you are done!
Do you want more chocolate? Add some chocolate ganache on top of cake before topping with berries!
