Dulce De Leche Cake (Golden Key Cake)
Dulce de Leche Cake is one of the best caramel cakes out there. It has dulce de leche in the cake, soaking syrup and the cream, and the hazelnuts add a very pleasant crunch. This cake is among 5 of my favorite cakes as every bite is perfectly soft, moist and delicious.
If you are like me and love dulce de leche, you must try these incredible dulce de leche macarons, this apple and dulce de leche pastry, and my favorite crispy wafer cookies with dulce de leche.
A slice of the rectangle version of the Dulce de Leche Cake.
Dulce de Leche Cake
If you’re a fan of caramel or dulce de leche you’ll fall in love with this cake from the first bite. Everywhere I bring this stunner I have people come up to me to share that they absolutely loved the Dulce de Leche cake, followed by “can I have the recipe for it, please?”.
Among the Russian community, this cake is also known as Golden Key cake, because it resembles a caramel candy with the same name we grew up eating. The little caramel was basically cooked down dulce de leche in a wrapper and was a favorite for many. Now we have the flavors of Golden Key candy and Dulce de Leche in each spoonful of this cake.
A slice of the round version of the Dulce de Leche Cake.
What is Dulce de Leche?
If you have never tried dulce de leche before, you are in for a big treat. It is basically sweetened condensed milk that has been cooked into a fantastic, caramel-like substance.
Of course, you can buy it pre-made, but here’s how you can make it at home. Transfer sweetened condensed milk into a glass jar and seal it with a lid. Place it in a pot, cover the jar with water and cook for 2.5 hours. Let the dulce de leche come to room temperature. Use this version in place of pre-made dulce de leche (it’s so simple!).
Caramel Cake Recipe
It sounds dramatic, but this caramel cake recipe is a treat for all your senses. It smells incredible, tastes even better, and it looks amazing. This dessert is perfect for special occasions such as baby showers, wedding showers, or even an actual wedding.
Even though the dulce de leche cake has caramel in every layer, the flavors and sweetness are perfectly balanced so the cake is not overly sweet.
You guys just have to make it – if you like caramel, I promise you’ll love this caramel cake!
Components in this Caramel Cake Recipe
This cake has several components to it. Here is a quick summary of what you’ll need to create for this gorgeous caramel cake recipe.
- Cake. This caramel cake recipe uses a basic, but delicious, dulce de leche sponge cake that is also made with sour cream.
- Soaking syrup. The rich soaking syrup is what makes this cake so moist and flavorful. Every layer of cake is doused in the incredible flavor.
- Cream and toppings. In between each layer of cakes lies a creamy dulce de leche frosting. The frosting is also used to ice the cake, which is then topped with roasted hazelnut and/or chocolate sprinkles.
Tip for Making this Dulce de Leche Cake Recipe
If you have decided to make this dulce de leche cake recipe (and you really should!), these tips and tricks will help guide you along the way.
- Sift in your flour. Sifting may seem like an unnecessary step, but it isn’t. When you use a sifter, not only do any clumps in the flour get broken up, but sifting actually aerates your flour, helping you make a lighter, more airy cake.
- Make the pans nonstick: When you are baking the cake layers, it is important to keep the cake from sticking. You can do this by either using a baking mat, by greasing the baking pan with butter and flour, by using parchment paper, or by lining it with foil and spraying with non-stick spray.
- Do not overbake the cake. If the cake is overbaked, the layers will become dry instead of the moist layers this dulce de leche cake recipe is known for.
- Use a squeeze bottle. The dulce de leche cake recipe’s soaking syrup needs to be applied evenly to the cake layers. The easiest way to do that, by far, is a food-safe squeeze bottle. But a brush or a spoon will work as well.
- Roast hazelnuts. Do not be tempted to skip this step. Roasting caramelizes the nuts and releases all it’s beautiful flavor and aroma.
- Hazelnut substitute. If you can’t find hazelnuts or don’t care for them, switch them out for roasted walnut chunks instead.
- Choose your chocolate topping. I opted to make this cake by covering the outside with these amazing flakes of chocolate. However, you could swap that for chocolate sprinkles, or making a simple ganache to drizzle over the top of the cake.
Alright, let’s get to it now!
How to Make Dulce de Leche Cake
- Measure your ingredients for the dulce de leche cake layer.
- Use a stand mixer to whip together the egg, sugar, and salt for about 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together sour cream, dulce de leche and baking soda until there are no clumps remaining.
- Slowly fold in the dulce de leche batter to the first batter without deflating.
- Sift in flour and baking powder, then fold until incorporated.
- Pour the dough atop two baking sheets and spread each into an even layer, then bake and let cool completely.
- To make the caramel soaking syrup, combine the evaporated milk and dulce de leche until smooth.
- Add syrup to a squirt bottle.
- Roast hazelnuts on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Let nuts cool, then skin and chop the nuts, set aside.
How to make the Caramel Cream:
- Let the butter & cream cheese come to room temperature.
- Whip together cubed cream cheese and butter.
- Add dulce de leche in two batches, whipping after each.
- Fold in whipped topping/cream.
How to Assemble the Dulce de Leche Cake
- Carefully flip each cake upside down and peel off the baking mat.
- Cut each cake evenly in half, for a total of four layers.
- Pour the soaking syrup evenly over the cake with the squirt bottle.
- Spread the caramel cream over one layer of the cake evenly.
- Add crushed hazelnuts to the top.
- Top with the second layer and repeat until you all four layers are done.
- Cover the entire cake with the caramel cream once all four layers are together.
- Finish with the decor of your choice then top with roasted hazelnuts.
- Let the cake sit in the fridge for a few hours so the flavors can meld.
- Serve and enjoy!
Check Out Even More Cake Recipes:
Dulce de Leche Cake
Dulce de Leche Cake is one of the best caramel cakes out there. It has dulce de leche in the cake, soaking syrup and the cream, and the hazelnuts add a very pleasant crunch.
Ingredients
Dulce de Leche Cake Ingredients
- 4 eggs , large
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 cup sugar, granulated
- 1 cup sour cream
- 14 oz dulce de leche 14 oz = 1 can
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 cups flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
Dulce de Leche Syrup (whisk or blend together)
- 8 oz evaporated milk
- 14 oz dulce de leche 14 oz = 1 can
Also
- 2 cup whole hazelnuts
Dulce de Leche Cream
- 8 oz butter, unsalted, room temperate
- 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
- 14 oz dulce de leche 14 oz = 1 can
- 16 oz whipped topping or heavy whipping cream
Instructions
How to Make the Dulce de Leche Cake Layers
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees with the baking rack in the middle.
For a rectangular cake: Line 2 large 12" x 18" or 15" x 21" baking sheet pans lined with parchment or silicone mats & set aside (alternatively butter and flour the sheet pans).
For a round cake - butter and flour three 8-inch round cake pans*
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Mixture 1: In a bowl of a stand mixer whip together 4 eggs, 1 cup sugar, and ½ tsp salt for ~10 minutes. Eggs should be whipped until the mixture flows off the beater in a ribbon that takes 2-3 seconds to disappear.
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Mixture 2: When the eggs are almost done whipping, in a medium bowl whisk together 1 cup sour cream, 1 can dulce de leche and 1 tsp of baking soda until no lumps of dulce de leche are seen. The mixture will increase in volume from the baking soda, so make sure to use big enough bowl.
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Combine: Fold the two mixtures together, being careful not to overmix and deflate the batter.
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Add the dry: Sift in 2 cups of flour and 2 teaspoons of baking powder, then fold the batter until fully incorporated. Do not overmix or the cake will be tough.
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Pour & Bake: Divide the batter between the 2 prepared baking sheet pans (or 3 rounds ones for a round cake) into an even layer. Bake for ~9 minutes for the rectangular pans or ~12 min for round cake pans, or until the top is lightly golden and springs back when touched, or when the toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven, allow to cool for 5 minutes, then invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
How to Roast Hazelnuts
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Roast: Preheat oven to 325F° with the baking rack in the center.
Place the hazelnuts onto a rimmed baking sheet and bake for about 15 minutes, tossing the nuts about every 4 minutes and tasting to see if they're roasted to your liking. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
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Skin the hazelnuts: Add the nuts to a ziplock bag and keep shaking and rubbing the hazelnuts between the palms of your hands until the skin is removed. Next, shake the bag so that hazelnut skins sink to the bottom of the bag, and remove the nuts to a separate bowl, discarding the skins.
Leave 20 or so hazelnuts whole, chop the rest of the nuts with a sharp knife to a medium size, or pulse a few times in the food processor, or add to a ziplock bag and crush with a rolling pin.
How to make the Caramel Soaking Syrup
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Combine the evaporated milk and the dulce de leche with a whisk or an immersion blender until smooth. Pour into a squirt bottle if available.
How to make the Caramel Cream
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If using heavy whipping cream instead of whipped topping, whip the cream with a mixer until medium peaks and refrigerate.
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Whip 8 oz of cubed room temperature butter and 8 oz cubed cream cheese for about 4-5 minutes or until the mixture is very fluffy. Scrape down the bowl several times throughout. Add the dulce de leche in 2 additions and whip after each until just incorporated.
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Fold in the refrigerated whipped cream (or whipped topping) into the caramel cream in two additions.
How to Assemble the Caramel Cake
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Flip each cake upside down and peel off the parchment paper or the silicone mat from the back. Cut the rectangular cakes widthwise into two equal pieces (you will have 4 cake layers now). For the round cakes use a long serrated knife to split each cake layer in half, horizontally (giving you 6 total layers).
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Reserve about 2 cups of cream and set aside (1 1/2 cups for a round cake)
Place a dab of frosting onto the serving plate. Now top with the fist cake layer and press to adhere. Layer the cake by soaking each layer with the soaking syrup, then spreading some caramel cream and sprinkling some chopped hazelnuts. Repeat the process with the rest of the layers.
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Add the final layer, then use 1 1/2 cups of the reserved caramel cream (1 1/4 cups for round) to cover the top and sides of the cake.
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Cover the cream with chocolate flakes by sprinkling the top and pressing it against the sides. OR prepare chocolate ganache and pour it over the top of the cake.
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Use the remaining cream ( 1/2 cup for rectangular or 1/4 cup for round) to pipe on cake top and decorate with whole roasted hazelnuts (use chopped hazelnuts for round version).
To serve:
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Refrigerate the cake for about 2-3 hours before serving. Serve cold or room temperature.
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Made this many times, turned out delicious each time! My family and friends love this cake. Thank you
Thank you for your feedback, Anna!
I made this cake and all my family love it.
It so delicious!
LOVE LOVE LOVE this cake!!!!!
Can i make this cake a week ahead and freeze it?
Yes, this cake freezes very well.
Hi, just a clarification please. Which is the correct amount of baking powder to use? It gives 2 teaspoons when converted to US Customary and 4 teaspoons when in Metric conversion. Thanks
Hi Rukiez, it’s 2 tsp of baking powder. I have corrected the metric measurements as well, thanks for catching that!
This cake was excellent! I was making it as a birthday cake for someone who does not like cream cheese frosting, so I made a Russian buttercream with dulce de leche (1 cup butter, 1 can dulce de leche) as a substitute. They were also allergic to nuts so I could not include those, though I will next time!
Regardless of my substitutions, this cake turned out really really well, and they absolutely loved it! Thank you for the recipe!
Hi, the recipe says 4 eggs, but in the picture of ingredients you only have 2 eggs.
So is it 2 or 4 that I should be using.
It is 4 eggs. The pictures hows half the recipe 🙂
Thank you for the recipe! This is our family’s favorite cake. So moist and just perfect. I also add 2Tlbs of instant coffee to the cream, ups the flavor even more especially for the coffee lovers.
The cake turned out beautiful…loved the texture…tasted amazing….but turned out a bit too sweet…is there any way I can reduce the sweetness for the soaking syrup to keep the cake more light…plzzz suggest
If you’re having issues sourcing the cans of dulce de leche, you can take regular sweetened condensed milk. Submerge the (closed) can in water and simmer for 3 Hrs. It didn’t get quite as dark as the store bought stuff, but it was close.
Best cake ever!!!
Hello! Can i assemble this cake a day ahead and put in the fridge overnight and take it out until its ready to eat the following day? and also , using round pans do you tort the cakes? and can i spread the ganache over the cream when the cake is cool from the fridge??
This really looks so delicious. THank you for sharing!
Hi!
I haven’t made the cake yet, but I’m about to! I’m making the sponges three days in advance. Would you recommend soaking them before storing them for three days? Or should I soak them on the morning of, when I’m assembling the entire cake?
Second question – to store the sponges for three days – should I leave them in the fridge or freezer?
Hi Rachel,
Typically the cakes should not be soaked ahead of time. Otherwise they can be too soft and break as you try to transfer them. So I would soak the layers as you assemble the cake.
It would be best to freeze the layers (well wrapped) if you need to make them ahead of time.
Hi there, making this cake for party on Saturday night (4 days away) can I make the cake part in advance or any other components? does it keep well?
Reading the recipe, I thought this cake would be incredibly sweet. 3 cans of dulce de leche!!!??? I thought to myself: “I am going to cut way down on all this sugar” but decided to give the recipe the benefit of the doubt and follow it without changes for a first try. I am glad I did. It’s no sweeter than other cakes and it turned out great. The ganache covering is also a great touch. Two recommendations: (1) don’t hold back on the syrup. I had about half left and while the cake was great, I wished it had been a bit more moist. (2) If you are using the ganache cover, cool the ganache down to something like 80F before pouring over the cold cake.
Thank you for trusting the recipe! I’m so happy you liked it!
Good suggestions there, too
Thank you so much for this recipe. I made it for my husband’s birthday as a challenge and wow it was amazing, not too sweet and just the perfect combination of smooth and crunch. I bought a can of dulce de leche but when I opened it I didn’t like the taste…tasted artificial so I made my own caramel and used that instead. It was bloody delicious. My husband was very pleased and so were his parents. I took some to my neighbours and now they want me to bake their son’s bday cake 🙂 I will definitely be trying your other recipes. Thank you!!
Hi. Thank you for a great recipe. Just want to clarify something. For the cream your ingredients show 8oz butter and 8oz cream cheese but in the picture you have 1 stick of butter which is 4oz and half block of cream cheese which is also 4oz. I just want to know how much exactly of each I need thanks
Hi Olya,
The recipe card is correct. The picture shows 1/2 the portion of cream being made.
Absolute delight! This recipe is from Heaven, I’m not exaggerating, I never posted review on Pinterest but this is so good, just had to say thank you and bless you for sharing this recipe with us 🙂
I didn’t find hazelnuts, and found only one can of dulche de leche in Target, the other two cans I made as suggested by boiling condensed milk on low for about 3 hours. Came out not as dark brown as store bought dulche de leche but still very yummy. I used only 3 round baked layers but poked them good while soaking with syrup. I might improvise next time and add frozen cherries maybe to one layer of cream just to highlight gentle taste of dulche cream and maybe even add some Bailey’s espresso flavor liqueur to syrup… sky is the limit.
Hi Olga! So glad you enjoyed the cake!
I love your ideas with adding the cheeries, or Baileys! Coffee and cherries would definitely match these flavors
Absolutely delicious!!! Made 3 portions for a birthday this weekend and everyone was raving about how good it was.
I did add heavy cream to the syrup (in addition to dulce de leche & evaporated milk). So so good!
Thank you.
Hi Marina,
I’m so excited to make this cake for my husband’s birthday this weekend. He loves dulce de leche, and we loved soaked cakes. Only thing is he’s allergic to nuts. Is there anything else that you think would work here? If not, that’s okay. I’m sure the cake is delicious without them!
Thanks!
Hi Melissa,
This cake tastes wonderful even without nuts. I think you’ll enjoy this cake quite a bit! It’s been a favorite not only with the readers, but in our family as well.
Happy early birthday to your husband!
Marina
Thank you, Marina!
Hi, will the cake need to stay refrigerated?
Hi Nicole,
Since this cake has whipped cream, it’s best to keep it refrigerated.
My daughter had asked for a caramel tier for her wedding cake, she wants this to be the middle tier, 20cm round. I have a 75mm deep tin, could I cook all of this in the one tin and then cut it into layers?
It is always better to cook the cakes in several cake pans than to pour all of it in one and bake. Baking in one cake pan will yield in a denser cake. So I would recommend you bake it twice or get two baking pans and split it between two of them.
I gave this recipe a five star rating with very good reason.
Although I made a couple of minor mistakes when making this cake, it still turned out phenomenal. Nowhere have I ever tasted a more delicious cake and it looks so impressive. A shame that it is not even for company, only my husband and I get to enjoy it. It is easily my most favourite cake in the world. I am so happy to have made it.
Can I cover this cake in fondant with dulce de leche cream between layers and frost it with white chocolate ganache… can this recitmake 4 layers of 6”
Thanks
Hi Farheen,
yes, this is a good cake to cover in fondant.
I am so glad to find this lovely recipe and will be making it next week. I am glad to see other comments that say how well it has turned out for them. I love the method you have for making dulce de leche. I have seen other methods that suggest placing can in pot with water bath and that is what I have used whereas you say to put it in glass, which I will do next time I make this. When I put the can in water I removed label but there still is glue left on can from these labels and over the couple of hours this can is submerged in the hot water this glue melted for me and left this gluppy rim on top of my nice pot that I was using. I tried scrubbing it off after but I am sure there are still little bits left on there that might never come off. Not a great thought when making something in this pot even thought this glue may never come off I still don’t like the thought of cooking anything in it and might just be tempted to toss that pot.
Hi Carol,
If you Google ways to remove the glue left from the can there are a few options to clean your pot. I’ve tried corn oil soak and that helped. Also washing it with dawn soap right after.
Hope this helps
Do you think this recipe would make good cupcakes?
This cake is SO GOOD. Made it twice. The first time was better because I didn’t use as much frosting or soaking the second time. Also I made it 2 days in advance which I liked better
This cake was soooo good! Best cake I’ve made. Got so many compliments on it!
Oh wow! Love hearing that!
A coworker brought me some cake a couple of years ago and I remember it being the most delicious thing I have ever tasted. All I remember was that it was caramel flavor and she could only get it from this one Russian bakery. After scouring the internet I found this recipe and realized it’s actually dulce de leche! I made it yesterday and OMG it’s the BEST cake I have ever made in my life. SO addictive. There are hardly any recipes for this amazing cake so thank you sooo much! Making it for the holidays this year 🙂
Dear Marina,thank you fot the recipe. I am a bit struggling with the trays I have. Do think that 14′- 10′ will work with half of the recipe? Thank you in advance.
Hi Janna,
Could you clarify what you mean? Is the baking sheet 14 inches by 10?
Hi lovely, yes, sorry I didn’t explain more. The baking tray it’s 10inches by 14inches. I divided the recipe by two, and baked it in this tray, it was amazing. Because I have only one tray this size, I repeat the same thing again, so I ended with 2 very moist spongy bases with a size 10′-14′, wich i cutted again through the middle and ended with decent size 4-layer beautiful cake. Thank you very much. You are amazing.
Thank you so much Jannna! you’re so kind! I’m glad it all worked out well!
This cake is absolutely delicious! Thank you for the recipe.
I have made this cake and it was great! I ended up having too much frosting and dulce de leche soaking syrup. Can it be frozen please?
It probably can be frozen, but the cake really needs all the frosting and soaking syrup, so if you try it next time try to use it all up and the cake should taste even better.
For the Dulce de Leche cake recipe, is it 1 14oz can cooled condensed milk “divided” or is it 2 cans total?
2 cans total
This cake is beyond AMAZING! I’ve made it a few times already and get asked for the recipe each time. This is now a favorite of the family and a must at holidays and events! Thank you Marina!
Hi.. how do I make it eggless??
Absolutely delicious! So moist and full of caramel flavor. I’ve made this cake several times now and it’s always the star of the party! Thank you for this delicious recipe!
Love hearing that! Thank you Tanya!
Also clarifying: the recipe says 8 oz butter, which is 2 sticks, but you have just 1 in the picture. Did you mean 8 tbsp (which is 4 oz)?
Hi Nelya,
The recipe needs 8 oz, depending on the size of your butter sticks it can be one or two sticks.
I followed the recipe and this cake turned out so good! I made it for Mother’s Day. Thank you!
Wow! This cake is truly delicious! The flavor was amazing, and the cake was very moist and soft. The cream was literally melting in my mouth. So good! Thank you for sharing!
Thank you so much for your feedback, I love hearing that!
Hi,
So I need to clarify, does the recipe call for 4 eggs or 2 eggs? In the beginning and photos it says 2 eggs but the instructions below say 4 eggs. Thanks!
Hey, is it 8oz butter or 8 TB butter?
8 oz
This cake is AMAZING!!!!! My first time baking a cake from scratch, it taste amazing, I was a little scared about all the dulce de leche I didn’t wanted a super sweet cake, but it came out so good and soft, Thank you very much for sharing your recipe. Wish I could attach a picture, Im very proud of my self 🙂 ♡
Hi! I was wondering can I cut the recipe in half so I don’t have so much of the cake? It looks so good, but I think it’s too much for just my husband and I.
Yes, you can easily half the recipe. Adjust the servings in the printed recipe card to 10 and it should half the recipe for you.
This recipe looks amazing! I’m going to start on the cake tonight. What temp/heat intensity should i submerge the sweetened condensed milk in a jar? Also, I LOVE that you have privided the nutritional info. How many servings does it yield for the 287 calorie portion? Thanks in advance!
Hi Karo,
Thank you so much!!
If you’re cooking the condensed milk on a stovetop, just cover it with water by about 2-3 inches and cook over simmering heat for about 3 hours.
If you’re cooking it in the instant pot, cook it for about 1 hour on high pressure.
At 287 calories you will get about 20 servings.
I made 4 round cakes, 2 of them the middle felt like uncooked and they fell like a crater in the middle of the cake. But it was cooked with another one that turned out good and the ones that were messed up were sticky when I was taking the parchment paper off . I was wondering what caused that?
If I will be using heavy whipping cream, how many ounces will I need?
Is it still 16 oz?
Thank you
Yes, 16 oz.
Marina, you are the best ! Thank you for existing in this world and share recipes with the rest of us, women! I personally don’t know you, but from this site I can tell you are amazing mom and kind person. God bless your kids!!!
Marina, thank you so much for this recipe! This was the first time I have ever succeeded in making a cake that I genuinely felt was better than store-bought (did not think that was possible for me, but I guess your recipe and instructions did the trick 🙂 ), and am so excited to try your other recipes! You mentioned this cake is in your top 5 favourites – which are your other favourites, out of curiosity?
Made this recipe for Christmas dessert and everyone loved it! I also appreciate how you repeat the ingredient amounts in the instructions so I don’t have to go back and forth. I can’t wait to try other recipes of yours!!!
Ok, not to throw momsdish under the bus but I far prefer this recipe to hers. They are very similar except your cream uses 1 stick of butter + cream cheese and hers uses 2 sticks of butter. Her recipe turned out to be a buttery tasting cake and yours a creamy caramel cake and it was so so good! Will be making this very often!
Thank you so much Tanya, appreciate your feed back! Merry Christmas!
Hello,
Great recipe!
If making the cake with round cake pans, would I still have to cut them in half to make 6 layers or just assemble the cake with the 3 layers?
I cut mine horizontally in half, to give me thinner layers.
I have a 1kg jug of dolce de leche. Is it safe if i divde the jug into 3 equal parts for the cake, syrup, and frosting?
Thanks and it looks super duper amazing!
It will be slightly less than needed.
This looks amazing !
One question,
What are the dimensions of the rectangular pans you used for the rectangular cake shape?
Hi Lily,
I used my 15″x21″ cake pans, but you can use 12″x18″ if that is what you have. Each cake layer will be a little taller, that is all.
Is it possible to use curd/ yoghurt instead of sour cream? If not, can you suggest something else that replaces sour cream??
You can easily replace it with buttermilk or plain yogurt.
This is legitimately one of the best desserts I have ever eaten. It’s perfectly moist; amazing texture, and just the best taste. I highly recommend giving it a try. I didn’t have hazelnuts, so I put a mix pecans and cashews in it and it was delicious.
Hello, can i make it in 2,9 inches rouncd cake tin?
Yes, that would work too.
Hallo Marina! Can I ask you if I want the round version, do I have to bake on tree times the cake mixture and when its baked to cutt each layer horisontally per to? Or I have to bake them one by one?
Thank you! I cant wait to try this cake 🙂
If you have 3 pans, just divide the batter and bake. They might not rise as well if you wait to bake one after the other.
Once baked and cooled, yes, just cut each one into two, horizontally.
Good luck!
I made this last time as a rectangular cake and it was incredible. Im wanting to make it again but as a round. Which size pans would i use for this recipe? 8 or 9 inch? And 2 or 3 rounds? Thank you!
Hi Mariya, for a round I would do three 8 inch pans.
Hi Marina, is there something I can substitute the sour cream and cream cheese with in this recipe?
Hi Inna,
You can substitute sour cream with buttermilk and cream cheese can be omitted altogether.
Loved the cake! Marina, thank you for such detailed instructions! It turned out perfect. I baked the same cake, following someone else’s instructions and it was a complete fail. Again, thank you! I’m falling in love with your website more and more:)
Thank you so much for your feedback! Love hearing that!
Hi Marina,
This recipe looks delicious, I’d love to try making it!
For Mixture 2, can I mix that using a hand whisk, or is electric mixing preferred? If electric, how would you recommend handling the process if i only have one (stand) electric mixer, where i’m preparing Mixture 1?
Also, does it help at all if eggs are room temperature?
Thank you!!
Hi Zhenya,
I just use a hand whisk to mix it together. We are only trying to mix it together, but not whip it.
I always use fridge cold eggs with good results, but it might be that room temp eggs might produce better results.
Thanks so much Marina! Will be back with a review 🙂
Random question but what Size is that gold cake board underneath the round cake and where did you get it?
Hi Sarah,
That’s a 9 inch scalloped gold cake board that I got on Amazon.
How much ganache do I need to pour on the round cake to get it to look like yours where it’s not fully covering the sides but just drops down? Do I just pour it in the center of the cake and let it run down or is there a trick?
Hi Angelina,
this is one recipe of chocolate ganache that you just pour in the middle and then spread to the sides.
Thanks for your response! One more question..when making the round version, do you use a cake leveler?
https://letthebakingbegin.com/extra-glossy-chocolate-ganache/
This cake is just amazing. I did the rectangular version, now if I were to do circle, did you cut the three layers in half? For them to be thinner.
Hi Lena,
yes, you would make 3 layers, and then cut them in half.
Love this!!! Love that everything îs step by step And everything so clear.. i did someones this exact cake But their instructions suck!!! The messuring was so confusing, didnt not Say to Sift the flour so I forget and it ruined the whole cake, cause it was full of clumps of flour!!! Thank u for this!! Cannt wait to make!! And love that u use instead of butter, cream cheese.. I wanted to do the samething but was scared..
What a wonderful review! Thank you for your feedback and I’m glad to be of help!
Hi
Do you bake the cake in 2 baking sheets together? Like one on top other on lower rack?
Hi Julie,
If you have a convection oven, that might be ok. I have a regular oven so I bake them one at a time.
Loved the cake !! Came out great the first time! Your cakes always impress everyone!
AMAZING cake and easy to make!!! Thank you, Marina for such wonderful step-by-step instructions. Love your website!!
Thank you Natasha! Glad you enjoyed it!
Can I make the cake layers a day ahead? I want to make it this weekend but had to order hazelnuts on amazon because I couldn’t find any in store, they should be in tomorrow. So I was thinking if I made the layers today, and then everything else tomorrow and assemble tomorrow as well.. do you think that would work? Or would the layers dry out too much? Thanks!
Hi Lidiya,
If you make the layers a day ahead, I would wrap each layer in plastic, and do not stack them one on top of the other.
Not sure if you looked there already, but they usually have hazelnuts in the bulk section of the grocery stores. Also, Trader Joe’s has already shelled hazelnuts.
Is it normal that once I baked the layers, they seem to be sticky when cooled off. Or did I do something wrong?
It’s normal 🙂 just don’t stack them so that they don’t all glue together.
you’re absolutely right, this cake is incredible!! I made it 2x already, within 4 days lol. A couple things I did was reduce the sugar to 3/4 c. in the cake batter, half of a can of dulce de leche in the soaking mixture and about 3/4 of the cool whip tub in the frosting. My family doesn’t like really sweet desserts. And this still turned out amazing!! Also, chopping the hazelnuts by hand is ideal, because I did the first time in a blender and it pulverized it. And this cake recipe was perfect for 2, 10 inch cake pans! Made a really nice and tall cake. Everyone absolutely loved it!! wish I could show a pic on here, but either way, everyone take my word for it that this is delicious!! Thank you for a great recipe that will go into my recipe book! 🙂
I”m glad you were able to adjust this recipe to your liking! Sounds like you know what you’re doing 😉
If you ever with to share the pictures of what you make from my site, you can tag me on any social media, or just shoot me a message there. Love seeing what people make!
Thanks Vicky!
Made this for a event and this cake turned out so delicious! So moist and flavorful. Thank you for the recipe!
Thank you Masha for your feedback, means a lot!
Hi Layla,
It’s just 2 tsp of baking powder in the batter and that’s it. It was a typo in the ingredient list.
Hello,
how far in advance can I make this? I was hoping to make it for Saturday but would like to make it as early as possible. It looks so delicious I cannot wait to try it! I will be back with a review 🙂
Hi Vicky,
Thank you so much!
This cake refrigerates well and would probably be pretty good even 4-5 days after making, but I probably wouldn’t make it earlier than Thursday if you want it served on Saturday.
Bit confused about whipping cream portion . Vs whipping topping. If in using heavy whipping cream I need 2 cups(16oz) unwhipped ? Or measure 2 cups after its whipped ?
Hi Maria,
The recipe indicates ingredients in weight not volume because in whipped heavy cream will be 2 cups in volume, but whipped topping will be more in volume but still the same in weight. Whipped topping is sold in 16 oz tubs so you wouldn’t have to measure it.
If your recipe is measured in weight not volume then it’s even more confusing. 16ounces of whipped topping is equal to 1lb(453g) your measurements if switched to metrics on here say “226.8g”. But I dont want to use whipped topping . I would like to use heavy whipping cream . They come in fl oz. In your recipe it indicates 16oz of whipped topping or 16 oz of whipping cream. It’s two different measurements and amounts of whipping cream.. this is where I found it confusing . I am using heavy whipping cream how many fl oz would I need of heavy whipping cream to substitute the 16 oz(net wight) tub of whipped cream.
Hi Maria,
If you’re using heavy whipping cream, you can measure it by volume (2 cups) or by weight (16 oz). Either way, you’ll end up with 16 oz.
I’m not sure why the conversion was calculated wrong on my end (it’s done automatically), but I went ahead and fixed it to reflect the correct weight, sorry about that.
Can I leave the butter out of the cream or is it a necessity? I really don’t like butter in creams
Hi Olga,
I haven’t tried that so can’t tell you. I wonder if you can replace it with cream cheese, but I do think the cream will not be as stable and might be runny.