Rich Chocolate Cake with Salty Dulce de Leche

December 29, 2012 at 2:56 pm | Posted in cakes & tortes, simple cakes, sweet things | 4 Comments
Tags: baking, cake, chocolate

So, Christmas came and went in a tinsel-strewn blur. And now we are just about to say goodbye to 2012 and hang a new calendar on the wall…but first there’s one more party to throw. New Year’s Eve is a night that calls for sparkle, like these Glitter Ball Cookies, or decadence, like this Rich Chocolate Cake with Dulce de Leche.

Here’s proof that decadence doesn’t have to be difficult. This cake is easy to put together because it’s just a single layer. It’s a dark devil’s food-style cake, so that’s really all you need. And you can buy the dulce de leche, although I did make David Lebovitz’s homemade version (which, to be honest, is no more difficult than opening a can). Some chopped nuts or crushed brittle add a little crunch, but even that isn’t totally necessary. What is necessary, though, is sprinkling of salt– preferably a fancy coarse sea salt– so don’t skip it. Salty and sweet, just like this year.

Happy New Year! See you in 2013…

Rich Chocolate Cake with Salty Dulce de Leche– makes one 10-inch round cake
adapted from One Girl Cookies by Dawn Casale and David Crofton

Steph’s Notes: A half recipe will yield an 8-inch round cake that bakes in 30-35 minutes. The authors suggest decorating this cake with crushed nut brittle, but chopped salty peanuts or hazelnuts would be just as good (and easier).

for the cake:
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon table salt

for the topping:
1/2 cup dulce de leche (homemade or store-bought)
a few pinches of kosher salt, fleur de sel or Maldon
about 1/2 cup of roughly chopped, salted nuts or crushed nut brittle for decoration (optional)

-Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 10-inch round cake pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with a parchment round.

-To make the cake, pour the hot coffee into a medium bowl and stir in the cocoa powder until it dissolves. Stir in the brown sugar, followed by the yogurt and the vanilla. Stir thoroughly to ensure that all of the ingredients are incorporated.

-In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light-yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the eggs and mix for 2 minutes.

-In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer running on low speed, mix in a third of the flour mixture and half of the coffee mixture. Scrape down the bowl. Add another third of the flour mixture and all the remaining coffee mixture. Remove the bowl from the mixer and, using \a rubber spatula, fold in the remaining flour mixture until all of the ingredients are fully incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan.

-Bake the cake for about 45 minutes, rotate the pan at the halfway point, or until a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the pan from the oven and let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edge, and then turn the cake out onto a clean plate, remove the parchment, and turn the cake back over onto a wire rack. Let the cake cool completely.

-Put the cooled cake on a serving dish. In a microwave-safe dish, heat the dulce de leche on high power for 30 seconds, or until it is just liquid. Spoon the dulce de leche over the cake, and then sprinkle the salt over the dulce de leche. If using nuts or brittle, sprinkle about 1/2 cup around the outer edge of the cake as a delicious decoration.

4 Comments »

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this looks amazing!

Comment by Arlene— December 29, 2012 #

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that looks devilishly good! might as well eat it while in the festive “off my diet” phase!

Comment by milkteaxx— December 30, 2012 #

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Stephanie, I wish I could make this for New Years. It is sinful, and I cannot think of a better way to bring in the new year. Wishing you much happiness (and love) in 2013!

Comment by Denise— December 31, 2012 #

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This looks heavenly! And it’s so, so beautiful!

Sues

Comment by wearenotmartha— January 1, 2013 #

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