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If there is one cake you need to make right now, it's this one. Listen guys, I've been on a healthcare journey for a while now, and have only eaten what I've needed to to test a recipe. This cake has been an exception. My brown butter chocolate chip cake with bourbon dulce de leche buttercream is crazy delicious. It's tender, fluffy and moist, flecked with mini chocolate chips and has a caramel-ly flavor from the brown butter and brown sugar. The buttercream, you could just eat on it's own with a spoon. It's creamy and silky loaded with dulce de leche and has a subtle hint of bourbon. Just going to have a moment of silence for the this sheet cake I *may have* demolished.
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cake
Anyway, this cake. So, so good. The batter for this recipe makes enough for a 9x13" pan - 2" tall cake. You can also use this recipe for 3 - 8" pans as well. This cake is made like most of the cakes on my blog, with the reverse creaming method, or the one bowl method. This method makes for a tight crumbed cake, reminiscent of box cake, but much sturdier. For more information on this mixing method check out this post.
When adding the mini chocolate chips to cake, mix half into the batter, but reserve half for sprinkling on the top. This is a thicker cake batter so the chips won't all sink to the bottom, but sprinkling some on top will ensure that they're evenly distributed.
Because the cake is larger and takes more time to bake, keep your oven temperature between 325-335F so that the cake doesn't get too dark or bake too fast around the edges. This recipe is meant to bake up flat so if the cake domes too much, the oven might be too hot.
Bourbon Dulce de Leche Buttercream
I used my go-to Swiss meringue buttercream for this recipe. A meringue based buttercream is less sweet than the American type of sugar based buttercream, and since dulce de leche is quite sweet, I wanted to start with a less sweet buttercream. You can learn all about Swiss meringue buttercream here.
You can buy store bought dulce de leche, such as Nestle's La Lechera. If you can't find a store bought dulce de leche, I have shared how you can make your own below in the recipe section.
If you are making this cake for kiddos, you can skip out on the bourbon and add more vanilla. But, I encourage you to add it even if you're not into bourbon. It's complimentary, adds a lot of depth to the buttercream and helps to distinguish the flavors a bit more.
This recipe makes a decent amount of buttercream and I like to pile it on pretty thick, but if you're looking for a thinner layer, you can further reduce the recipe in half.
I hope that you enjoy this brown butter chocolate chip cake with bourbon dulce de leche buttercream as much as I do! If you make it, let me know and leave a comment or tag me on Instagram.
Enjoy!
Ash xx
For more layer cake recipes, check out these posts:
Earl Grey Cake with Honey Buttercream and Blackberry Caramel
Banana Cake with Salted Caramel and Peanut Butter Buttercream
Strawberry Rose Buttermilk Cake
Chocolate Stout Cake with Coffee Irish Cream Buttercream
Recipe
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cake with Bourbon Dulce de Leche Buttercream
Ingredients
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cake
- 14 ounces cake flour
- 8 ounces granulated sugar
- 6 ounces brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 10 ounces unsalted butter
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 3 ounces vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
- 10 ounces buttermilk, room temperature
- ⅓ cup mini chocolate chips
Bourbon Dulce de Leche Buttercream
- ½ batch prepared Swiss meringue buttercream
- 1 - 2 tablespoons bourbon, to taste
- ½ cup dulce de leche
Dulce de Leche
- 1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cake
- Place the butter into a medium saucepan over medium heat. Let the butter cook while occasionally stirring to ensure the butter is cooking evenly.
- Cook the butter until it is a deep golden brown color and smells nutty and toasted, about 5 -7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Let the butter cool to room temperature, until it is solid, but scoopable. Similar in texture to room temperature butter.
- Preheat the oven to 335F. Prepare your cake pans. Brush the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 cake pan with melted butter. Line the bottoms and sides with parchment paper.
- Combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla in medium bowl. Whisk to thoroughly combine.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. On low speed, mix for 1 minute.
- With the mixer still running, add in the softened butter chunks, one or two pieces at a time. Mix until the mixture resembles cornmeal. You should be able to gather a bit in your hand, squeeze and you have a solid piece. This means the butter is evenly distributed.
- With the mixer still on low, pour in the 4oz/½ cup of the wet ingredients and mix until the flour mixture is moistened.
- Turn the mixer speed to medium (4 or 6) and whip for *two full* minutes. The mixture should be whipped up, thick, and lighter in color.
- Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is properly mixed.
- With the mixer speed on low, add the remaining wet ingredients in three parts, scraping down the bowl after each addition has been mixed in.
- Once all the wet ingredients have been added, give the bowl a final scrape and mix with a spatula. Pour the batter into the pan. Spread the batter evenly in the pan.
- Bake the layers for 40-50 minutes. Start checking the cake at minutes to test for doneness. If a toothpick comes out clean, and the top of the cake feels springy and set when touched, take the cakes out.
- Cool the cake for 15 minutes in the pan.
- Run a palette or butter knife around the cake in the pan before turning them out to cool completely on cooling racks.
- Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator a couple hours.
Dulce de Leche
- Remove the label from the can of sweetened condensed milk.
- Place the can in a tall/large saucepan, or pot. Fill with water, covering the entire can with 1"- 2" of water.
- Bring the pot to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low, so that the water is simmering low and slow.
- Watch the water level and add more water if the level of water falls below the top of the can. Check every 30 minutes. This is VERY important as the can can explode if it's not submerged.
- Simmer the can for 3-3 ½ hours, using tongs to turnthe over the can halfway through cooking. Do this VERY CAREFULLY.
- When the can is done simmering, turn off the heat. Allow the can to come to room temperature. Do NOT open the can while hot.
Bourbon Dulce de Leche Buttercream
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the dulce de leche and bourbon to the prepared buttercream. Mix on low for 3-5 minutes.
- Frost the cake with a thick layer of buttercream and top with sprinkles.
Wendy
I noticed after I had already started to make this cake that the amounts for the salt, vanilla, and almond extract aren’t listed with the other ingredients. I wasn’t concerned about the extracts because I rarely measure those anyway, but was hoping I guessed close enough on the salt (I used 1 tsp). It turned out great. It tasted good and rose up beautifully.
Ashley
Hi Wendy! My apologies! Fixing the recipe right now. So happy it worked for you. That is the perfect amount of salt. Great guess! Best! Ash