Description
This recipe combines a rich and buttery Sugar Cake with a luscious Dulce de Leche and a creamy Caramel Frozen Custard. The sugar cake boasts a crunchy, caramelized crust and soft, fluffy interior. The dulce de leche sauce is made from scratch by cooking butter and sugar until thick and frothy, then blending in cream and flavorings. The custard is a classic caramel-infused frozen treat, tempered with milk and cream, churned to soft-serve perfection, and layered with chunks of sugar cake and drizzles of dulce de leche for a decadent dessert experience.
Ingredients
Scale
Sugar Cake
- 2 large eggs (room temperature)
- 3/4 cups sugar (plus more for finishing)
- 1/4 cup + 3 tablespoons ghee (room temperature)
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream (room temperature)
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Dulce de Leche Sauce
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Caramel Frozen Custard
- 1 cup sugar
- 6 egg yolks
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 pinches salt
- 1/4 cup dry milk powder
Instructions
- Prepare Sugar Cake Batter: In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 large eggs, 3/4 cup sugar, and 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons ghee. Using a hand mixer on medium speed, blend until the mixture is smooth, fluffy, and light yellow in color. Reduce to low speed and slowly pour in 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, continuing to mix on low.
- Add Dry Ingredients: Gradually add 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour and 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder to the wet ingredients, mixing thoroughly to form a smooth batter.
- Prepare Cake Pan: Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Coat a 9×9-inch cake pan with cooking spray, then add a few tablespoons of flour to the pan and rotate to lightly coat all surfaces. Discard any excess flour.
- Bake Sugar Cake: Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Sprinkle additional sugar over the top to create the signature crunchy crust. Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the crust is golden brown. Let the cake cool on a rack for 10 to 15 minutes before cutting into crouton-like pieces.
- Make Dulce de Leche Sauce: In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, combine 1/4 cup unsalted butter and 1/2 cup brown sugar. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sugar melts and the mixture becomes thick and frothy, resembling lava, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream until fully incorporated. Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside.
- Prepare Custard Base: In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 cup sugar, 2 pinches salt, and 6 egg yolks just until combined. Set aside. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, warm 1 cup whole milk and 1 cup heavy cream without boiling. When warm, whisk in 1/4 cup dry milk powder until dissolved. Continue heating until small bubbles form along the edges.
- Temper Eggs: Slowly pour about 1 cup of the warm milk mixture into the egg yolk mixture while stirring to temper the eggs. Repeat with another cup of milk, then pour the tempered egg mixture back into the saucepan with the remaining milk mixture.
- Cook Custard: Stir constantly over medium heat, ensuring the mixture does not boil, and maintain temperature below 180°F (82°C). The custard is ready when it thickly coats a spoon or a line can be drawn on the back of the spoon with your finger. Strain the custard through a sieve into a bowl to remove any curdled bits.
- Chill Custard: Place the bowl of custard inside a larger bowl filled with ice water to cool quickly, stirring occasionally until it reaches room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Churn Frozen Custard: Once the custard is chilled and your ice cream maker is ready, pour the custard into the freezer bowl. Churn for approximately 15 minutes or until it reaches a soft-serve consistency. If the mixture appears too thin and ingredients have settled, gently stir to combine.
- Assemble and Freeze: Gently mix in the sugar cake pieces into the churned custard. Transfer some custard to a freezer-safe container, drizzle with dulce de leche sauce, then layer more custard and dulce de leche, repeating until all components are used. Cover and freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight until firm.
Notes
- Room temperature ingredients help create a smooth batter and custard.
- Do not let the custard boil to avoid curdling; maintain a temperature below 180°F.
- Tempering the eggs is essential to prevent scrambling when combining with hot milk.
- Cooling the custard quickly improves texture and flavor preservation.
- Use a 9×9-inch cake pan for best results; baking times may vary slightly with different pan sizes.
- If using an ice cream maker, ensure the freezer bowl is thoroughly frozen beforehand.
- Dulce de leche can be stored separately in the refrigerator and drizzled right before serving.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Spanish
Keywords: Sugar Cake, Dulce de Leche, Frozen Custard, Caramel Dessert, Spanish Dessert, Homemade Ice Cream, Custard Recipe
