Café Dulce De Leche Food

CHOCOLATE DULCE DE LECHE STUMP CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350˚. Brush the bottom and sides of two 8-inch round cake pans with vegetable oil and dust with flour, tapping out the excess. Whisk the flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a medium bowl. Whisk the vegetable oil, buttermilk and vanilla in a large liquid measuring cup.
• Beat the granulated sugar and eggs in a large bowl with a mixer on medium speed until combined. Increase the speed to medium high and beat until very fluffy and light, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium and beat in the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk mixture, until combined, stopping to scrape down the bowl occasionally. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
• Bake until the tops of the cakes are firm and spring back when gently pressed and the sides begin to pull away from the pan, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a rack and let cool 15 minutes, then run a thin spatula around the cakes to loosen and invert onto the rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the frosting: Beat the butter, cream cheese, vanilla and salt in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in the dulce de leche until well combined. Reduce the mixer speed to low and beat in the confectioners' sugar until combined, then increase the speed to medium high and beat until the frosting is thick and fluffy, about 1 more minute. Refrigerate until the frosting is slightly firm but still spreadable, about 1 hour.
• Trim the domed tops of the cakes with a long serrated knife to make them level, if necessary. Cut each layer in half horizontally to make 4 thin layers. Put 1 layer on a cake plate and spread with a heaping 1/2 cup frosting all the way to the edges. Repeat with 2 more cake layers, then top with the remaining cake layer. Cover the top and sides of the cake with a thin layer of frosting (this is the crumb coat-it doesn't have to be perfect). Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour. Reserve the remaining frosting.
• Mix the cocoa powder and hot water in a small bowl until smooth. Add 1/2 cup of the remaining frosting and stir well to combine. Refrigerate the chocolate frosting and remaining dulce de leche frosting along with the cake.
• Cover the cake with the remaining dulce de leche frosting. Using a small offset spatula, add swipes of the chocolate frosting in concentric circles over the top of the cake, plus some swipes around the sides of the cake. Use a large offset spatula to smooth the chocolate frosting into the dulce de leche frosting, slightly marbling the two. Run the tines of a fork around the top of the cake in concentric circles. Refrigerate until set, at least 30 minutes or overnight.
• Meanwhile, make the chocolate curls: Run the palm of your hand on one side of the chocolate block to soften slightly. Working over a piece of parchment paper, scrape along the softened side with a paring knife or a wide vegetable peeler to make about 2 cups large chocolate shavings. Freeze on the parchment until set, 10 minutes.
• Remove the cake from the refrigerator. If the frosting is too hard, let stand until softened, about 15 minutes. Gently press the chocolate shavings into the sides of the cake.

DULCE DE LECHE

Steps:

• Combine the milk, sugar, vanilla bean and seeds in a large, 4-quart saucepan and place over medium heat. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the baking soda and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and cook uncovered at a bare simmer. Stir occasionally, but do not re-incorporate the foam that appears on the top of the mixture. Continue to cook for 1 hour. Remove the vanilla bean after 1 hour and continue to cook until the mixture is a dark caramel color and has reduced to about 1 cup, approximately 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer. Store in the refrigerator in a sealed container for up to a month.

DULCE DE LECHE

Steps:

• For the stovetop method: Remove the label from the can of sweetened condensed milk. Place 3 to 4 forks upside down on the bottom of a large 6- to 8-quart pot. Place the unopened can on top of the forks and cover with water by a few inches. (The forks help to prevent a vacuum between the bottom of the can and the pot.) Place the pot over high heat until it reaches a simmer, then lower the heat to medium-low or low to maintain a steady simmer for about 3 hours. Add more water to the pot if necessary to ensure that the can is submerged at all times. Let the can cool to room temperature in the water before removing. Open the can and scoop out the contents. The dulce de leche should be dark and caramelized.
• For the oven method: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place a shallow baking dish in a roasting pan. Pour the sweetened condensed milk into the baking dish and cover the dish with foil. Transfer the roasting pan to the oven and add enough hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake until the dulce de leche is dark and caramelized, 60 to 75 minutes, checking the water level occasionally and adding more if needed. Let cool, then whisk until smooth.
• Transfer the dulce de leche to an airtight container, put plastic wrap directly on the surface and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

DULCE DE LECHE

Steps:

• Put the sugar in a large saucepan. Turn the heat to a medium temperature and carefully melt the sugar. Gently tilt the pan as the sugar melts, rather than stirring, as it will adhere to a spoon or spatula.
• When the sugar is melted, add the butter and stir into the sugar. It will bubble, so take care. Next, add the milk a little at a time, stirring continuously.
• Finally, add the can of condensed milk and stir well until it is fully incorporated. Keep stirring as the dulce de leche bubbles and thickens over a medium heat. It will need a further 5-10 mins of cooking. It will turn a darker shade of brown and take on a slight orange-red hue as it darkens. It should be thick enough to leave a clear channel in the pan when a spoon is run through and then add a pinch of salt. It will firm up as it cools. The dulce de leche can be stored in a jar in the fridge and will keep for up to a month. If not storing in a jar ensure it's covered so a skin doesn't form.