Dulce de Leche Cake Roll Recipe » LeelaLicious (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between dulce de leche and caramel? ›

Caramel and dulce de leche might look and taste somewhat similar, but they are actually pretty different. While caramel is made from slowly simmering water and sugar until it caramelizes, dulce de leche is made from simmering milk and sugar super slowly until it turns into a creamy, caramelized substance.

“The difference between condensed milk and dulce de leche is the caramelization of the sugars that are both added and part of milk,” Sibley says. “Typically, condensed milk remains white and has a lighter consistency and taste than dulce de leche.

Dulce de leche cake is usually a vanilla cake with a frosting and or filling that incorporates dulce de leche. This cake has a browned butter batter and the layers are enrobed in a dulce de leche frosting.

Dulce de leche is too thick: If it's too thick while warm, this also happens when the sauce is overcooked and too much liquid has evaporated. Pulse in the food processor/blender with a tiny bit of cream or milk (start with 1/2 teaspoon; a little goes a long way) until it reaches your desired consistency.

To make your own dulce de leche at home, slowly (and we mean slowly) heat a can of sweetened condensed milk until it turns deep brown and gains a rich texture. Since the mixture needs to be heated slowly and evenly for a long period of time, most people use a water bath to bring the milk to temperature.

Caramel is a good substitute for dulce de leche. If you want to give it a more dulce de leche-like taste and texture, mix the caramel with cream, half and half, milk, or butter.

Condensed milk follows the same slow-cook process, but there's also sugar in the mix, so it becomes thick and caramelized. That means the difference between evaporated and condensed milk all boils down to condensed milk's added sugar.

Is it safe to boil my can of sweetened condensed milk to make caramel sauce? No. For safety reasons, we do not recommend heating a can of our condensed milk, opened or unopened. The current can is not designed to withstand high temperatures.

This ambrosial “milk jam” is nothing short of an obsession in South America, particularly in Argentina and Uruguay, around the Río de la Plata. It is a source of great national pride for both countries. South Americans apply it to all kinds of desserts—from pancakes to cakes and ice cream.

Why add baking soda to the sauce? The baking soda will help with the reactions necessary to make the sauce thick and dark, with a rich taste. As you cook the milk and sugar together, water will evaporate, making the solution more acidic, and proteins will begin to coagulate.

Why baking soda in dulce de leche? ›

You can make dulce de leche by cooking down milk and sugar in the stove top, with the addition of baking soda to help the reactions that occur in order to form a thick and rich dulce de leche. The results: A dark sauce, slightly gritty, thick but not pipeable.

Don't overcook

Overcooking Dulce de Leche will make it too thick and maybe even taste burnt. To avoid overcooking, do a cold plate test. You simply dab a small amount of the caramel on a cold plate and turn it sideways. See how far the caramel runs.

Scorching: even if you stir the mixture constantly and keep an eye on the water level of the water bath, scorching is still going to happen on the sides of the pan, therefore making the dulce de leche even more lumpy, with burnt bits.

Note: There are several stages the milk goes through during the cooking process. When the milk first comes to a boil there is a lot of foam. Eventually the foam subsides and after about 15 minutes, you will notice that the milk turns a light beige color.

Is there a difference between caramel and dulce de leche? Caramel is made primarily of sugar with some butter and cream added at the end. Dulce de leche is milk with some sugar added. Both are caramelized but the ingredient proportion and flavor are quite different.

Can I Use Dulce De Leche and Caramel Interchangeably? Technically, if you see dulce de leche in a recipe, you can instead use caramel, and vice-versa. However, there will be a slight variance in taste and texture, and the recipe will no longer be authentic to the specified region.

Butterscotch is made from cooking down brown sugar with butter, and its flavor is sweeter and softer than that of caramel. Dulce de leche is made from slowly cooking cow milk and sugar together. Dulce de leche made with goat milk is known as cajeta.

So, these two are the same, right? Nope! Dulce de leche is heavier and thicker than caramel, and the two greatly vary in how they're made.