Few desserts are as comforting as a soft sponge cake filled with creamy dulce de leche.
With its light texture and rich caramel flavor, this dulce de leche-filled sponge cake is perfect for birthdays, afternoon coffee, or whenever you’re craving something sweet.
The best part is that you don’t need advanced baking skills to make Spanish desserts like this one.
Keep reading to discover how to make a sponge cake with dulce de leche, along with helpful tips for filling, storing, and serving this wonderful dessert.
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Pssst…!!?? You can’t get enough of Spanish recipes? Have a look at my other posts:
- Dulce de leche churros
- Dulce de leche layer cake
- Dulce de leche palmiers
Background of the Dish
Sponge cakes have been a staple of Spanish baking for generations, valued for their light texture, simple ingredients, and versatility.
Many traditional desserts, including what is often called a Spanish caramel cake, are based on this classic sponge cake foundation.
As dulce de leche became easier to find in Spanish supermarkets and bakeries, home bakers started experimenting with it in a wide variety of desserts.
Its smooth texture and rich caramel flavor made it a natural addition to cakes, cookies, and pastries, quickly turning it into a favorite ingredient for special occasions.
Over time, the combination of fluffy sponge cake and creamy dulce de leche evolved into a beloved dessert that blends Spanish baking traditions with one of Latin America’s most iconic sweet flavors.
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Things You’ll Need for Dulce De Leche-Filled Sponge Cake
To prepare the dulce de leche-filled sponge cake, you will need flour, eggs, sugar, milk, vegetable oil, and dulce de leche as the main ingredients.
Ingredients
For the sponge cake:
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup (200g) White sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup (80ml) Milk
- 1/4 cup (60ml) Vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups (190g) All-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons Baking powder
- 1 pinch Salt
For the filling:
- 1 1/2 cups (450g) Dulce de leche
Optional decoration:
- Powdered sugar for dusting
How to Make Dulce De Leche-Filled Sponge Cake – Step by Step Guide
- For the first step, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and line an 8-inch (20cm) round cake pan with parchment paper.
- Now, place the eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat them with an electric mixer for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture becomes pale, thick, and fluffy.
- After that, add the vanilla extract, milk, and vegetable oil. Mix until fully combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Then, gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring gently until no streaks of flour remain. Make sure not to overbeat the batter, so as not to end up with a dense Spanish dulce de leche sponge cake.
- To continue, pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Now, bake the Spanish sponge cake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Take the sponge cake to a wire rack and let it cool completely before filling. Once cooled, carefully slice the sponge cake horizontally into two even layers.
- As a key step in this easy dulce de leche sponge cake, spread the dulce de leche evenly over the bottom layer, reaching almost to the edges.
- Then, carefully place the top cake layer back on top and gently press it into place. If desired, dust the top of the Spanish caramel-filled sponge cake with powdered sugar before serving.
- For the final step, slice the sponge cake with dulce de leche filling and serve. This cake is perfect for breakfast, afternoon coffee, or special celebrations.
Substitution of Ingredients
This is truly the best dulce de leche sponge cake recipe because it only calls for a few basic ingredients that can be found anywhere and are easy to replace if needed.
For example, to make this Spanish sponge cake with dulce de leche gluten-free, replace the all-purpose flour with 1 1/2 cups (190g) of a gluten-free all-purpose flour blend that contains xanthan gum.
If your gluten-free flour blend does not include xanthan gum, add 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum to help maintain the dulce de leche-filled sponge cake’s soft texture and structure.
You can also turn this recipe into dulce de leche cupcakes and decorate them just as you like.
If you aren’t the biggest fan of dulce de leche, then we have more Andalusian cakes for you to make and enjoy, such as the Spanish apple cake, the Spanish orange cake, and the pumpkin spice flan cake.
Tips on Serving Dulce De Leche-Filled Sponge Cake
The layered sponge cake with dulce de leche is the perfect dessert or afternoon snack, especially if you have guests coming over that you want to impress.
To add more texture to the Spanish sponge cake, you can serve it with chopped and toasted nuts or praline sprinkled on top.
If you are serving the dulce de leche-filled sponge cake as a birthday cake, you can improve its looks by dusting powdered sugar or covering it with whipped cream.
Can’t get enough of dulce de leche desserts? Then you must try other classics like the dulce de leche crepes, dulce de leche flan, and dulce de leche cheesecake.
How to Store Dulce De Leche-Filled Sponge Cake
Store the dulce de leche-filled sponge cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
For longer storage, wrap individual slices or the whole cake tightly in plastic wrap and then in foil.
The cake can also be frozen for up to 3 months; thaw it overnight in the refrigerator before serving.
If preferred, you can store the Spanish cake before filling it with dulce de leche, but for this recipe, it is completely up to you.
Ready to try more Andalusian cakes? Then, explore our favorite recipes such as Spanish chocolate biscuit cake, Spanish milk cake, and Cordoba cake.
Recipe Card: Dulce De Leche-Filled Sponge Cake
Dulce De Leche-Filled Sponge Cake Recipe
Few desserts are as comforting as a soft sponge cake filled with creamy dulce de leche.
With its light texture and rich caramel flavor, this dulce de leche-filled sponge cake is perfect for birthdays, afternoon coffee, or whenever you're craving something sweet.
The best part is that you don't need advanced baking skills to make Spanish desserts like this.
Keep reading to discover how to make a sponge cake with dulce de leche, along with helpful tips for filling, storing, and serving this wonderful dessert.
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- 1 cup (200g) White sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup (80ml) Milk
- 1/4 cup (60ml) Vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups (190g) All-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons Baking powder
- 1 pinch Salt
For the filling:
- 1 1/2 cups (450g) Dulce de leche
Instructions
- To start preparing the dulce de leche-filled sponge cake, preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and line an 8-inch (20cm) round cake pan with parchment paper.
- Place the eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat them with an electric mixer for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture becomes pale, thick, and fluffy.
- Add the vanilla extract, milk, and vegetable oil. Mix until fully combined. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- Gradually fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring gently until no streaks of flour remain.
- Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake the Spanish sponge cake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Transfer it to a wire rack and let it cool completely before filling. Once cooled, carefully slice the sponge cake horizontally into two even layers.
- Spread the dulce de leche evenly over the bottom layer, reaching almost to the edges.
- Place the top cake layer back on top and gently press it into place. If desired, dust the top of the dulce de leche sponge cake with powdered sugar before serving.
- Finally, slice the cake and serve. This soft sponge cake with dulce de leche is perfect for breakfast, afternoon coffee, or special celebrations.
Notes
If you can't find dulce de leche, then you can make it by slowly cooking sweetened condensed milk until it thickens and develops its characteristic caramel flavor.
To add more texture to the homemade sponge cake with caramel filling, you can also fill it with chopped and toasted nuts or dark chocolate chips.
Nutrition Information
Yield
8Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 417Total Fat 11gSaturated Fat 2gUnsaturated Fat 9gCholesterol 95mgSodium 270mgCarbohydrates 70gFiber 1gSugar 33gProtein 9g
All information presented and written are intended for informational purposes only. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health, you should always consult with a physician or other health-care professional. The writers and publishers of visitsouthernspain.com are not nutritionists or registered dietitians. Statements within this site have not been evaluated or approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
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