Dulce de Leche Cream Cheese Frosting

This Dulce de Leche Cream Cheese Frosting is a rich, creamy, and incredibly versatile topping that pairs perfectly with a wide range of cake flavors. Whether you’re frosting pumpkin, coconut, banana, vanilla, chocolate, caramel, or pineapple cakes, this smooth and luscious frosting enhances every bite. Ideal for layer cakes, sheet cakes, and cupcakes, its deep caramel flavor adds a decadent touch that’s simply irresistible.

Easy Dulce de Leche Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

What is Dulce de Leche? Dulce de leche, which translates to “sweet milk” in Spanish, is made by slowly cooking sweetened condensed milk until it thickens into a rich, smooth caramel. While it’s easy to find prepared dulce de leche in most grocery stores, you can also make your own at home, try a slow cooker method for a simple, hands-off approach.

That said, store-bought dulce de leche is affordable and works beautifully as the base for this rich caramel cream cheese frosting. Beyond frosting, it’s also a delicious addition to pies, cakes, and cookie bars, or simply warmed and drizzled over ice cream for an indulgent treat.

Key ingredients you’ll need to make Dulce de Leche Cream Cheese Frosting: (Scroll down for full printable recipe card and quantities.)

• Cream Cheese – Softened cream cheese for a tangy flavor and creamy texture
• Caramel – Store-bough dulce de leche gives this icing its signature flavor.
• Sugar – Powdered sugar for sweetness. (confectioners’ sugar)
• Flavorings – Vanilla extract adds creamy floral notes and salt balances the sweetness.

How to Make Dulce de Leche Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

• Whip Cream Cheese and Butter- You’ll need an electric mixer to cream together cream cheese and butter until fluffy, around 1-2 minutes.
• Add Dulce de Leche – Add dulce de leche, vanilla extract and salt. Whip on medium-high speed for 2 minutes or until well blended and smooth.
• Powdered Sugar – Gradually add powdered sugar and heavy cream beating on low or medium speed until incorporated.
• Whip – After all of the sugar has been added, increase the speed of the mixer to medium-high and whip until light and fluffy.

Kitchen Equipment to Make Dulce de Leche Frosting

• Electric mixer. You can use a stand mixer or a hand mixer.
• Large bowl.
• Measuring cups and measuring spoons.
• Rubber spatula for scraping the bowl.
• Variety of pastry bags and tips if piping the frosting. or offset icing spatula to slather the frosting on the cake or cupcakes.

Recipe Variations, Tips and Substitutions

• Dulce de Leche – Dulce de leche is readily available with the sweetened condensed milk products or in the Hispanic foods section of most grocery stores including places like Walmart, Target, World Market and Williams Sonoma. It comes in a can that looks like sweetened condensed milk, but read the label carefully, it’s not the same.
• Caramel – You could use a thick caramel ice cream topping as a substitute for the dulce in a pinch.
• Flavorings – You could use rum extract in addition to vanilla extract.
• Additions – You could stir in toasted chopped pecans, walnuts or almonds for crunch, or mix-in sweetened flaked coconut to change the flavor profile.
• Heavy Cream – You can adapt the amount of cream to suit your personal taste. Add 1 tablespoon at a time until your desired consistency is reached.
• Cakes Flavors – What flavor cake is best? This frosting is a delicious for pumpkin cake, banana cake, vanilla cake, carrot cake, chocolate cake, caramel cake, pineapple cake or cupcakes.
• How Much Will this Recipe Make? You can use this icing as desired to frost one 2 or 3 layer (8 or 9) inch cake, one 1/2 sheet cake, 30-36 cupcakes or 100 mini cupcakes.
• See how to make Homemade Dulce de Leche in you crockpot here.

Storage and Leftovers

• Leftovers – Store dulce de leche frosting in an airtight container chilled in the refrigerator for up to one week.
• To Use – Bring chilled frosting to room temperature and whip with a hand mixer prior to using so it will soften and smooth making it easier to spread.
• Freezer – You can freeze this frosting for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge and whip with a hand mixer prior to using.

More Easy Frosting Recipes to Make

• Whipped Chocolate Frosting is creamy and delicious.
• 7 Minute Frosting is a vintage recipe that’s delicious on red velvet, coconut, vanilla or chocolate cake.
• Pink Lemonade Cream Cheese Frosting is ideal for spring and summer picnics.
• Use this Vanilla Buttercream Icing to frost any of your favorite flavor cakes or cupcakes.
• This Brown Sugar Buttercream is delicious on apple cake, spice cakes or classic vanilla cake.
• You can never go wrong with classic Cream Cheese Frosting.
• Easy Orange Frosting from Cake Whiz.

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Helpful Kitchen Items:

• Mixing Bowls
• Mixer
• Measuring Set
• Icing Spatulas