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Dulce de Leche Cream Cheese Icing

his Dulce de Leche Cream Cheese Icing is incredibly versatile complementing a plethora of different cake flavors. You can use it to frost pumpkin, coconut, banana, vanilla, chocolate, caramel or pineapple layer cakes, sheet cakes and cupcakes. The rich caramel flavor is irresistable.

Dulce de Leche Cream Cheese Icing

Easy Dulce de Leche Cream Cheese Icing Recipe

What is Dulce de Leche? Dulce de Leche is of Spanish origin. It’s the result of a cooking technique that that reduces sweetened condensed milk into a luscious thick caramel. Prepared dulce de leche is readily available in most markets but, if you’d like to make your own see how with my Homemade Dulce de Leche made in a slow cooker. That said, prepared dulce de leche is inexpensive and provides the luscious base for this rich caramel cream cheese icing. It can also be used as an ingredient in recipes for piescakescookie bars, or warmed and used as an ice cream topping. How to make Dulce de Leche Cream Cheese Frosting: (Scroll down for full printable recipe.)

  • Cream Cheese- In a medium-size mixing bowl use an electric mixer to cream together cream cheese and butter until fluffy, around 1-2 minutes.
  • Dulce de Leche – To the bowl add dulce de leche, vanilla extract and salt. Whip on medium-high speed for 2 minutes or until well blended and smooth.
  • Powdered Sugar – Lower the speed of the mixer and gradually add 1/4 portions of powdered sugar at a time beating well after each addition. With each addition of powdered sugar, add one tablespoon of cream.
  • Whip – Continue adding the powdered sugar and cream stopping to scrape the bowl as needed. After all of the sugar has been added, increase the speed of the mixer to medium-high and whip for 3 minutes until light and fluffy.
Tiny Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes With A Dulce de Leche Cream Cheese Icing

How to Make the Best Dulce de Leche Cream Cheese Icing

When prepared dulce became readily available it was a natural progression for me to turn this deliciousness into a quick no-cook caramel frosting for cakes and cupcakes. It’s guaranteed to make any cake simply delicious.

  • Ingredients you’ll need to make homemade Dulce de Leche Cream Cheese Icing: One can prepared dulce de leche, powdered sugar, plain cream cheese, butter, heavy cream, vanilla extract and salt.
  • Kitchen tools you’ll need: A stand mixer or a hand mixer, measuring cups and spoons and a silicone spatula for scraping the bowl and a variety of pastry bags and tips if piping the frosting or offset icing spatulas for frosting a cake.
  • Dulce de leche is readily available with the sweetened condensed milk products or in the Hispanic foods section. It comes in a can that looks like sweetened condensed milk but read the label carefully.
  • What flavor cake is best? Dulce de Leche Cream Cheese Icing is a delicious frosting for pumpkin, banana, vanilla, chocolate, caramel or pineapple cakes and cupcakes.
  • 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.
  • Store in an airtight container chilled in the refrigerator for up to one week. Whip with a mixer prior to using and allow time on the counter to softened slightly for easier spreading.
  • See how to make your own Homemade Dulce de Leche in a slow cooker here.
Dulce de Leche Cream Cheese Icing

More Easy Icing Recipes to Make

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Dulce de Leche Cream Cheese Icing

Prep Time15 minutes
Total Time15 minutes
Course: Cake, Dessert, Frosting, Icing
Cuisine: American, Southern, Spanish Inspired
Keyword: caramel-frosting-recipe, dulce-de-leche-cream-cheese-icing
Servings: 8 cups
Calories: 795kcal
Author: Melissa Sperka

Ingredients

  • 1 8 oz cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 cup softened butter
  • 1 13.4 oz can *dulce de leche (i.e. Nestles or similar brand)
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 32 oz powdered sugar
  • 4 Tbsp heavy cream

Instructions

  • In a medium-size mixing bowl use an electric mixer to cream together cream cheese and butter until fluffy, around 1-2 minutes.
  • To the bowl add dulce de leche, vanilla extract and salt. Whip on medium-high speed for 2 minutes or until well blended and smooth.
  • Lower the speed of the mixer and gradually add 1/4 portions of powdered sugar at a time beating well after each addition. With each addition of powdered sugar, add one tablespoon of cream.
  • Continue adding the powdered sugar and cream stopping to scrape the bowl as needed. After all of the sugar has been added increase the speed of the mixer to medium-high and whip for 3 minutes until light and fluffy. (You can add additional cream to thin as desired.)
  • Use 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.
  • Store any leftovers in an airtight container chilled for up to one week.

Notes

*Dulce de Leche is readily available in most grocery stores or specialty food stores like World Market or Williams Sonoma. It’s usually found in the Hispanic foods section of most grocery stores. The can may look very similar to sweetened condensed milk, but it’s very different, so read the label carefully.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 795kcal | Carbohydrates: 140g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 57mg | Sodium: 327mg | Potassium: 150mg | Sugar: 112g | Vitamin A: 618IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 112mg | Iron: 1mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @melissassk or tag #melissassk!

 

10 Comments

  1. Hi Bruna! I love the idea of pairing dulce [my true love ☺] with coconut. Thank you for letting me know and for sharing the picture, looks simply delicioso. ~ Melissa

  2. Hello! I used your dulce de leche recipe for my Christmas cake and it turned out AMAZING–best decision I’ve ever taken! Easy, delicious and fluffy. Can’t get any better than that. 

    Here’s my cake! It goes perfectly with my coconut buttercream. 
    http://twitter.com/sailorcoruscant/status/284044297987321857/photo/1
    http://pbs.twimg.com/media/A_D-8AtCAAANW-8.jpg:large

    Thought you’d like to know how much it’s appreciated. This one is definitely going in my recipe binder permanently. Thanks!

  3. I used salted butter, and found adding a little extra salt actually helped balance the sweetness. You can always leave it out, then whip it in at the end, if you like. 🙂

  4. This icing looks delicious! I just love anything cream cheese and the addition of dulce de leche looks so fab. I’ll try these for sure!!

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