Mexican Chocolate Cake with Caramel Cream Frosting

Ingredients

Cake

3/4

cup hot brewed coffee

1/2

cup unsweetened baking cocoa

3

teaspoons ground cinnamon

2

cups all-purpose flour

1

teaspoon baking powder

3/4

teaspoon salt

1/2

teaspoon baking soda

3/4

cup butter or margarine, softened

1 3/4

cups sugar

3

eggs

3/4

cup buttermilk

2

teaspoons vanilla

Frosting

1

can (13.4 oz) dulce de leche (caramelized sweetened condensed milk)

1

package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened

1/2

cup whipping cream 

Directions

• 1 Heat oven to 350°F. Spray bottoms and sides of 2 (9-inch) round cake pans with cooking spray, then line bottoms of pans with cooking parchment paper or waxed paper.
• 2 In medium bowl, beat coffee, cocoa and cinnamon with wire whisk until smooth; set aside to cool slightly. In another medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda until well blended; set aside.
• 3 In large bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer on high speed until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition; set aside. Stir buttermilk and vanilla into coffee mixture. Starting with flour mixture, alternately beat flour mixture, 1/3 at a time, and coffee mixture, 1/3 at a time, into butter mixture on medium speed, scraping bowl occasionally. When all ingredients have been added, beat 30 to 60 seconds longer or until batter is smooth and well blended. Pour into pans.
• 4 Bake 32 to 37 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean and cake springs back when touched lightly in center. Cool in pans on cooling racks 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans to cooling racks (leave paper on cakes). Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• 5 In large bowl, beat dulce de leche and cream cheese on high speed about 2 minutes or until blended and smooth; scrape side of bowl. Beat in whipping cream until stiff peaks form.
• 6 On serving plate, place 1 cake, rounded side down; remove paper liner. Spread 3/4 cup of the frosting over top to within 1/2 inch of edge. Remove paper from other cake. Place cake, rounded side up, on first cake. Frost side and top of cake with remaining frosting. Serve immediately, or refrigerate until serving.