Carmelita Cake

Carmelita cake recipe, based off gooey oatmeal carmelitas bars, has a moist oatmeal layer cake filled with dulce de leche caramel filling, and covered with whipped ganache frosting. 

To make a cake based off of carmelitas bars, it has to have three essential components – chocolate, oatmeal, and caramel. 

Oatmeal Layer Cake

A moist oatmeal layer cake recipe gives the rustic, whole grain texture of oatmeal, but with a sweet, light crumb. The oats are first softened in boiling water and then added to the cake batter to homogeneously blend with the other ingredients. 

caramel cake filling

Making the caramel cake filling is as simple as opening a can of dulce de leche. Dulce de leche, is sweetened condensed milk that has been cooked down to the color and consistency of caramel. Since it’s popular in South America, it can typically be found in the ethnic section of your local grocery store. 

Traditionally, dulce de leche is used in South American cookies called alfajores, as a filling for churros, or in the English banoffee dessert. 

Whipped Ganache Frosting

Since the layer cake and caramel give plenty of sweetness, I wanted to balance it out with a frosting that wasn’t overly sweet. 

Chocolate ganache, a simple mixture of semisweet chocolate and heavy cream has a rich, dark flavor. After the ganache cools, whipping air into it lightens the consistency, giving it a fluffy chocolate buttercream texture.  

How To Make Carmelita cake Recipe

1. First the oats are mixed with boiling water and cooled to room temperature.
2. Next, cream the butter with the brown sugar and white sugar until it’s light and fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla and beat thoroughly.
3. Now it’s time to add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. This cake may be made with regular all-purpose flour or substitute gluten free flour. My preferred gluten free flour blend is Cup4Cup. 
4. Now it’s time to beat in the cooled oatmeal until well combined.
5. Stir in mini chocolate chips for an added boost of chocolate. Miniature chocolate chips evenly distribute throughout the cake layers, without sinking down during baking.
6. Pour the cake batter into three 9-inch cake pans and bake for 22-25 minutes.
7. While the cake is baking, begin the whipped chocolate ganache frosting by combining hot heavy cream with semisweet chocolate. 
8. Stir until smooth and then cool in the refrigerator for 1 hour or freeze for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
9. Once the ganache is thickened and cooled, use a mixer to whip the frosting into a thick, spreadable consistency. 
10. Assemble the cake by spreading on half the caramel between the oatmeal cake layers. Cover the top and sides with whipped ganache and decorate with additional chocolate chips, if desired. 

Storing / freezing

For best results, serve the cake at room temperature. The only cake component that may need to be refrigerated is the ganache, but it can be kept at room temperature up to 2 days.

The cake may be frozen up to 3 months. Wrap up leftover slices in plastic wrap and place in a gallon freezer ziploc bag. 

To freeze the whole cake, place it in the freezer to harden, then wrap securely with plastic wrap. Remove the plastic wrap to thaw at room temperature. 

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