Chocolate Dulce de Leche Cake with Hazelnuts
With layers of chocolate cake, chocolate mousse, dulce de leche soaked ladyfingers, and a hazelnut and chocolate topping, this dairy-free Chocolate Dulce de Leche Cake with Hazelnuts is a decadent treat. This layered cake is inspired by The Milly Cake by Melenzane.
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As I write this post, I am sitting here with a hot coffee and the last slice of this Chocolate Dulce de Leche Cake with Hazelnuts, trying to savor each bite of it as slowly as I possibly can, so I can make this cake last as long as possible.
This cake is decadently delicious. To date, it is one of my favorite cakes. It is a delightful blend of chocolate, dulce de leche, and hazelnut flavors.
The Layers
There’s a dairy-free cake at the base.
Then a tasty dairy-free chocolate mousse.
On top of that is a layer of dairy-free dulce de leche soaked ladyfingers.
These are topped with more of that chocolate mousse.
The whole cake is topped with some roasted hazelnuts and chocolate pieces and chilled overnight.

The next day, this cake is sliced and each slice is served drenched with a dairy-free chocolate sauce and some dairy-free dulce de leche. I did mention this cake is delicious, right?!

Inspiration for this Chocolate Dulce de Leche Cake
This Chocolate Dulce de Leche Cake with Hazelnuts is inspired by The Milly Cake by Melenzane, which I came across on Instagram.
Earlier, it was versions of Dubai Chocolate filling up my IG and TikTok. And, now it’s The Milly Cake! There are so many posts about this luscious cake. And, most of those posts show this cake being savored. Gloriously savored. There are a handful of posts that briefly mention the different layers. But, I have not come across one post that is a copycat recipe of The Milly Cake.
So, I decided I would try my best to create my dairy-free spin on The Milly Cake in this Chocolate Dulce de Leche Cake with Hazelnuts.
What is The Milly Cake?
From the posts I saw, The Milly Cake seems to consist of a dense chocolate cake-like base. This seems to be topped with a chocolate mascarpone mousse. Then, there seem to be dulce de leche-soaked ladyfingers. Another layer of that chocolate mascarpone mousse.
And, finally, a crunchy chocolate hazelnut topping which seems to be made with chocolate crumbles and toasted hazelnuts or a hazelnut brittle. The Milly Cake is served with a luscious-looking chocolate anglaise or chocolate ganache sauce.

Ingredients:
For the chocolate cake
- Unsalted butter
- Brown sugar
- Large eggs
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Chocolate bar (can be Semi-sweet, milk, or dark chocolate)
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
For the chocolate mousse
- Cashews
- Cocoa
- Maple syrup or honey
- Cinnamon
- Kosher salt
- Vanilla extract
- Almond milk
For the dulce de leche ladyfingers
- Coconut condensed milk
- Ladyfingers (I used store-bought ones)
For the topping
- Hazelnuts
- Your favorite chocolate bar
For the chocolate sauce
- Your favorite chocolate bar melted
- Coconut milk (if you are not trying to keep this recipe dairy-free, then feel free to use heavy cream)
- Optional: a couple of teaspoons vanilla extract
My Adaptations
For the chocolate cake layer:
Or the base layer, I used my go-to chocolate cake recipe. I halved the recipe, and the resulting batter was perfect to bake one cake layer.
This is an easy, dairy-free, and gluten-free cake. It is made without all purpose flour, baking soda, or baking powder. It can be made in one medium bowl, an electric mixer (or whisk), and a cake pan. Once out of the oven, make sure to let the cake cool so that even the center of the cake is at room temperature before adding the chocolate mousse/pudding over it.

For the chocolate mousse:
I used my vegan chocolate pudding recipe. This vegan chocolate pudding was one my daughter and her classmates recreated for a school assignment when they were in 11th grade, and they loved it.
It is a recipe that involves soaking cashews and blending them into a cream-like consistency. However, if you prefer, this 3-ingredient chocolate mousse could also be used instead of the vegan pudding.

For the dulce de leche ladyfingers layer:
I found a recipe for vegan dulce de leche on Walking Through Lavender Fields and used that. She boils coconut condensed milk for 6-10 hours in a pot kept full of water.
Using her recipe, I simmered a can of coconut condensed milk in a small saucepan for 5 hours. I kept adding more water as the water level fell. After 5 hours, the result was a decadent-looking and tasting dairy-free dulce de leche. Yes, it takes some time. But, it is so worth it. However, if you have a pressure cooker, Nina shares another recipe with a significantly quicker cook time.
The reason I spent so much time making this dulce de leche is that I could not find a vegan dulce de leche anywhere.
Once I had the dulce de leche ready, I made a mixture with some almond milk, the dulce de leche, and a tsp of vanilla extract to make a soak for the ladyfingers. This layer could belong in a dulce de leche tiramisu.
The dulce de leche soaked ladyfingers were topped with another layer of the chocolate mousse/chocolate pudding.

For the topping:
I opted to make a very simple topping of roasted hazelnuts and chocolate bits. When the cake was assembled, I let it sit overnight in the fridge.

For the chocolate sauce
When this cake was ready to enjoy, I drizzled it (or smothered it) with a simple dairy-free chocolate sauce and more of that vegan dulce de leche.

This layered Chocolate Dulce de Leche Cake with Hazelnuts requires quite a few ingredients and time.
However, if you happen to enjoy baking and assembling a dessert to enjoy by yourself or with friends and family, this cake is well worth the effort and time.

Storage
Leftovers of this cake can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 10 days. The slice I just finished had been in the fridge for about 10 days and tasted as delicious as when it was first made. I must add, though, as the dulce de leche is made with coconut milk, when this cake is chilled, any dulce de leche that might be poured on top will harden. If you want to avoid this from happening, I would only pour on extra dulce de leche when enjoying a slice right away, instead of on the whole cake.

Thanks so much for stopping by. If you make this recipe, please let me know in the comments below what you think of it, or tag your creation on social media with @savoryspin or #savoryspin. For more fusion, spice-filled, recipe ideas, please subscribe and follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and/or Pinterest!

Ingredients
For the chocolate cake
- 1/4 cup butter softened
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 6 oz semi sweet or dark chocolate melted 30 second intervals in the microwave
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt
For the chocolate mousse
- 1.5 cups soaked cashews cashews {immersed and soaked in water overnight or soaked for 30 minutes using the quick soak method see notes}
- 3 tablespoons cocoa or can use 3 tablespoons of melted dark chocolate
- 1/3 cup almond milk
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup or honey
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the dulce de leche ladyfingers layer
- 1 can coconut condensed milk
- 1/4 cup almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 9 Ladyfingers I used store-bought ones
For the topping
- 1/4 cup hazelnuts
- 1/4 cup chopped up Chocolate bar
For the chocolate sauce
- 1/4 cup chocolate bar
- 1/4 cup almond milk or coconut milk
- OPTIONAL: 2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
For the chocolate cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit
- Line a 9 inch round baking pan with parchment paper
- Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar
- Add the eggs – one at a time, mixing after each one
- Fold in the cocoa powder and melted chocolate and vanilla and salt
- Bake for 35 minutes
- And let cool
For the chocolate mousse
- Soak the cashews in a container filled with water overnight, or soak them for 30 minutes using the quick soak* (see notes) method.
- Add the soaked cashews and almond milk to a blender or food processor and blend till smooth and creamy
- Add the cocoa/chocolate, honey, cinnamon, salt and vanilla and blend till well incorporated
- Using a spatula, spread half of the chocolate mousse in a thin layer over the cooled chocolate cake.
- Set the rest aside to add on top of the dulce de leche soaked ladyfingers.
For the dulce de leche ladyfingers layer
- (This can be prepared the night before)
- Fill a medium to small pan with water and immerse a can of coconut condensed milk in it.
- Let it simmer over a low flame for 5 hours.
- Make sure to check the pan every 45 minutes to an hour and add more hot water to the pan as the water level lowers.
- Let the can cool after 5 hours and open when cooled.
- Add 3 tablespoons of this coconut dulce de leche to a bowl along with the almond milk and vanilla extract and mix well.
- Soak the ladyfingers in this mixture and add on top of the chocolate mousse layer.
- Then, add the remaining chocolate mousse on top of the dulce de lech soaked ladyfingers.
For the topping
- Chop the hazelnuts and the chocolate bar and scatter it on top of the chocolate mousse layer.
- Then wrap the entire cake in plastic and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour or more.
For the Chocolate sauce
- When ready to serve, make the chocolate sauce by melting the chocolate in the microwave. Then, add a little bit of the almond milk at a time to the melted and warm chocolate and mix until smooth and well incorporated.
- Pour the chocolate sauce over a slice of the cake.
- Drizzle on a little bit of the dulce de leche as well and enjoy!