Churro Cake

Churro cake is a layered dessert that takes every flavor you love in a classic fried churro and turns it into a soft, sliceable cake. Think warm cinnamon, rich vanilla, a caramel filling, and a sweet, crunchy sugar coating on the outside. Instead of frying dough in hot oil, you bake tender cinnamon-vanilla cake layers, roll the edges in cinnamon sugar, and fill them with dulce de leche and cream cheese frosting. The result is a dessert that tastes just like a churro but eats like a celebration cake.

Why This Cake Works So Well

The magic of churro cake comes from contrast. The cake itself is soft and moist, the dulce de leche adds a silky caramel sweetness, and the cinnamon sugar coating on the outside gives you that familiar churro crunch in every bite. Layer in tangy cream cheese frosting, and you get a dessert that balances sweetness with a little bit of acidity, so it never feels one-note.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It tastes exactly like a churro, without the deep frying. All the warmth of cinnamon and vanilla, none of the hot oil mess.
• It’s a showstopper for any occasion. Birthdays, Cinco de Mayo, or just a weekend baking project, this cake fits right in.
• The layers are forgiving. Even if your frosting isn’t perfectly smooth, the cinnamon sugar coating on the sides hides a multitude of small mistakes.
• It can be made ahead. Both the cake layers and the frosting can be prepared a day or two in advance, which makes assembly day much less stressful.

Ingredients You’ll Need

For the Cake Layers

• All-purpose flour
• Baking powder and baking soda
• Salt
• Ground cinnamon
• Unsalted butter, at room temperature
• A neutral oil, such as canola or vegetable oil
• Granulated sugar
• Large eggs, at room temperature
• Sour cream or full-fat Greek yogurt
• Vanilla extract
• Full-fat buttermilk, at room temperature

For the Cream Cheese Frosting

• Unsalted butter, at room temperature
• Full-fat cream cheese, cold
• Powdered sugar
• Whole or 2% milk
• Vanilla extract

For the Filling and Coating

• Dulce de leche, homemade or store-bought
• Granulated sugar
• Ground cinnamon

Ingredient Notes and Substitutions

Dulce de leche. You can buy a can of dulce de leche from most grocery stores, usually near the sweetened condensed milk, or make your own at home by slow-cooking sweetened condensed milk until it turns a deep caramel color.

Buttermilk. Real, full-fat buttermilk gives the cake its moist, tender crumb. Low-fat buttermilk works in a pinch, but regular milk is not a good substitute here since it lacks the acidity that helps tenderize the batter. Homemade buttermilk substitutes (milk plus vinegar or lemon juice) also fall short for this reason.

Sour cream. Full-fat Greek yogurt is a solid one-to-one substitute if you don’t have sour cream on hand.

Oil. Stick with a neutral, flavorless oil like canola or vegetable oil so it doesn’t compete with the vanilla and cinnamon.

Cream cheese. Use full-fat, block-style cream cheese, not the spreadable kind in a tub. The tub version has a higher water content and can make your frosting too soft.

How to Make Churro Cake

Step 1: Mix the Cake Batter

Cream the butter, sugar, and oil together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition, then blend in the vanilla and sour cream. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk in batches, starting and ending with the dry ingredients, until you have a smooth, well-combined batter.

Step 2: Bake the Layers

Divide the batter evenly among three prepared 8-inch cake pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the layers cool in their pans for about 15 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 3: Coat the Layers in Cinnamon Sugar

Once the layers are fully cool, trim the darker, crusty top off each layer with a serrated knife to expose the soft crumb underneath. Mix cinnamon and sugar together, then roll the sides of each layer in the mixture until coated. If the sugar won’t stick, brush the edges lightly with melted butter or a simple syrup first.

Step 4: Make the Cream Cheese Frosting

Beat the cream cheese until smooth, then add the butter and continue mixing until fully combined. Gradually add the powdered sugar, then mix in the milk and vanilla. Whip briefly until light, but stop as soon as it looks fluffy. Overmixing cream cheese frosting can make it loose and difficult to pipe.

Step 5: Assemble the Cake

Place the first layer on your cake stand or serving plate. Spread a thin layer of dulce de leche on top, leaving a small border around the edge. Pipe a ring of frosting around that border to act as a dam, then fill the center with a little more frosting and smooth it flat. Repeat with the second layer, then set the final layer on top. Finish the top with dollops or swirls of the remaining frosting.

Step 6: Chill and Serve

Place the assembled cake in the freezer for about 20 minutes, or until the frosting has firmed up. This makes slicing much cleaner. Once set, slice and serve.

Expert Tips for the Best Churro Cake

• Weigh your ingredients when possible. A kitchen scale gives far more accurate results than cup measurements, especially for flour, which is easy to overpack.
• Use room-temperature ingredients. Cold butter, eggs, or sour cream can cause your batter to curdle or mix unevenly, which affects the final texture.
• Don’t rush the cooling step. Frosting or coating warm cake layers will melt your frosting and make the cinnamon sugar clump instead of coating evenly.
• Chill your frosting slightly before piping if your kitchen is warm. Cream cheese frosting is more temperature-sensitive than standard buttercream and can soften quickly.
• Don’t skip the crumb coat effect of the piped border. The ring of frosting around the edge of each layer keeps the dulce de leche from oozing out when you stack the layers.

How to Store and Freeze Churro Cake

Storing in the Fridge

Keep the assembled cake in an airtight container or tightly wrapped in the refrigerator for up to five days. Cream cheese frosting needs refrigeration, so avoid leaving the cake out at room temperature for extended periods.

Freezing Instructions

Both the whole cake and individual slices freeze well. Wrap slices tightly in plastic wrap, then place them in a freezer-safe bag or container for up to one month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before serving.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make this cake without buttermilk? 

Buttermilk is what gives this cake its moist, tender texture, so it isn’t recommended to swap it for regular milk. If you’re in a pinch, a high-fat, low-fat buttermilk substitute can work, but the texture may be slightly different.

Can I use gluten-free flour instead of all-purpose flour? 

A one-to-one gluten-free flour blend may work, but results can vary depending on the brand. Cake texture is especially sensitive to flour swaps, so test a small batch first if this matters to you.

Where can I find dulce de leche? 

Most grocery stores carry canned dulce de leche in the baking aisle, usually near the sweetened condensed milk. You can also make your own at home if you’d rather control the sweetness and thickness.

Can this recipe be made into cupcakes? 

Yes, this batter works well for cupcakes. Reduce the baking time significantly, since cupcakes bake much faster than full cake layers, and check for doneness with a toothpick starting around the 15-minute mark.

Why did my cinnamon sugar not stick to the cake?

 This usually happens when the cake layers are too dry on the outside. Brushing the sides lightly with melted butter or a simple syrup before rolling them in the cinnamon sugar will help it adhere.