Russian Dulce De Leche Waffle Cake and Instant Pot Dulce De Leche

In the Slavic culture, the waffle cake is a very popular dessert. With thin and crisp waffle layers that are spread with a creamy dulce de leche filling, not only is this a delicious combination, it’s one of the easiest to prepare and looks so pretty too.

I remember my Mom actually baking the wafer layers herself when I was a little girl, but the store bought wafers make this so much more convenient. We cut the waffle cake into different shapes and they become little cookies or pastries. Even though the Vafli, as we call them in Russian, are so common at any Russian party, wedding or holiday, they still disappear and are always appreciated:). Even if you grew up making this sweet treat, I have a secret ingredient in the filling that I’m sharing today that my Mom discovered – cream cheese in addition to the dulce de leche and butter. The cream cheese makes the filling less sweet, makes the wafers softer and most people who try them, always comment that they love this version.

Store bought dulce de leche is available in many stores nowadays, but you can easily make your own dulce de leche by cooking sweetened condensed milk on the stovetop, in the slow cooker or in the Instant Pot. Today I will share the Instant Pot recipe for dulce de leche – my personal favorite.

Ingredients:

2 (15 oz) cans sweetened condensed milk or dulce de leche

1/2 cup (4 oz) butter, room temperature

1/2 cup (4 oz) cream cheese, room temperature

1 teaspoon vanilla extract (you can also use rum, brandy or cognac instead for different flavor variations)

2 packages of wafer layers (9 layers in each package)

Instructions:

Making Dulce de Leche in the Instant Pot

You can buy dulce de leche in some stores, but if it’s not available where you live, you can cook it yourself.

If you have an Instant Pot, it takes just 35 minutes to cook it into a rich and creamy consistency.

Pour the sweetened condensed milk into a glass mason jar. I used 1 pint sized jar for each can. Close the lids. Place the jars into the inner chamber of the Instant Pot, putting them on top of the steaming rack that comes with the Instant Pot when you purchase it. Fill the entire inner chamber with water, so that it reaches all the way to the top of the lids of the jars filled with the sweetened condensed milk. Cook on manual high pressure for 35 minutes. Wait for 5 minutes and then manually release the pressure. Take out the jars out of the water, but be really careful, because they will be really hot. Use canning jar tongs to take them out. Cool completely.

Making the Dulce de Leche Filling

Meanwhile, bring the butter and cream cheese to room temperature. If you mix them cold with the dulce de leche, you will have small flecks of butter and cream cheese throughout the mixture, instead of getting a really smooth consistency.

When the dulce de leche is completely cool, use a hand mixer or a standing mixer to mix it with the butter and cream cheese.

If you prefer the waffle cake to be more crisp in texture, omit the cream cheese, and only use the dulce de leche, butter and vanilla. 
Add vanilla extract for flavor. You can also use a 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of brandy, rum, cognac or whiskey for an additional boost of flavor, but that is completely optional.

Assembling the Waffle Cake

Spread a thin layer of the dulce de leche mixture over the top of the wafer, scraping off the excess with the side of your offset spatula. Press the next wafer layer on top of the frosted layer, just like icing a cake. Repeat until you use 6 wafer layers, leaving the top unfrosted.

When you have spread the dulce de leche filling over all the wafers, you will have 3 “wafer cakes”. Place the 3 wafer “cakes” on top of each other top, and place a weight over top of them for a few hours. Cut the wafer cakes into different shapes – you can do triangles, rhombuses, rectangles or squares. As I cut the cookies, I always even out the edges to make them straight, so I end up with a bowl of scraps, which is just a treat for the cook – OR any little helpers who happen to be nearby.
I was able to get 54 cookies total from this one recipe. Storing the Waffle Cake/Waffle Pastries

Store the wafer cookies at room temperature, covered, up to a week. You can also freeze them very well wrapped or in an airtight container for up to 3 months. 

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Russian Dulce De Leche Waffle Cake and Instant Pot Dulce De Leche

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5 from 4 reviews

In the Slavic culture, the waffle cake is a very popular dessert. With thin and crisp waffle layers that are spread with a creamy dulce de leche filling, not only is this a delicious combination, it’s one of the easiest to prepare and looks so pretty too.

  • Author: Olga's Flavor Factory
  • Prep Time: 30 mins
  • Total Time: 30 mins
  • Yield: 54 1x
  • Category: Sweets

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 (15 oz) cans sweetened condensed milk or dulce de leche
  • 1/2 cup (4 oz) butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup (4 oz) cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (you can also use rum, brandy or cognac instead for different flavor variations)
  • 2 packages of wafer layers (9 layers in each package)

Instructions

  1. You can buy dulce de leche in some stores, but if it’s not available where you live, you can cook it yourself.
  2. If you have an Instant Pot, it takes just 35 minutes to cook it into a rich and creamy consistency. Pour the sweetened condensed milk into a glass mason jar. I used a 1 pint sized jar for each can. Close the lids. Place the jars into the inner chamber of the Instant Pot, putting them on top of the steaming rack that comes with the Instant Pot when you purchase it. Fill the entire inner chamber with water, so that it reaches all the way to the top of the lids of the jars filled with the sweetened condensed milk.
  3. Cook on manual high pressure for 35 minutes. Wait for 5 minutes and then manually release the pressure.
  4. Take out the jars out of the water, but be really careful, because they will be really hot. Use canning jar tongs to take them out. Cool completely.
  5. Meanwhile, bring the butter and cream cheese to room temperature. If you mix them cold with the dulce de leche, you will have small flecks of butter and cream cheese throughout the mixture, instead of getting a really smooth consistency.
  6. When the dulce de leche is completely cool, use a hand mixer or a standing mixer to mix it with the butter and cream cheese. Add vanilla extract for flavor. You can also use a 1/2 – 1 teaspoon of brandy, rum, cognac or whiskey for an additional boost of flavor, but that is completely optional.
  7. Spread a thin layer of the dulce de leche mixture over the top of the wafer, scraping off the excess with the side of your offset spatula. Press the next wafer layer on top of the frosted layer, just like icing a cake. Repeat until you use 6 wafer layers, leaving the top unfrosted.
  8. When you have spread the dulce de leche filling over all the wafers, you will have 3 “wafer cakes”. Place the 3 wafer “cakes” on top of each other top, and place a weight over top of them for a few hours. Cut the wafer cakes into different shapes – you can do triangles, rhombuses, rectangles or squares.

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32 Comments

  • Sveta

    The dulce de leche turned out amazing in the instant pot. I was hesitant at first but will only make it like this from now on. Thank you. Happy New Year.

  • Rimma

    Hi, Olga,
    I have question regarding the Dulche de Leche cooking in the instant pot. From your description I understood that you fully cover the jars filled with condensed milk with water. Correct? Also, I would be hesitant manually release the steam and open the instant pot right after cooking. Why can’t we wait till the steam will be released and and the jars cool completely inside?

    Thanks

    • olgak7

      HI Rimma.
      I don’t completely cover the jars with water, just fill it to the edge where the lid starts. You just need to have the part of the jar that has the sweetened condensed milk filled to that level.
      I just waited for 5 minutes to release the pressure. If you wait longer, you should probably cook it less because the sweetened condensed milk will continue to cook even when it’s already turned off.

    • olgak7

      I buy them in a local European store, either Polish or Russian.
      If you don’t have one, check online. It’s much more expensive online, but I know some readers were able to find them on Amazon.

    • olgak7

      I haven’t done it in years, so I would suggest googling it. There are tons of recipes out there. I always use the pressure cooker or buy store bought dulce de leche.

  • Tanya

    Dulce de leche turned out amazing in the instant pot. One question I have, how long will it store in the glass jar? And should it be refrigerated after cooked?



    • olgak7

      Always using SEALING when cooking in the Instant Pot, otherwise it will not come to pressure.
      Venting is used when you are done cooking and you release the pressure, and to manually release it, you turn it on VENTING.

      • olgak7

        You can keep it at room temperature, Anna. However, if I add other ingredients to it, such as butter or cream cheese, then I store it in the refrigerator.

    • olgak7

      It doesn’t matter, Emily. You can use either. I prefer using unsalted and adding a bit of salt to taste, so I can control how much salt to add, but it’s totally up to you.

  • Alla

    hi Olga:) I have a question, why can’t you put the cans that we buy in the store right away into the instant pot, why does it have to be poured into jars? thank you

    • olgak7

      You can cook the condensed milk in the can, but there is a potential for the cans to explode. (If you look closely on the cans themselves, the manufacturers actually warn NOT to cook the cans.) Most likely it won’t happen, but there is a chance and I know several people personally who had it happen to them. That would be very dangerous and really messy too. You can decide for yourself. Since I share my recipes with a large audience, I always err on the side of caution and suggest the methods that are more safe.

  • Nicole

    Thank you so much for your time and effort to share your recipes 😘 absolutely love them ❤️ God bless 🙂

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