I did mine in the double boiler for about 1 1.2 hours and it turned out pretty good. It didn't get as brown as I thought it would. I think I am going to try the unopened can way next to see if it is any different. It is soooo good!

If filling a torted two layer 10" cake, how many cans would you need?

I just attempted this using the microwave instructions on the Eagle site. It tastes wonderful - but I think it might be too thick to use as a filling for a cake. Should a warm it up before using it as a filling so it'll spread? Mine is almost like "real" caramel candy...thick and chewy....and delicious!

I just pulled the 2nd can out of the cooling water and it came out perfect. Perfect color, consistency, everything. So the next time I will boil for 4 hours (very low simmer, not a rolling boil). Thanks everyone for your input

hmmm....just had mine in the water for about 1 1/2 hours. I didn't open it yet, do you guys think I can take it out for tonight and put it back on tomorrow? I am so sleepy, can't imagine waiting up for it. as it is I am waiting for an apple cake to come out of the oven. I want it for a filling and thinking of mixing it in with some cream cheese frosting, don't want it too thick.

Yes, it should be fine. Would you please PM me with your recipe for the apple cake tomorrow? I would love to have that to make this week with the caramel I made today. Thanks!

There are a few brands of dulce de leche available in the supermarket - usually in the ethnic food area. One is Goya and one is from Nestle i think. I've tried the Nestle one and it's very good! My luck the cans would explode - When I was a kid, our pressure cooker exploded and i never want to see anything like that again!!

OMG, I couldn't stand it anymore so I cut up an apple and dipped some slices in the caramel...can you spell Y-U-M?

I made a chocolate cake and filled it with carmel mixed with bc icing, covered it with choc bc...yummy!

Why me? Everybody on here is talking about how good their caramel is. I have three more hours of the darn things boiling before I can take them out of the water.
How long did you wait to open the can?

Somebody has tried to put some rhum or butter essence in this caramel ?? What do you think of that ???

To think I almost didn't log into CC tonight. I am so going to look tomorrow for the Nestle Dulce de leche. I am maikng a vanilla/caramel cake for a bake-off at my school on Monday. I think I will try this as a filling. Thanks everyone for the advice. I so love CC.

I have done the can boiling thing several times(for pie) with no problem. I tried putting it in the oven, but that didn't work for me.

YEAH!!!! The caramel is yummy!! Great with apples and ice cream. I need some other suggestions though. I filled a cake with it, along with some cupcakes. Then I mixed some caramel into buttercream icing, and iced everything. It is WAY to sweet. I really don't like it. Do you think that I could mix the caramel with some whip cream? Or any other ideas to make it less sweet? Thankx

msurina, I too thought it was a little too sweet-do you think it would be okay just for a filling and not use it in the icing as well? Is it just enought to fill the cake but not ice the cake with it? Thought I would use it in an apple/spice cake. Your thoughts?

ok, so I made this yesterday, used it to fill a 6" cake and it oosed and made my beautiful cake crooked, but it is pretty yummy. I made a cream cheese frosting and added about 2 tbs of the caramel to the icing. I think the cream cheese cut the sweetness of the caramel. I've tried to add the photo as an attachment here but I can never figure out how, so, I'll put it in my photos, although it isn't pretty, it should be yummy.

I just tried a caramel filled chocolate cupcake with a little bit of caramel mixed in with pure whipping cream. It was light and airy and it was OK. It was still too sweet, but WAY better than what it was. I'm thinking a caramel whipped cream icing, with a chocolate mousse filled white cupcake? I've never had an apple/spice cake, so I couldn't tell you whether it would be good or not. I have two containers of caramel if you want them. I dipped some apple slices into the caramel and it was OK. The stuff just leaves an aftertaste in my mouth that I don't like. It's like I'm eating cooked sweetened condensed milk. Which, when it comes right down to it, is EXACTLY, what I'm eating.
I've made caramel from scratch before. So maybe that's what I'm comparing it to, and it just doesn't cut it.
Oh well, back to the drawing board.

I just read the Eagle Brand recipe for microwaving the sweetened condensed milk poured into a glass bowl for a total of 16 minutes (stirring frequently) at a reduced power. This sure does seem faster than waiting for hours for "a watched pot to boil". I'm ready to try it tonight when I get home.

p.s. The Microwave Caramel Nut Cream Pie sounds really yummy and it uses whipped cream folded into the caramel.

Parable if you try the microwave method please post your results. I tried it this AM and followed the directions EXACTLY and ended up with a bowl of grainy burnt milk. The texture is horriable It is not sticky gooey, or anything which resembles caramel. Maybe its me!

I have another can in the water bath method right now. I will post back after it cools and I can open it.

Now I definitely have to try this! What a perfect time of year for caramel recipes! My co-workers are loving the samples!

I make the caramel all the time for a pie. I boil for 4 hours, constantly adding water, then pour off the water, and boil for about 2 more.

Slice 3 bannanas and put in a graham cracker crust pie shell. put the caramel on top. beat a pt of heavy whipping cream with a touch of sugar and put on top of the caramel. add a heath bar that is crushed.

sherrie

Newtodecorating - did you make sure you lowered the power on your microwave? The first 16 minutes it should be at 50% power, then the last 20 at 30% power. Plus you have to stir every 2-4 minutes.

I made it in the microwave and it turned out great. I think I over-did it for a filling, though, because there was no way I could spread it. I had chewy, thick, caramel. Next time I'd do it for a few minutes less, so I will have a more spreadable consistency.

I have to give this a try soon. I've read about it several times, it's time to jump in.

I've just always used Misdawn's wonderfully easy recipe for caramel filling. It's great if you want something a little less sweet.

1 8oz.block of softened cream cheese
1 jar of caramel ice cream topper
about 1 cup of powdered sugar

I mix the cream cheese and caramel topper together until blended and then add in the sugar a bit at a time. I don't even use a full cup because I think the caramel is sweet enough....I use maybe a 1/4 c but you can adjust to your own taste buds.

Delicious with chocolate or banana cake!

I bought the La Lechera yesterday, and it isn't cooked. It's just the sweetened condensed milk...I tried to cook it in the microwave, but it just boiled over and made a giant sticky mess. I'm too nervous to boil the unopened can...with my luck it would blow up and I'd be covered with scorching hot sticky milk. Eeeek.

mconrey- yeah I followed the directions exactly! Lowered the power on the microwave, stirred, yuck. I don't know what happened!

I broke down and boiled the can No exploding I am happy to report. I left the can at a slow boil for 3 1/2 hours adding hot water to keep the water level over the can. My out come was a very thick caramel tasting filling. I could not use this as a filling for choc. candies like I had hoped but it was great for a cake.

SO.... I made a white cake substituting vanilla carmel coffee creamer for the water, Put canned apple pie filling in the blender then got it hot on the stove with cinnamon, brown sugar, and corn starch. I torted the cake twice and used the apple pie as a filling. Made my BC and put the coffee creamer in it instead of water, frost my cake and then got my caramel hot in the microwave and poured it over the top of the whole thing! OMG

MessiET-
Ooooohhh...I see. It was probably on the shelf right next to it and I didn't even see it...Thanks. (Ever have one of those days???!)
I'll look for it next time. I already gave up and did a vanilla pudding for the filling. Not as tasty, but at least I knew how to do it!
I'm new to the cake decor thing...live and learn![/quote]