Chocotorta

Chocotorta is a classic Argentinian chocolate cake which is a common homemade recipe often made for celebrations and birthday parties. It features coffee soaked chocolate cookies layered with a rich and smooth cream made from dulce de leche and cream cheese. It's topped with a layer of smooth dark chocolate ganache and a decorative border of dulce de leche.

The chocotorta is a classic no bake Argentine dessert, strongly influenced by Italian tiramisu. This South American chocolate cake is a casual recipe made popular thanks to the simplicity of ingredients and assembly. The cake is made by alternating layers of flat chocolate cookies soaked in coffee with a smooth dulce de leche and cream cheese mixture. This rich dessert is ready to enjoy after just a bit of time in the refrigerator, allowing the flavors to meld and the cookies to soften.

You'll love how easy it is to put together this simple no bake icebox cake - and bonus, the flavor and texture of the cake only gets better with time! This recipe uses two homemade components: chocolate wafer cookies and dulce de leche.

I came across chocotorta recipes when I was testing the various homemade methods for cooking dulce de leche (milk caramel) from sweetened condensed milk. I was thrilled to discover an easy Argentinian cake recipe for a refrigerator cake with dulce de leche. In order to make the most authentic chocotorta possible, I ended up developing a recipe for chocolate wafer cookies as well, in order to most closely approximate Chocolinas, the Argentine chocolate cookies used in this traditional dessert.

Don't be put off by the amount of dulce de leche or cream cheese in this recipe. I was wary of this dessert being far too rich when I was researching the ingredients. Surprise! When combined, the tang of the cream cheese mixes with the sweet caramel flavor of the dulce de leche to form a taste and texture reminiscent of caramel cheesecake. The bitter edge of the strongly brewed coffee and dark bite from the Dutch cocoa in the cookies offset the creamy sweetness perfectly. After their brief coffee bath and a blanket of dulce de leche cream, the cookies magically transform into moist layers of chocolate cake.

It's the perfect chocotorta recipe. I'm going to have it on hand whenever I need a simple no bake dessert that's a true showstopper.

Jump to:

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Chocotorta History
• Substitutions
• Variations
• Equipment
• Storage
• Small Batch Chocotorta
• Extra Large Chocotorta
• 📖 Recipe
• More Chocolate Cake Recipes
• 💬 Comments

Ingredients

• Chocolate wafer cookies - Thin, crispy, and full of cocoa flavor, chocolate wafer cookies are often used for cheesecake and pie crusts, and layered in icebox cakes. The classic Argentine chocotorta recipe uses Chocolinas, sweet rectangular chocolate cookies. You can always order Chocolinas or other chocolate wafer cookies, such as Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafer Cookies, online. However, you risk having them break in the mail. I developed a chocolate wafer cookie recipe since it can be difficult to find these cookies at the grocery store. My recipe is straightforward and uses common pantry ingredients. You will need a double batch of chocolate wafer cookies for this chocotorta recipe.
• Dulce de leche - Dulce de leche goes by many names, including candied or sweet milk, boiled condensed milk, condensed milk caramel, caramelized milk, and even milk jam. It is a rich, creamy, golden brown confection made by slowly heating cow milk and sugar (or sweetened condensed milk, in this case) for several hours until it has the color and consistency of a very thick caramel. You can buy it in cans, or make it easily as I do in a pressure cooker (stovetop and slow cooker methods also provided). You will need one full can of dulce de leche for this chocotorta recipe. If you'd like to pipe additional dulce de leche on the top of the cake as decoration (as seen in the photos), you will need part of a second can.
• Cream cheese - Cream cheese provides flavor, tang and creaminess to the dulce de leche layer. I use full fat cream cheese for the rich texture and flavor it provides. You are welcome to substitute with American Neufchatel cheese if you'd like a lighter version.
• Coffee - The wafer cookies are dipped into strongly brewed (cold) coffee to add lovely dark flavor and additional moisture to this layered icebox dessert. If you prefer to avoid the caffeine, you can use your favorite decaffeinated coffee.
• Dark chocolate - Make the ganache topping with good quality dark chocolate, the kind you’d eat plain out of the wrapper while standing in the pantry. I use a 72% dark chocolate bar, which is on the darker end. I avoid using chocolate chips, as they often contain fillers intended to prevent them from melting and losing shape, and may impact the texture and consistency.
• Heavy whipping cream - For the ganache, use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream. Do not substitute with milk, half and half, or other similar consistency non-dairy milks. They don't have the fat content required to create a thick ganache.

See recipe card for quantities.

Instructions

Step by step instructions and visual tips to help you learn how to make the best chocotorta!

Step 1: Line an 8 x 8 inch (20 x 20 cm) metal baking pan with two crosswise pieces of parchment paper, leaving an overhang on all sides to lift out the cake.

Step 2: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese at medium speed until smooth and creamy. Scrape down the bowl. Add the dulce de leche and mix on medium speed until fully incorporated and no lumps remain. Turn mixer to high and beat for 30 seconds. Set aside.

Step 3: Place the cooled coffee into a medium shallow container with a flat base. Dip each cookie into the coffee, flipping to make sure both sides are wet. Place the first cookie into the corner of the pan. Continue the dipping process, lining the base of the pan with a full layer of coffee dipped cookies. (Check out the hints at the end of the instruction section for tips to make sure your cookies fit in the pan snugly).

Step 3: Scoop ⅕ of the dulce de leche mixture (approximately 170 grams, if using a digital scale) onto the cookie layer. Using a small offset spatula or the back of a spoon, spread the dulce de leche cream in an even layer, fully extending it to the edges of the pan.

Step 4: Cover the dulce de leche cream layer with another layer of coffee dipped cookies, pressing each cookie gently into the cream layer.

Step 5: Repeat this process, alternating layers of coffee dipped cookies with the dulce de leche cream until both are gone. You should have 6 layers of cookies and 5 layers of dulce de leche cream. Place into the refrigerator to chill for a minimum of 30 minutes before making chocolate ganache.

Step 6: In a two quart saucepan, heat cream until almost simmering. Remove from heat and add finely chopped dark chocolate. Let sit for 1 minute, and then gently and slowly whisk until all chocolate has melted and no lumps remain. Pour ganache onto top of cake and use a small offset spatula to smooth ganache flat. Cover the pan with aluminum foil, making sure not to let it touch the ganache layer. Place in refrigerator to chill 4 hours or overnight.

Step 7: Using the parchment paper, lift the cake out of the pan and place on a serving platter. Cut away the excess parchment paper prior to serving.

Step 8: If desired, prior to serving use a 16 inch piping bag fitted with a Wilton 4B open star tip to pipe room temperature dulce de leche in a decorative border around the cake. To make the shell shapes as pictured, hold piping bag at a 45 degree angle. Place tip near cake border, squeeze firmly to make a star, and then stop squeezing and lower tip while pulling towards center of cake to form a point. Optional: add chocolate pearls along the edge as additional decoration.

Hint 1: Before you begin assembling the cake, I recommend dry fitting the chocolate wafer cookies into the square pan and trimming any cookie edges as needed so that you get a good tight fit. It's easier to do this prep work first so that cookies can be trimmed prior to assembling the layers. I find a sharp serrated knife works well to trim the cookie edges.

Hint 2: Don't soak the chocolate wafers for so long that they get soft. You want to dip them just long enough to absorb a bit of the coffee liquid, but not enough so that they're spongy and falling apart. They will continue to soak up moisture from the dulce de leche cream cheese mixture once arranged in layers.

Chocotorta History

The chocotorta was first created in 1982, when a young Argentine advertising director, Marité Mabragaña, was responsible for managing two key brands: Bagley Chocolinas cookies, and Mendicrim, a dairy brand that produced a soft, spreadable cream cheese.

To promote the two brands, she created a simple and approachable recipe using one of the most famous ingredients in Argentina, dulce de leche, together with the chocolate cookies and cream cheese.

It was so simple to make (and so delicious) that it quickly became a very popular informal homemade dessert. See one of the original TV advertisements for the chocotorta here.

Substitutions

• Chocolate Wafer Cookies - I recommend you make a double batch of my chocolate wafer cookies. They're the perfect flavor, texture and thickness for this recipe. They have none of the processed ingredients that packaged cookies contain. Also, square or rectangular shaped cookies are easier to fit into the straight edged pan and provide a more solid cookie layer.
  • If you prefer to purchase chocolate cookies, Argentine galletas Chocolinas (Bagley brand) are the cookie used in the chocotorta original recipe. If you have access to an international grocery store, you might also try British (Kedem brand) chocolate flavor tea biscuits, or Turkish (Ülker brand) cocoa tea biscuits. You can also use Goya Chocolate Maria Cookies, which are somewhat thicker.
  • Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers are thinner than my wafer cookies, so you will likely end up with thinner cookie layers.
  • Some chocotorta recipes use Oreo cookies as a Chocolinas substitute, either with the filling, or with the filling scraped off. I personally think either would be much too sweet. I prefer the dark chocolate flavor in the chocolate wafer cookie recipe. Also, if using whole Oreos, you would need a taller pan to accommodate the additional height.
• Cream Cheese - You can substitute part or all of the cream cheese with mascarpone cheese. Mascarpone has a similar creamy texture and consistency and a higher fat content. Alternatively, you can make a lighter recipe by substituting American Neufchatel cheese in place of full fat cream cheese. Neufchatel cheese has about 10% less fat than cream cheese.
• Coffee - You can replace the coffee with decaffeinated coffee if you prefer to avoid caffeine. You can also replace the coffee with milk. (I do enjoy the coffee flavor as it helps to balance the sweetness of the dulce de leche cream layer.)

Variations

If you want to try variations on this classic Argentine dessert, consider the following:

• Spiked - Add a few tablespoons of coffee liqueur (such as Kahlua), rum, bourbon or port to the coffee. Or try port wine - the original recipe for chocotorta used port.
• Crunchy - Sprinkle finely chopped toasted nuts onto each dulce de leche cream layer for added texture and nutty flavor. Consider toasted pecans, hazelnuts or peanuts.
• Kid friendly - Use milk or chocolate milk in place of the coffee soak.
• Cocoa dusted - Rather than finishing the chocotorta with a layer of ganache, reserve a bit of the dulce de leche cream to thinly coat the top layer of cookies. Dust the top with cocoa powder as a nod to Italian tiramisu.

Equipment

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I used this 8 x 8 x 2.25 inch nonstick metal pan for this recipe - and for most of my bar cookies.

A small offset spatula makes spreading the dulce de leche cream layer SO much easier. I also use it to smooth out the chocolate ganache topping. It's an indispensable tool for frosting cakes as well.

Small or medium binder clips will keep the parchment paper lining the pan from falling into the cake layers. I also use them as bag clips to keep my pantry ingredients sealed!

To pipe the dulce de leche border, I use this 16 inch piping bag with a Wilton 4B open star tip.

Storage

Store the chocotorta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Can chocotorta be frozen?

Yes, you can freeze chocotorta! I froze a wrapped slice of the chocotorta for several days then defrosted it in the refrigerator. It was equally delicious. Often times, cream cheese that has been frozen and thawed will have a grainy texture. This is due to ice crystals that break the water-cheese curd emulsion. The sugar from the dulce de leche helps prevent this from happening, so the defrosted cake should not be noticeably different in texture.

I wouldn't recommend making the entire cake in advance and freezing for a later date. However, freezing chocotorta leftovers is fine.

Small Batch Chocotorta

Would you love to make this chocotorta, but don't need 12 servings? Simply reduce all the ingredients by half and make the recipe in an 8 x 4 inch loaf pan (affiliate link). You will only need one batch of chocolate wafer cookies. One can of dulce de leche will be enough for both the filling and the decoration.

Extra Large Chocotorta

Do you need a larger version of the chocotorta for a big party? Double all the ingredients and make the recipe in a 9 x 13 inch pan (affiliate link). You will need four batches of chocolate wafer cookies, 2 cans of dulce de leche, plus an additional can for optional decoration.

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