Skip the search for the best chocotorta near you: this authentic Argentine recipe brings the bakery experience to your kitchen with just a few simple ingredients. It's a no-bake, icebox cake with layers of chocolate wafers (that can be purchased online) and a dulce de leche sour cream filling that complements it wonderfully.
It's a must-make for kids' birthday parties, but has quite a grown-up following, including me. I've been making it for decades, and I have all the tips to make the perfect one at home.
Unique icebox cake
I've been wanting to update this chocotorta recipe forever, one of the most common and easiest desserts here in Argentina. It's finally here.
If ever there was a favorite icebox cake in Argentina (where I'm from), that is Chocotorta (choco for chocolate and torta means cake in Spanish). It's one of the most requested ones for celebrations, by far.
It's similar to the cookies and cream icebox cake, though in this case, we use a specific type of chocolate cookies, sour cream (not cream cheese or heavy cream, as it needs to have some acidity) and dulce de leche. What else, right? This milk jam appears everywhere around here, and it won't go away. It's our national treasure. We eat it by the truckload in everything, from cornstarch alfajores to vanilla birthday cakes.
Everybody's happy when their birthday cake is this one. And I include adults. It's gotten to the point where it started being the 'it' dessert at restaurants. For children and their parents.
This recipe is vintage and first appeared in the back of the package of the chocolate wafers, as a way to market them. Well, it worked, that's for sure!
Testing notes
Paula's baking tips that can make a difference.
Plain chocolate cookies: the original recipe uses store-bought Chocolinas cookies, which came in the back of the packet. But you can make plain chocolate cookies that are a copycat of the original ones, my homemade version of them, just skip the filling.
Sour cream: original, full-fat. The tanginess of the cheese sets this combination of ingredients apart from others. For me, it's essential to the final result, as it adds acidity to counteract the sweetness. That said, some recipes call for whipped cream or regular soft cheese, which is sweeter, with no hint of sourness.
There is no substitute for dulce de leche. A chocotorta is not one without this milk jam. I use the classic dulce de leche because I like a softer icebox cake. I want it to have the consistency of tiramisu, more or less. You can make dulce de leche at home from a can of condensed milk. But the one labeled "repostero or reposteria", which is thicker, can also be used; you'll have a thicker filling. This is useful if bringing this to a hot weather potluck or cookout, when the dessert will not be refrigerated all the time.
Coffee: the cookies must be dipped in a liquid in order to moisten them and make them easy to cut or eat with a spoon. I use strong, unsweetened coffee, and there's no discussion. Except that I accept the addition of some coffee liquor like Kahlua. The bitterness of the coffee is also needed to balance out the dulce de leche, in my opinion. Some people use store-bought chocolate milk or just milk, especially when making it for kids; no argument with that.
Refrigerate the cake for 1 or 2 days before eating. Trust me on this one, and make it a few days before, just like the chocolate-covered alfajores. The cookies moisten and soften, and the components meld. The flavor is way better than if eaten with only a few hours of refrigeration. The knife or spatula should cut through it with no crunchy surprises.
Ways to serve chocotorta
Decide beforehand how you're going to serve it, so you can prepare the pan or baking dish.
- Cut into squares: I like to use a lined pan and then remove the cold cake. The key here is doing this at the last moment so the cake is cold and can be handled more easily.
- Family-style: straight from the baking dish, like you would dump cakes or crumbles. This is the easiest way; you must eat it with a spoon or fork.
- A mix of both: you make it in a baking dish, cut servings and serve them like you would bread pudding.
Steps to assemble chocotorta
Dulce de leche mixture
Using sour cream adds a very much-needed acidity to the mixture. It can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for a day or two.
Cookies
It's imperative to moisten the cookies with coffee. Otherwise, they will not soften enough. I also like to add a tablespoon of coffee liquor like Kahlua.
Some people use chocolate milk when making it for kids. It's an option. I find that the final dessert is too sweet. But that's me.
Layering
How many layers do you want? It's really up to you. I like a tall cake, with at least 5 layers of cookies. Sometimes I like to make layers where the dulce de leche is slightly thicker than the cookies.
Final cake
This is a simple cake finished with a layer of the dulce de leche mixture and some crushed cookies on top.
Nowadays, you might find some with a layer of chocolate ganache on top, but that's not the traditional way.
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Chocotorta (Chocolate Dulce de Leche Icebox Cake)
Ingredients
- 3 cups sour cream
- 2 cups regular dulce de leche
- ¾ cup hot coffee
- 1 tablespoon coffee liqueur, such as Kahlua
- 90 Chocolinas cookies, the original ones for this cake, or make copycat cookies (link in Notes, below)
Instructions
- Mix 3 cups sour cream and 2 cups regular dulce de leche in a medium bowl until smooth.
- Put ¾ cup hot coffee and 1 tablespoon coffee liqueur in a shallow bowl or small dish.
- Have ready an 8 or 9-inch square pan. Line it with parchment paper if you want to remove the cake. If you want to serve it from the pan (like a tiramisu), use a ceramic or glass dish.
- Dip one side of the chocolate wafers in the coffee mixture and arrange them in a single layer at the bottom of the pan. I make 5 layers of about 17 wafers each, for a total of about 90 Chocolinas cookies.
- Spread about 1 cup sour cream mixture on top of the cookies, spreading evenly.
- Repeat with remaining wafers and filling.
- Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Better for a day. Or two.
- Before serving, sprinkle crushed cookies or pipe dulce de leche around the edges of the cake.
debbie b says
a fav ever since i found the recipe! tried a few variations, *always return to the original recipe!!! 🙂
Paula Montenegro says
I sometimes add a layer of fresh strawberries. But I agree Debbie, the original is still the best.
Crystal says
You sensitive one side of the chocolate cookies in the coffee mixture and lay it in the pan. Are we laying it wet side up or down?
Paula Montenegro says
Hi Crystal, it doesn't matter which side is up. It will all be covered by the cream filling.