Argentina’s Chocotorta Dessert
Argentina’s Chocotorta Dessert combines chocolate wafer cookies, Kahlua laced coffee, cream cheese, and dulce de leche into a national favorite.
The theme for this month’s Progressive Eats is Late Summer Latin American Cuisine and is hosted by Tamara, the author behind the blog ‘Beyond Mere Sustenance’ and who is a lover of all things Latin American. I thought it would be fun to make Argentina’s Chocotorta Dessert…I was determined to find something Beyond Mere Mexico!
The one thing I loved about Argentina’s Chocotorta Dessert was finding that it is not a tourist specialty. It is renown in Argentina but hard to find as it’s something most home cooks make but few restaurants provide to patrons.
I thought it a fun dessert to share and it’s so easy; just a couple of ingredients and you’re on your way.
As I was making the dessert and creating the layers, it reminded me very much of the process of making Tiramisu; the coffee soaked cookies, the layering of them with a rich concoction and the finish with chocolate curls or a dusting of cocoa.
I was not totally surprised when I searched for a history of Argentina’s Chocotorta Dessert to discover that it was created in 1982 by one Maite Madragaña who was tasked with creating a recipe that would promote three different brands. Chocolinas chocolate cookies, the cream cheese brand Mendicrim and Argentine style dulce de leche.
Using her knowledge of Italian desserts, she riffed off the aforementioned Italian tiramisu to create a no-cook cake using all three ingredients.
I stuck to my standard brand of cream cheese and made my own dulce de leche but I did take the time to resource the Chocolinas cookies. Their rectangular shape is preferable too; doing this with round chocolate wafers would have been my second choice and I choose to ignore suggestions to use Oreos.
No thanks…I REALLY wanted something authentic for Argentina’s Chocotorta Dessert and Chocolina cookies it was (thanks Amazon!). They are nice and crisp and held up well to soaking in the Kahlua laced coffee. Perfect.
I did find that this recipe varies widely by cooks all over. Some use whipped cream, some put a layer of chocolate ganache on top. Others have obvious Oreos because you can see the layer of white frosting between the two chocolate layers and some recipes use chocolate milk in lieu of coffee. Admittedly the addition of Kahlua was my thing…hey it’s made in Mexico!
Many suggested hours of refrigeration before serving but I choose to freeze mine and am so glad I did; the photos I saw of several versions were so messy; freezing the cake made for a much neater slice.
As I mentioned I did decide to make my own dulce de leche. I tried something new too; using my Instant Pot! I scraped all of the Sweetened Condensed Milk into a canning jar and tightened the lid like I would for canning, just til it catches, no more.
Place on a rack, fill with water to about an inch from the top of the jar and it was so easy; 45 minutes at high pressure and then 15 minutes of natural release. It is HOT HOT HOT so caution if you try this method. Don’t be like Barb; make it the night before and let it sit out and cool.
You can also find ways to make Argentina’s Chocotorta Dessert in a pan or slow cooker or buy a prepared jar at the grocery store. I used Eagle Brand which is a 14 oz can and then combined all of it with the cream cheese. Decadent to be sure!
It is so rich and indulgent; I honestly think that slice I’ve featured could be half as big. I love that it is not a teeth aching super sweet type of dessert.
The cream cheese adds a nice tang and balance to this Argentinian treat. I’m so glad I traveled to Argentina; the Chocotorta Dessert was remarkably easy and something I’m delighted to have in my repertoire!
PIN IT! ‘Argentina’s Chocotorta Dessert’
Chocotorta – Argentinian Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 116 ounces dulce de leche
- 16 ounces cream cheese softened
- 2-3 packs of chocolate cookies I used about 2.5 packages of the Chocolinas
- 1 cup brewed coffee
- 2 tablespoons Kahlua
- Cocoa or chocolate bar for chocolate curls
Instructions
- Cream the softened cream cheese with a mixer until light; add the dulce de leche and beat on medium for 2 minutes until light.
- Prepare an 8X8″ baking pan; cut parchment paper into to long pieces to fit and hang over the sides.
- Combine the brewed coffee with Kahlua and pour some in a shallow dish. Submerge each cookie one by one in the coffee then layer them in the baking dish until the bottom is fully covered. You might have to break cookies to get a perfect fit.
- On top of the layer of cookies, spoon about a third of the cream cheese mixture over it and spread it evenly. Top that with another layer of coffee soaked cookies; continue to layer and end with the cream cheese mixture on top.
- Garnish with a dusting of cocoa powder or chocolate curls. Freeze for at least two hours, remove from freezer to serve. Peel off parchment paper carefully and place on a serving plate.
- Dip a large knife in warm water to cut easily.
Notes
Nutrition
Welcome to Progressive Eats, our virtual version of a Progressive Dinner Party. This month’s theme is Late Summer Latin American Cuisine – casual warm weather fare – salads, grilled foods, summer cocktails, and our host is Tamara who blogs at Beyond Mere Sustenance.
If you’re unfamiliar with the concept, a progressive dinner involves going from house to house, enjoying a different course at each location. With Progressive Eats it’s a virtual party. A theme is chosen each month, members share recipes suitable for a delicious meal or party, and you can hop from blog to blog to check them out. Come along and see all of the deliciousness we’ve put together for our celebration inspired dishes!
Late Summer Latin American Cuisine!
Cocktails
- Brazilian Caipirinha Cocktail – That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Easy Peruvian Pisco Sour Cocktail – The Wimpy Vegetarian
Appetizers
- Patacones – Colombian Plantain Chips – SpiceRoots
- Chorizo Empanadas – Red Headed Baker
Main Courses
- Steak Adobo Tacos – Karen’s Kitchen Stories
Sides
- Quick Mexican Pickled Onions and Carrots – Shockingly Delicious
- Venezuelan-Style Black Beans (Caraotas Negras) – Sarah’s Cucina Bella
- Easy Restaurant-Style Mexican Rice – The Heritage Cook
Bravo! it looks delicious!
Thank you. It was new to me but we loved it!
How long should I soak the cookies in the coffee & Kahlua mixture?
You don’t really soak them for any length of time, just dip them in the liquid and they should absorb enough, so in and out because you don’t want the cookies to get mushy.
Hey Barb,
Your Chocotorta dessert tastes really nice. I took it to work today and barely ate more than a bite; my co-workers had it all. I intend to make a larger batch. Can you suggest an alternative to coffee?
This looks like the dessert I have been dreaming of. Anything chocolate will instantly be a hit. Beautiful enough for special occasions!
As an Argentinian, I approve this recipe haha. I just made it in France and french people loved it. Some said they liked it frozen, some just cool but soft enough it can be easily sliced with a spoon. Good for accompanying it with a hot coffee.
If you can’t find dulce de leche (milk caramel) just boil and stir sweetened condensed milk until it turns brown and dense.
I’m looking forward to trying this. Though I’m trying to find an alternative to the Kahlua/coffee because we cannot have alcohol in our home and I cannot have coffee. I’ve never heard of Instant Pot Dulce de Leche so I’ll have to check that and figure it out. Thanks for the recipe, it looks so good.
You can soak them in milk, or like the original recipe, in simple syrup.
I cannot tell you how many recipes I perused before coming up with this and honestly NONE of them mentioned simple syrup. Always something new to learn!
This recipe looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it, and with the cool fall weather rolling in I think it will hit the spot! ?
Two of my favorte things… chocoalte and Kahlua! This looks like a delightful dessert!
My friends will attest to it being a good one and it’s so doggone easy! You know if I can put booze in it; I will! The Kahlua seemed the perfect add for this Latin American treat.
Oh my gosh, what an incredible dessert. A stunning showstopper. I’m throwing a big party for my husband’s 70th at the end of September, and I just found the dessert I want to serve. It’s perfect.
I love how simple it is too Susan; always a bonus. Some recipes included whipped cream in the mix and I would have if it had been on hand!
Barb, You’ve done it once again with another gorgeous cake! I haven’t heard of this dessert before but I think I need to get familiar with it–it’s a showstopper!
Thanks much Carol…and this one is so easy; reminiscent of an old fashioned ‘icebox cake’ with cookies and an easy filling. Luckily; my week was crazed and I didn’t make this until yesterday…oops! 🙂
It’s definitely “beyond mere Mexico” Barb! This Chocotortoa is spectacular, and I’m putting it on my “must do” list. Good call on ordering the cookies from Amazon… I think Oreos would be disappointing. I would not have thought to do the dulce le leche in the IP, but I am totally intrigued by the idea. Delicioso!
Thanks pal! I have heard about making the dulce de leche in the IP but hesitated and now glad I finally gave it a go; I’m doing a separate post on it eventually; it was a piece of cake!
Thank you so much for allowing me to be part of this wonderful Progressive Eats group. I’ve learnt so much about different cuisines already.
What a stunning dessert Barb. Like you, I’d probably pop mine in the freezer in order to get those clean-cut slices. This is one dessert I want to add to my repertoire. Although I’ll need to seek out an alternative to the Chocolatina cookies. I don’t think they’re available here in the UK.
We have chocolate wafer cookies here in the states Lynn that I’m sure would have been fine but for this particular instance, I really wanted to get the real deal. I”m glad I froze it; it worked beautifully.
What a deliciously decadent cake! Love the layers and I love that you took time to make the dulce de leche. Home made is so much more flavorful!!
I agree and truth be told? I had to make a quick last minute run to the grocery for a can of the milk. I could have found some already prepared dulce de leche but I so wanted to try this method and glad I did…was so easy and the taste was worth it!
Gorgeous! And making your own dulce de leche is such a nice touch.
I’m glad you approve…since the can I had expected to use was expired and I was forced to run to the grocery at the last minute for more. I saw a jar of dulce de leche that would have been quicker, but so not my thing!
What a stunning cake Barb, absolutely luscious! I love that you made the dulce de leche in the IP – another great thing to use it for! This is the perfect ending to our dinner party!
Thanks Jane; I was intrigued and this was the perfect opportunity to try my hand at the IP version…I’ll be posting about it too one day soon!
I don’t know this dish, but sounds like I should get acquainted. This looks terrific! Super nice recipe — thanks.
That’s one thing I loved about it John, really only known as a favorite in homes in Argentina; I thought it a perfect recipe for people to try hear. Beyond easy and beyond delicious!