Chocotorta is a no-bake dessert that earned its place on the Argentine table in a short time, despite being relatively young: it was born in 1982, created by advertiser Marité Mabragaña, who combined Chocolinas cookies with cream cheese and dulce de leche for a birthday party.
It's a cake built in layers of moistened chocolate cookies and a dulce de leche and cream cheese mixture, left to rest in the fridge until everything comes together into a smooth, creamy texture.
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Chocotorta (Argentine No-Bake Chocolate Cake)
- Prep Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: Argentine
Ingredients
- 400 g of chocolate cookies (Chocolinas-style) (about 14 oz)
- 450 g of dulce de leche, cold (about 1 lb)
- 250 g of cream cheese, cold (about 9 oz)
- 200 g of heavy cream, cold (about 7 oz)
- 150 ml of cold coffee (or milk), for moistening the cookies (about 2/3 cup)
Instructions
- Make the cream, beat the cold dulce de leche together with the cream cheese and heavy cream for about 5 minutes, until smooth and creamy.
- Moisten the cookies, dip each cookie for a couple of seconds in the cold coffee, without letting them get too soggy.
- Build the base, place a first layer of moistened cookies at the bottom of the mold, filling in all the gaps.
- Cover with cream, spread a layer of the dulce de leche cream over the cookies.
- Repeat the layers, keep alternating layers of moistened cookies and cream until the mold is full, finishing with a layer of cream.
- Let it rest, refrigerate the chocotorta for at least 4 hours, though overnight is ideal.
- Serve, cut into portions and serve well chilled.
Tips for getting it right
- Use the cream ingredients cold: this helps the mixture whip up better and hold its shape.
- Don't leave the cookies in the coffee too long, since they can fall apart if they get too soggy.
- Resting in the fridge is key: the longer it rests, the better the layers meld and the easier it is to slice.
- You can decorate the top with a bit of dulce de leche or crushed cookies before serving.
Traditional variations
- The creator's original recipe includes a splash of Port wine in the liquid used to moisten the cookies.
- It's also made with dulce de leche mixed with coffee liqueur instead of plain coffee.
How to serve
Chocotorta is served well chilled, cut into portions, as a dessert.
It's one of the most popular desserts at Argentine gatherings and birthdays for how easy and quick it is to make.
Recommended sides
- Coffee
- Mate
- Tea
Did you know?
Chocotorta was born in 1982, when advertiser Marité Mabragaña made it for a birthday party, combining Chocolinas cookies with Mendicrim cream cheese and Ronda dulce de leche.
Despite being a relatively young dessert, it quickly became one of Argentina's most popular thanks to its simple, no-bake preparation.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it's a no-bake dessert: it's assembled in layers and left to rest in the fridge so everything comes together.
It was created in 1982 by advertiser Marité Mabragaña, who combined chocolate cookies with cream cheese and dulce de leche for a birthday party.
Cold ingredients help the cream whip up better and hold its shape, making it easier to build the layers.
A minimum of 4 hours is recommended, though the result is better if left to rest overnight.
