Chocotorta (chocolate cake)

‘Chocotorta’ is a common birthday cake in Argentina. The name is a portmanteau of the Spanish words for chocolate and cake.

Credit: Rachel Tolosa Paz

• serves

  12

• prep

  25 minutes

• cook

  5 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

• butter, for greasing
• 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) cream cheese
• 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) Dulce de leche (recipe here)
• 1 tbsp unsweetened (Dutch) cocoa powder
• 250 ml (8½ fl oz/1 cup) full-cream (whole) milk
• 400 g (14 oz) Chocolinas or plain uncoated chocolate biscuits (cookies)

Ganache

• 200 ml (7 fl oz) thick (double/heavy) cream
• 400 g (14 oz) dark chocolate (at least 70 per cent cocoa solids), broken into small pieces

Chilling time: 6 hours

Instructions

1. Lightly grease a 22-cm (8¾ in) springform cake tin and line the base and side with baking paper.
2. Place the cream cheese and dulce de leche in a bowl and use electric beaters to beat until well combined. Set aside.
3. Whisk the cocoa powder and milk in a bowl, until the cocoa is dissolved. Dip one-third of the biscuits in the cocoa milk for just a few seconds, then transfer to the base of the prepared tin.
4. Spread one-third of the dulce de leche mixture over the biscuits, then repeat with two more layers of dipped biscuits and dulce de leche. Set aside in the fridge.
5. To make the ganache, place the cream in a saucepan over medium heat. When the cream is warm, but not boiling, remove from the heat and add the chocolate but do not mix or beat.
6. Set aside for 10 minutes, then gently stir until smooth and glossy.
7. Pour the ganache over the chocotorta and return to the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight to set.
8. Remove the chocotorta from the tin and gently remove the baking paper. To serve, warm a knife in hot water, then dry and cut the cake into thick slices.

 

Recipe from The Food of Argentina by Ross Dobson and Rachel Tolosa Paz, Smith Street Books, RRP $44.99

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.