America's Test Kitchen LogoCook's Country LogoCook's Illustrated Logo
ATK Kids

Make Chocotorta, the No-Bake Cake of Your Dreams

This easy Argentinean cake takes just four ingredients.
By

Published Aug. 26, 2022.

Make Chocotorta, the No-Bake Cake of Your Dreams

On days when you’re craving cake, but it’s too hot to turn on the oven, one chocolaty, caramelly no-bake dessert can come to the rescue: chocotorta. 

This easy-to-make Argentinean invention takes just four ingredients and can satisfy any sweet tooth.

Gaby Melian, author of Gaby’s Latin American Kitchen from ATK Kids, told us chocotorta is the dessert every child in Argentina wants for their birthday. 

Sign up for the Cook's Country Dinner Tonight newsletter

10 ingredients. 45 minutes. Quick, easy, and fresh weeknight recipes.

A chocotorta is made up of just a handful of ingredients that come together in sweet, chocolaty harmony. Chocolinas cookies, a brand of chocolate cookies common in Argentina, make up the bulk of the cake—but they can be replaced with another brand of chocolate tea biscuits, if needed. The cookies are dipped in cold coffee and placed in layers in a baking dish.

Book

Gaby's Latin American Kitchen

ATK Kids and celebrity Chef Gaby Melian team up to bring young chefs and their families Gaby’s kid-tested, kid-approved recipes from all over Latin America. A Spanish glossary, fun personal stories, and more make this book a delicious win!

Coffee is not an unusual thing for kids to have throughout much of Latin America; in her book, Gaby says she had it every day growing up. But, if you’re trying to be a bit more caffeine-conscious, you can dip the cookies in decaf coffee, milk, or chocolate milk instead.

In between each layer of cookies goes a mixture of sour cream and dulce de leche, a thick, sweet milk jam that’s hugely popular in Argentina. (If you don’t have sour cream, you can substitute mascarpone, whipped cream cheese, or crème fraîche.) Alternate the cookie and filling layers until you have four layers of each and then top with crushed cookies and sprinkles (optional, but festive).

Chocotorta has to chill for at least 4 and up to 24 hours, so it’s a great make-ahead dessert for any occasion. And, if you freeze it, it tastes like an ice cream cake—just let it thaw in the fridge for a few minutes before digging in. One bite and you’ll understand why the chocotorta is one of Argentina’s favorite desserts.

Recipe

Chocotorta (No-Bake Chocolate Cookie and Dulce de Leche Layer Cake)

This delicious no-bake dessert contains layers of chocolate cookies and a creamy mix of dulce de leche and sour cream.
Get the Recipe

This is a members' feature.