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Overhead view of sliced chocotorta squares dusted with cocoa powder on a marble board, dulce de leche layers visible at the cut edge.

Chocotorta: Argentina's No-Bake Dulce de Leche Cake

Coffee-dipped chocolate cookies layered with a cream cheese and dulce de leche filling, chilled until sliceable. No baking required.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 6 hours 20 minutes
Servings: 9 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Latin American
Calories: 430
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Filling
  • 200 g cream cheese, softened
  • 400 g dulce de leche thick, spreadable type
Assembly
  • 400 g chocolate cookies (Chocolinas or similar) about 2 packs
  • 240 ml brewed coffee, cooled / 1 cup
  • 1 cocoa powder to 2 tbsp; for dusting

Method
 

Make the Filling
  1. Beat the cream cheese in a mixing bowl with a hand mixer until smooth and lump-free, about 1 minute.
  2. Add the dulce de leche and beat again until the mixture is glossy and fully combined, scraping the bowl once.
Layer the Chocotorta
  1. Pour the cooled coffee into a shallow bowl. Dip each cookie for 1 to 2 seconds per side, just enough to soften the surface without letting it fall apart.
  2. Arrange a layer of dipped cookies flat across the bottom of the 20 cm / 8-inch square baking dish, breaking cookies to fill any gaps.
  3. Spread about a third of the cream cheese and dulce de leche filling evenly over the cookies with an offset spatula.
  4. Repeat the dipping, cookie layer, and filling layer two more times, finishing with a layer of filling on top.
  5. Dust the top with cocoa powder using a fine-mesh sieve.
  6. Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight, until the cookies soften into cake-like layers and the whole thing slices cleanly.
  7. Cut into 9 squares with a hot, wet serrated knife and serve cold, straight from the fridge.

Notes

  • Use a thick, spreadable dulce de leche, not a runny caramel sauce
  • Dip cookies quickly, 1 to 2 seconds per side, no longer
  • Chill a full 6 hours minimum, overnight is better
  • Cut with a hot, wet serrated knife for clean squares