Torta Mil Hojas

Name: Torta Mil Hojas
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 95 min
Yield: 12 servings
Cuisine: Chilean
Ingredients: For pastry: 500g all-purpose flour, 200g butter, 3 egg yolks, 100ml pisco or brandy, pinch of salt; For filling: 1kg manjar (dulce de leche); For topping: 3 egg whites, 200g sugar, or powdered sugar for dusting

Torta Mil Hojas (TOHR-tah meel OH-hahs)

Chilean Thousand-Layer Cake

⏱ Prep Time 1 hour

📈 Difficulty Hard

👥 Servings

🔥 Calories 430 kcal

An impressive layered cake of paper-thin pastry sheets stacked with dulce de leche (manjar), topped with meringue or powdered sugar — Chile's celebration cake.

Nutrition & Info

Protein 6.0g

Carbs 52.0g

Fat 22.0g

Protein Carbs Fat

Dietary

vegetarian nut-free

Allergen Warnings

⚠ gluten ⚠ dairy ⚠ eggs

Equipment Needed

rolling pin baking sheets oven spatula

Presentation Guide

Vessel: cake stand

Garnishes: meringue or powdered sugar, manjar drizzle

Accompaniments: coffee, pisco sour

Ingredients

For pastry: 500g all-purpose flour, 200g butter, 3 egg yolks, 100ml pisco or brandy, pinch of salt
For filling: 1kg manjar (dulce de leche)
For topping: 3 egg whites, 200g sugar, or powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

1
Make pastry: combine flour and salt, cut in butter, add egg yolks and pisco. Knead into a smooth dough. Divide into 10-12 portions.
2
Roll each portion paper-thin into circles. Prick with a fork.
3
Bake each layer at 200C for 5-7 min until lightly golden. Cool on racks.
4
Spread manjar generously between each cooled layer, stacking evenly.
5
Make meringue: beat egg whites, gradually add sugar until stiff peaks. Spread over the top and sides.
6
Toast meringue with a torch or under the broiler. Or simply dust with powdered sugar. Refrigerate 2 hours before serving.

💡

Did You Know?

Torta mil hojas is Chile's most requested birthday cake, and bakeries sell them pre-assembled in every neighborhood — but grandmothers insist the homemade version is always superior.

Chef's Notes

Equipment Tips

rolling pin
baking sheets
oven
spatula

Garnishing

meringue or powdered sugar, manjar drizzle

Accompaniments

coffee, pisco sour

The Story Behind Torta Mil Hojas

Torta mil hojas (thousand-layer cake) arrived in Chile via French patisserie influence in the 19th century. Chileans adapted it with manjar instead of pastry cream, creating a uniquely Chilean celebration cake. It is the obligatory cake for birthdays, Fiestas Patrias, and every major family celebration.

🕐 Traditionally enjoyed birthdays, celebrations, fiestas patrias 📜 Origins: 19th century, French influence

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