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Torta de mil hojas
Thousand-layer cake
Torta de mil hojas: Chile's thousand-layer cake with manjar and walnuts
Torta de mil hojas is the cake that turns up at Chilean birthdays, christenings and New Year: ten or more crisp, paper-thin pastry rounds stacked with manjar and chopped walnuts, which soften overnight into a cake that cuts cleanly yet still crunches. It is a labour of love, so families make it a day ahead and keep it cold. The common mistake is assembling and cutting it straight away: it shatters. Let it rest overnight in the fridge. Chef's tip: roll each sheet on its own piece of baking paper and bake it on that paper, so the thin rounds never have to be lifted raw. Walnuts are a tree nut: leave them out for anyone with an allergy.
- Total time
- 170 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 1 ⅛ lb plain flourplus extra for rolling
- ½ tsp salt
- 9 oz buttercold, diced
- ¾ cup iced water
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
For the filling
- 2 ⅝ lb manjar (dulce de leche)thick
- 5 ½ oz walnutschopped
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb plain flour and ½ tsp salt and rub in 9 oz butter until it looks like breadcrumbs with a few small flakes. Add ¾ cup iced water and 1 tsp white wine vinegar and bring together into a dough without kneading. Wrap and chill.
30 minStep 2: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan). Divide the dough into 10 equal balls. Roll each out thinly on its own sheet of baking paper into a 24 cm round, using a plate as a guide, and prick all over.
30 minStep 3: Bake 2 at a time, on their papers, until golden and crisp. Cool on racks. Keep the trimmings and crumble them for the top.
75 minStep 4: Set one round on a cake plate, spread with a thin layer of 2 ⅝ lb manjar (dulce de leche) and scatter with 5 ½ oz walnuts. Repeat with all the layers, finishing with manjar on top.
Step 5: Cover the top with the crumbled pastry trimmings, then chill overnight so the layers soften slightly and the cake can be cut. Slice with a serrated knife.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 450 kcal
- Protein
- 8 g
- Carbs
- 58 g
- Fat
- 22 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does torta de mil hojas take?
- About 170 minutes in total: 90 minutes to prepare and 80 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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