The No-Bake Argentine Dessert That’s Way Better Than Tiramisu

By Sandra Gutierrez TheKitchn.com

If you’re a fan of tiramisu, the layered Italian dessert that became popular back in the 1980s, you will absolutely love chocotorta. This Argentine recipe features rich chocolate biscuits layered with a fluffy, mousse-like filling of dulce de leche (the milk caramel of South America that has become an international sensation in the past decade) and cream cheese. It’s then chilled until its layers are seamlessly composed. People will think that you spent hours in the kitchen shaping and rolling dough to produce the thin and delicate layers, when in reality it only takes minutes to prepare.

Tiramisu predates chocotorta, which was created by Marité Mabragaña for the Bagley company in order to sell their chocolate biscuits branded as Chocolinas. However, it is not surprising to see a dessert so similar to a tiramisu in Argentina, where Italian influence is extremely present in the cuisine. Chocotorta is a favorite for many, and it’s popularly served at birthdays and casual family events. This year the chocotorta turned 50 years old on June 5, the day that celebrates this dessert in Argentina.

Why You’ll Love It

• It’s a low-effort, high-reward dessert. You’ll love the fact that you can produce what looks like a fancy layer cake with just a fraction of the effort.
• No baking required! Because it’s similar to tiramisu, all you need to do is make the filling, dip the cookies, layer, and chill until set.

Key Ingredients in Chocotorta

• Chocolate biscuit cookies: You will need good-quality, plain chocolate biscuits (the kind that are not filled or covered) in order to create this very easy, no-bake dessert. The preferred brand in Argentina is called Chocolinas, and they’re easy to find in Latin American stores or to source online. You can also use Goya Chocolate Maria, chocolate graham crackers, or even chocolate digestive biscuits. The results are equally delicious, so the choice is yours!
• Dulce de leche: Purchase the thickest dulce de leche you can find. My favorite brands are San Ignacio and Veronica (both from Argentina).
• Instant espresso: You can use Cafe Bustelo, Ferrara Espresso, Medaglia D’oro, or Nescafe Gold Espresso.

Helpful Tip

Both dulce de leche and cream cheese brands vary in their degree of thickness, so if your filling feels too dense and is not easily spread, beat in 1 tablespoon of heavy cream at a time until it becomes spreadable. And if it’s too thin, beat in 1 tablespoon of dulce de leche at a time until it reaches your desired consistency.