Chilean Torta Milhojas (Thousand Layer Cake)

As many of you may have already learned by reading my posts, I am Chilean YAAAY!!! Very proud of my nationality, but since I have been living in Canada for many years, Chilean food is my closest comfort to feeling like I am back home. The most common food to have, well cake, is this Torta Milhojas. Every birthday celebration this was the cake of choice even for other celebrations such as anniversaries, baby showers, baptisms, you name it this is the go to cake. I personally love it because it has my all time favorite ingredient, Dulce de Leche, or as we call it in Chile, Manjar. But it is not just the Manjar that makes this cake so utterly perfect, it is the thousands of crunchy yet soft layers of nestled between layers of Dulce de Leche and walnuts, making every bite absolutely sinful. To make this cake is a bit of a process but very much worth the effort. The best tip I can give you on this cake is that the taste gets better as the days pass. So it is recommendable that you make this cake at least a day in advance. The reason for this is that it gives enough time for  the Dulce de Leche to settle nicely and incorporate itself to the walnuts and the sheet layers. Here is the recipe I have used for years. 

Torta Milhojas

Layer ingredients:

4 cups all-purpose flour

 2 teaspoons baking powder

 7/8 cup butter

 3 egg yolks

 1 cup milk

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup brandy

1 cup chopped walnuts

Dulce de leche:

 2 (14 ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk

 1 big pot (for boiling)

Water enough to fill pot

Directions:

Making Dulce de Leche:

Place both cans of condensed milk in the pot and cover with water. Bring the water to a boil and boil the cans for 3 hours continuously a watching over them and filling up on the water that has evaporated. Once the 3 hours are done drain the water and cool for bit and then open the cans. Set aside until you are ready to use them.

1.      Preheat oven to 350˚F.

2.      Mix flour and baking powder and set aside.

3.      In an electric mixer mix beat the butter until creamy. Blend in the egg yolks one at a time. Add the flour mixture alternately with the milk. Incorporate everything until it look like the texture of cookie dough. Remove from mixer and divide the dough into 10 small equal balls. Roll out each ball to about 8-9” circles. Place the circles on cookie sheets and prick with a fork in several places.

4.      Bake the circles in the preheated oven until they are golden brown, approximately 10-15 min.

5.      In a small bowl mix the ¼ cup of water with ¼ cup of brandy. Drop a small amount of the Dulce de Leche on a cake plate or cake board and place one of the circles on top making sure it adheres to the Dulce.

6.      Sprinkle the circle with the water and brandy mixture. Spread some of the Dulce de Leche over top the circle. Sprinkle some of the walnuts. Place another circle on top.

7.      Repeat step 6 until you have used the last circle. On the last layer spread the remaining Dulce over top and on the sides. You can decorate as you wish.  

Try it out and let me know how it goes.

 Happy Baking!