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Milhojas or Thousand Layers Cake

Published: Sep 1, 2022 · Modified: Feb 24, 2025 by Pilar Hernandez · This post may contain affiliate links.

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Versión en español

Milhojas Thousand Layers or Thousand Sheets Cake is the most traditional Chilean cake. This recipe is from my Great Aunt, who always bakes this cake for my birthday. So, this is yet another of my recipes that feels like home! My Aunt usually makes this cake at least a day in advance, and it will easily hold its flavor and texture for 3-4 days.

Chilean Mil Hojas, Thousand Layers Cake

For the traditional Chilean thousand-layer cake or Torta Milhojas, you must fill your cake with Dulce de Leche and walnuts. But, if you like variety, pastry, and whipped cream, "Chantilly" is also used. If you're looking for something less sweet, jams like plum or rhubarb are also excellent. The tart contrast enhances the overall flavor.

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Torta Mil hojas

Milhojas or Thousand Layers Cake

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 7 reviews
  • Author: Pilar Hernandez
  • Prep Time: 1 hour
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
  • Yield: 20
  • Category: Cake
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Chilean
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Description

The traditional cake in Chile. Layers of thin, crunchy dough and dulce de leche and jam. Recipe from scratch.


Ingredients

Units

For the dough,

  • 3 cups sifted flour
  • 250 grams/ 8 oz unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3 egg yolk, room temperature
  • ¾ cup milk
  • 1 tablespoon rum or pisco
  • 1 pinch of salt

For the filling,

  • 3 cups of dulce de leche or caramel (available in Latin supermarkets, I like La Lechera brand sold in cans, usually right next to the condensed milk)
  • 2 ½ cup chopped walnuts
  • ¼ cup powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add butter in chunks, egg yolks, milk, and liquor, and work to form a dough of medium consistency.Ingredients for mil hojas
  2. Do not work with your hands. Use a fork, two knives, or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Please do not use your hands because the body heat will melt the butter, and bits of butter remaining in the dough give its crispness. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight or for at least 6 hours.
    forming the dough Mil hojas dough
  3. Preheat oven to 350F or 180C.
  4. Divide the dough into 14 equal portions. Roll each piece on a floured baking sheet, parchment paper, or Silpat until very thin. Cut circles 8 - 9" in diameter using a paring knife. I usually use a plate as a guide. Pierce the circle of dough with a fork across almost the entire surface.
    rolling the dough Cutting the dough in circles
  5. Bake each circle over an un-greased baking or cookie sheet for 5-7 minutes until golden. Let cool.
    Baked hojas dough
  6. Assemble the cake filling between each layer with dulce de leche (3-4 tablespoons). For every three layers, add ground walnuts, saving 1 cup for decoration.Filling the cake
  7. Cover the whole cake with a thin layer of dulce de leche and sprinkle with a mixture of walnuts, powdered sugar, and crumbs.
    crumbs to cover the cake
  8. Let it rest well, covered in the fridge. Serve at room temperature.
    Chilean Mil Hojas, Thousand Layers Cake Chilean Thousand Layers Cake

Nutrition

  • Serving Size:
  • Calories: 420
  • Sugar: 25.1 g
  • Sodium: 182.3 mg
  • Fat: 24.2 g
  • Saturated Fat: 9.7 g
  • Carbohydrates: 43.6 g
  • Fiber: 1.5 g
  • Protein: 8.1 g

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @chileanfoodandgarden on Instagram and hashtag it #chileanfoodandgarden

What is Milhoja cake made of?

The fillings and even the dough can vary a lot. Some are puff pastry (butter, liquid, and flour). Others, like this recipe, also include egg yolks and reduce the butter. This is most likely because butter is more expensive than eggs.
More accessible versions of Milhojas can be made using store-bought puff pastry (see this recipe) or crackers (see this recipe).

Where is Milhoja from?

Milhojas cakes are ubiquitous in Latin America. Like many recipes introduced by Spaniards, almost every country has its version. Still, the Chilean version is one of the most famous ones, and it's called Torta Chilena (Chilean cake) in Central America.

Baked hojas doughHow to store the cake?

It will depend on the fillings: if using a pastry or whipped cream, it must be stored in the fridge for no more than a couple of days. Freezing is not recommended. This recipe with Dulce de leche and walnuts can be stored at room temperature for three days or in the fridge for up to a week. It can be frozen for up to 3 months.

What Dulce de Leche do you recommend?

This is an important question. The most traditional is a canned Dulce de leche, La Lechera brand (made in Chile), Dulce de leche La Lechera

Where and when do Chileans eat Torta Milhojas?

This cake is the most loved and traditional. You can buy it in almost any bakery in Chile. They will also have slices (usually rectangular shapes) to buy. Many families have old recipes and will make this cake for special birthdays or Fiestas Patrias (Independence celebrations in September). It's eaten at birthday parties and Sunday Once (tea time).

Other Chilean layer cakes with Dulce de Leche:

  • Torta Pompadour Banana thousand layers
  • Easy Pompadour with puff pastry
  • Panqueque manjar nuez Dulce de leche walnut layer cake
  • Torta de Amapolas Poppy seed layer cake
  • Easy milhojas cake (no-bake)
  • Torta Alfajor
  • Chilean Tres leches cake
  • Torta Mixta Raspberry Dulce de leche Chocolate cake
  • Torta Manjar Nuez Walnut Dulce de leche cake

Chilean Thousand Layer Cake Torta Mil Hojas

More Chilean Cakes & Bakes

  • Beach Palmiers Palmeras playeras
    Beach Palmiers
  • Pan de Pascua Chilean Dulce de leche Fruitcake
  • Pear Empanadas
  • Chilean Pineapple Cake

Comments

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  1. Danièle C says

    April 03, 2025 at 5:21 pm

    Your recipe mentions jam in the description but I don’t see it in the assembly instructions. Do you have a flavour you recommend? Is it better to use a thinner preserve or jelly vs a jam with chunks of fruit and seeds? I’m wondering if the pastry layers would absorb the jam’s liquid. It also looks like it’s not placing between each layer— am I seeing that correctly?

    I’m excited to try this but am typically not a jam-in-my-cake person so I am not familiar with using it in cakes.

    Thank you for sharing this recipe! I’m so glad I found your site. 😃

    Reply
    • Pilar Hernandez says

      April 04, 2025 at 2:41 pm

      Hello,
      The milhojas with jam is a variation of the traditional. I do recommend it.

      I use Bonne Maman (or other European style jam) raspberry or plum, straight from the jar. Do 3 layers dulce de leche, 1 layer jam proportion.

      Good luck! and let me know if you have any other questions,

      Pilar

      Reply
  2. Anonymous says

    August 18, 2024 at 3:14 am

    Love all your posts and recipes. Reminds me of my grandma

    Reply
    • Pilar Hernandez says

      August 21, 2024 at 9:52 pm

      Thank you for reading!

      Reply
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I'm Pilar Hernandez, a Latina mom, blogger since 2008, and urban farmer.

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