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Chilean Thousand Layers Cake

★★★★★

5 from 5 reviews

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

  • Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
  • Yield: 20

Ingredients

Units

For the dough,

  • 3 cups sifted flour
  • 250 grams/ 8 oz unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3 egg yolk, room temperature
  • 3/4 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 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
  • 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add butter in chunks, egg yolks, milk, and liquor, work to form a dough of medium consistency.Ingredients for mil hojas
  2. Do not work with your hands. Use a fork or 2 knives, or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. 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 let stand in the fridge overnight 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 or parchment paper or Silpat until very thin. Using a paring knife, cut circles of 8 – 9″ of diameter. 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 in between each layer with dulce de leche (3-4 tablespoons). Every three layers, add ground walnuts also, 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
  • Author: Pilar Hernandez
  • Prep Time: 1 hour
  • Cook Time: 30 minutes
  • Category: Cake
  • Method: Baked
  • Cuisine: Chilean

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
  • Cholesterol: 68.7 mg

Keywords: mil hojas, thousand layer cake, chilean cuisine