This Banana thousand layers cake is famous in my hometown, Rancagua. It was everyone's favorite, always present at any celebration.
It's a modification of the traditional Torta Milhojas or One Thousand Layers with whipped cream and a flavor. Most of the time, it was banana, but you could order it with an almond flavor. It's a great cake, and I made it for my birthday!
Milhojas cake, also known as Milhojas pastry or Milhojas dessert, is a popular dessert that originated in Spain and has since spread to various parts of the world, especially in Latin American countries. The term "milhojas" translates to "thousand leaves" in English, which refers to the delicate, flaky layers that make up this delectable treat.
The traditional milhojas cake consists of layers of puff pastry, often alternating with layers of dulce de leche, pastry cream, or fruit preserves.
The pastry is typically baked until golden and flaky, creating a delightful, crispy, and airy texture. Sometimes, the top of the cake is dusted with powdered sugar or garnished with fresh fruit to add a decorative touch.
While the basic version of milhojas cake involves these key components, numerous variations incorporate different flavors and ingredients to create unique and delicious variations. This Pompadour version features layers of banana-flavored whipped cream and dulce de leche.
Pompadour cake is a good dessert or cake for special occasions, such as birthdays, due to its elegant appearance and rich taste. They are appreciated for their combination of textures, with the contrast between the crisp layers of pastry and the creamy fillings providing a delightful sensory experience.
Given its popularity, you can find milhojas cakes in many bakeries, pastry shops, and restaurants specializing in Spanish or Latin American cuisine.
Other Chilean layer cakes with Dulce de Leche:
- Torta de Amapolas Poppy seed layer cake
- Easy Pompadour with puff pastry
- Panqueque manjar nuez Dulce de leche walnut layer cake
- Traditional Milhojas Thousand layers 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
Cake plate by Akira Satake.
You may also like the recipe: Easy Torta Pompadour.
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Torta Pompadour Banana Milhojas Cake
- Prep Time: 2 hours
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
- Yield: 12
- Category: Sweets
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: Chilean
Description
A traditional Chilean cake, very popular in my hometown Rancagua.
Ingredients
For the dough,
- 8 egg yolks
- 50 grams soft unsalted butter (if using salted, not add more salt)
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- Pinch of salt
- 4-5 tablespoon of room temperature water
for the filling,
- 500 grams of dulce de leche, such as La Lechera canned
- 2 cups whipping or heavy cream, cold
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- banana, almond or vanilla extract
Instructions
- Mix flour and salt. Using the paddle attachment, add butter and beat until incorporated into the flour on the KitchenAid mixer.
- Add one egg yolk at a time, continuously mixing at a low velocity. Add the water one tablespoon at a time, continue mixing until a dough forms. Switch to the hook and knead for 5 minutes.
- Form a ball with the dough, wrap it in plastic film, and stand for at least ½ hour in the refrigerator.
- Preheat oven to 180C or 350F.
- Divide dough into 12 equal pieces, flour your cookie pan, and roll the dough until very thin. Cut using a plate about 20 cm (8') in diameter. Repeat with the other pieces. Bake and make crumbs with the remaining dough.
- Bake on the cookie sheet one by one, 5 - 7 minutes each, until they are just beginning to brown, remove and cool on wire rack.
- For the filling, whip the heavy cream until it forms soft waves, add the sugar, beating until sugar dissolves and stiff peaks form.
- Add the banana or vanilla extract (I used two teaspoons) and stir to incorporate, test, and adjust the flavor and sweetness to taste.
- Top the first layer with dulce de leche, continue alternating thin layers with whipped cream, gently pressing each layer to build a cake.
- Top with whipped cream, decorate with crumbs.
- Leave the cake in the refrigerator overnight. Serve cold the next day.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 418
- Sugar: 24.1 g
- Sodium: 129 mg
- Fat: 24 g
- Saturated Fat: 14.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 42.6 g
- Fiber: 0.6 g
- Protein: 8 g
K Mitchell says
I aDEFINITELY ordering the book. Being in a severe recipe rut. What brought me here was a reference to POMPADORE PUDDING MENTIONED IN THE OLD MOVIE KEY LARGO .EDWARD G TALKS ABOUT HAVING POMPADOUR & CHAMPAGNE.. THECAKE SOUNDS AMAZING I CAN NOTWAIT TO MAKE
Pilar Hernandez says
oh, interesting! Welcome to the site.
XXXXXvvvvv says
visto que la receta es de una torta chilena seria logico que la receta sea en español y no solo en ingles
Pilar Hernandez says
Si miras debajo del título ves un botón que dice "versión en español", pincha y te lleva. Todas las recetas tienen su versión en español. Suerte.
Natalia says
I grew up in Graneros and my mom makes this cake all the time! its one of our favorites. Not all Chileans know about this cake. I like it way better than the traditional one. Thank you for sharing your recipes, my mom is not about measurements and I was 12 when we moved, so there wasn't much cooking happening for me at that age. Saludos desde Utah.
Pilar Hernandez says
I'm so glad you found the recipe! I love this cake too.
Jocelyn says
Fantastic recipe! My husband is Chilean and this is the favorite cake. We first tried it a few years ago because we have many friends from Rancagua and one year I even had a friend bring one back to Santiago for him. Thank you for creating this easy-to-follow recipe that tastes just like the real thing. I will be trying more of your recipes in the future.
Pilar Hernandez says
Wonderful. Thanks for commenting.
Annie says
My husband is from Rancagua and for him, it’s not truly his birthday without this cake. This year I made it for him for the first time thanks to your blog! He said that it is as delicious as he remembers. Thank-you for your blog. This success makes me feel excited to try my hand at more of your recipes.
Pilar Hernandez says
He is right!!! We all feel that way, after growing up in Rancagua. Congrats on the successful cake. And welcome to the blog.