Name: Easy Milhojas Cake (no-bake)
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Chilean
Ingredients: 2 packages (12 oz.) of plain water crackers; 1 can (14 oz.) Dulce de Leche, I used La Lechera; 1 cup sour jam (plum, rhubarb, raspberry); 1 cup chopped walnuts

Jump to Recipe·Print Recipe· 5 from 1 review

Versión en español

This Easy Milhojas Cake (no-bake) is perfect for a simple, rich, fast cake.

No-bake cakes are desserts that don’t require baking in an oven. They are often simple to prepare, making them a popular choice for those who want a delicious treat without the hassle of traditional baking.

No-bake cakes are ideal for hot weather or when you’re short on time. After assembling the cake layers or components, the dessert is placed in the refrigerator to set. This chilling process allows the cake to firm up and hold its shape.

Chilean and American cakes exhibit several differences in ingredients, flavors, and preparation methods:

Flavors and Ingredients: Chilean cakes often incorporate ingredients like dulce de leche (manjar), walnuts, and fruit preserves, resulting in rich, nutty, and fruity flavors. Merengue and puff pastry are common in Chilean cake recipes, creating moist and sweet cake layers. Red velvet, cream cheese frostings, and buttercreams are not popular in Chile.
Texture and Consistency: Chilean cakes often have a moist, dense texture, especially when incorporating dulce de leche. Puff pastry and crispy layers can also provide a textural contrast. Compared to American cakes, which tend to have a lighter, fluffier texture, with sponge or butter cake layers that are often soft and airy. The frosting is typically smooth and creamy.

Different flavors and kinds of Chilean cakes.

Decoration and Presentation: Chilean cakes are often less elaborate in decoration. They may be garnished with powdered sugar, chopped nuts, or simple icing, and their beauty lies in their rustic, homely appearance. Fondant decorations, intricate designs, and custom cake toppers are unusual.

This year has been challenging. In recent months, cooking has been difficult for me. Now we’re back home (after the flooding), but we still have workers every day, and the dust is relentless, so I prefer not to cook. So, I made it ahead on Sunday for my birthday cake and went as simple as possible.

Ultimately, I decided on a classic Chilean cake: Mil Hojas or Thousand Layers. The cheat version used crackers. I always add a little sour jam, like rhubarb, plum, or raspberry, to counter the sweetness of the Dulce de Leche.

I made a cake for four this year because no party or guests are expected.

Other Chilean layer cakes with Dulce de Leche:

Easy Milhojas Cake (no-bake)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

5 from 1 review

Print Recipe

No-bake, easy Chilean thousand layer cake.

Total Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 8

Ingredients

2 packages (12 oz.) of plain water crackers
1 can (14 oz.) Dulce de Leche, I used La Lechera
1 cup sour jam (plum, rhubarb, raspberry)
1 cup chopped walnuts

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Warm the Dulce de leche to make it easily spreadable.
Crush the cracker with your hands.
Cover the bottom of a removable ring mold (6″) with plastic wrap. Put the ring and cover the bottom with a layer of crushed crackers.
Cover with Dulce de Leche.
Next, a layer of chopped crackers and press well.
Repeat alternating Dulce de Leche with jam and crackers.
Add nuts to a couple of layers if desired.
Press well and cover with plastic wrap. Place a weight (such as a can) on the cake. Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
Unmold the cake on the serving dish.
Decorate with the walnuts left and dust with powdered sugar before serving.