Rogel Cake (Torta Rogel)
Rogel cake is one of the most beloved cakes in Argentina. Thin crispy cookie layers with thick and delicious dulce de leche and topped with toasted Italian meringue, this cake always gets all the applause! This recipe makes an 8-inch (20 cm) cake.
Servings: 12 slices
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 600 g All-purpose flour
- 10 g Salt
- 6 Egg yolks
- 180 ml Water
- 3 tbsp Vodka
- 120 g Unsalted butter soft
- 800 g- 1Kg Dulce de leche
For the meringue:
- 140 g Egg whites 4 egg whites
- 280 g Granulated sugar
- 140 ml Water
Instructions
For the cake:
- In a bowl, mix the flour with the salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the water, the yolks, and the Vodka.
- Mix everything with a spatula until you form a dough, and transfer it to the counter. You can also use a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment throughout the process.
- Add the soft butter in three parts, kneading well between each addition. First, it might look like a sticky dough, but as you add air to the mixture, the dough will become drier and firmer.
- After combining all the butter, knead for about ten more minutes until the dough is smooth.
- Make 14 same-size buns. Cover and let rest for at least half an hour. If you make a finger mark and it keeps its shape, the dough will be ready to be rolled.
- Roll out the dough with a rolling pin until you get a 2 mm thickness dough (thinner than a coin)
- Cut with a sharp knife using a 9-inch mold or plate to create 8-inch layers (they will shrink when baking). Place on clean baking trays and prick with a fork.
- Bake at 390°F (200ºC) for approx. 10-12 minutes until the edges get lightly golden.
- Let cool and build the cake layering the cookies spread with a small amount of dulce de leche. When you place the last cookie layer, place a clean tray on the top of the cake and press lightly with both hands to make the cake more compact.
For the Italian meringue:
- In a saucepan place the sugar and cover it with water. Bring to high heat. While the syrup is heating up, beat the egg whites at medium speed until stiff peaks form. Use a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or a handheld mixer.
- When the syrup reaches 240°F (117ºC) or soft ball stage, drizzle it slowly while the whites keep whipping.
- Continue mixing on medium-high speed until the meringue reaches room temperature and gets stiff peaks.
- Place the meringue in a bag fitted with a large round tip. Make meringue dollops on top of the cake. Burn the meringue with a torch and serve.
