Bake

Torta Rogel (Rogel Cake)

by:
June 29, 2022
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Torta Rogel (Rogel Cake)
Photo by MJ Kroeger
  • Prep time 45 minutes
  • Cook time 10 minutes
  • Serves 12
Author Notes

Rogel cake, or torta rogel in Spanish, is a traditional Argentine dessert:  so many layers of a thin, crispy pastry, dulce de leche, and Swiss meringue. Swiss meringue is made by whisking egg whites with sugar over a water bath, then whipping them until stiff and glossy. Torta rogel is popular at weddings, birthdays, and other festive celebrations in Argentina. While there are a few components to making this cake, they come together fairly easily, and make for an impressively tall layer cake. With the dulce de leche and Swiss meringue in between each layer, the cake has the potential to be overly sweet, so I’ve added an ample amount of salt in the recipe to cut through the sugar. Although the exact origin story of the rogel cake is unknown, most credit Charo Balbiani, a baker based in Recoleta, and a woman named Rogelia, whose name is now eponymous with this decadent treat. —Stephanie Loo

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • Cake
  • 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
  • 6 large egg yolks
  • 1 large egg
  • 1/4 cup whole milk
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 500 grams dulce de leche
  • Swiss Meringue
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 5 large egg whites, room temperature
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions
  1. Heat the oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter, egg yolks, egg, milk, sugar, and salt. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, mix in the flour until you get a smooth dough. Roll the dough into a ball and let the dough rest in the bowl, covered with plastic wrap, for 30 minutes.
  2. While the dough is resting, make the Swiss meringue. Fill a saucepan with two inches of water. The saucepan should be wide enough that the stand mixer bowl fits snugly over the sauce pan, so most of the steam is trapped between them. Do not let the bottom of the mixing bowl touch the water. Place over medium heat until simmering.
  3. In the bowl, combine the granulated sugar, egg whites, and salt. Set the bowl over the steaming water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Whisk continuously until the egg whites reach 160°F and the sugar is completely dissolved, 4 to 5 minutes. If you don’t have a stand mixer, beat the sugar, egg whites, and salt together in a heatproof bowl and continue whipping the mixture with a hand mixer. It will likely take longer to reach stiff peaks.
  4. Transfer the bowl to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whip at high speed until meringue is glossy and stiff, at least 5 minutes. Add vanilla extract. Once stiff peaks form, turn the speed down to low while you roll out the dough.
  5. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Once the dough has rested, divide it into 10 equal pieces. Working with one piece at a time, on a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll out a circle at least 8 inches in diameter. Place a dinner plate (or other 8-inch round) over the dough, and, with a knife, cut out an 8-inch circle. Place the disk on the sheet pan and dock a few times with a fork. Repeat with one more piece of dough. Bake for 3 to 5 minutes until light golden brown and crispy.
  6. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces until all of them are baked. Set the disks aside on a wire rack once baked. Allow them to cool to room temperature.
  7. To assemble the cake, place one disk on a serving plate. Spread about 2 tablespoons of dulce de leche on top followed by about 3 tablespoons of meringue. Continue layering until the last disk is left without dulce de leche. Spread and swirl remaining meringue on top of the final disk. Optionally, torch the meringue with a blow torch.
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