Torta Tre Monti (San Marino Wafer Cake with Hazelnut Chocolate Cream)
In short: Thin crisp wafers layered with silky hazelnut chocolate cream and covered in a shiny chocolate glaze, inspired by the three towers of San Marino. It takes about 1 h 15 min in total and makes 12 servings.
- Prep
- 1 h
- Cook
- 15 min
- Resting
- 4 h
- Total
- 1 h 15 min
- Servings
- 12
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 385 kcal
Torta Tre Monti is one of San Marino's best-known sweets, a stack of thin, crisp wafers layered with hazelnut and chocolate cream and finished with a coat of dark chocolate. Its name means Three Mountains Cake and nods to the three towers on Monte Titano. No oven is needed beyond toasting the nuts, and the wafers soften just enough as the cake rests to cut into clean slices with a delicate crunch.
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Toast the hazelnuts on a tray for 8 to 10 minutes until golden, then rub them in a clean towel to remove most of the skins. Cool completely.
- Grind the cooled hazelnuts with the sugar and salt in a food processor for 8 to 10 minutes, scraping down the sides often, until a smooth, loose paste forms.
- Heat the 200 ml cream until just steaming. Pour it over the chopped chocolate, wait 1 minute, then stir until glossy. Stir in the butter and hazelnut paste until smooth. Cool for about 40 minutes, stirring now and then, until spreadable like thick frosting.
- Using a plate or an 18 cm (7 in) cake ring as a guide, cut each wafer sheet into a round with a serrated knife, sawing gently, as wafers are brittle.
- Set one round on a serving plate and spread with about 1/6 of the cream, right to the edge. Repeat with the remaining rounds and cream, finishing with a plain wafer on top.
- Cover with a flat plate topped with a light weight, such as a can, and chill for 2 hours so the layers bond and the cake sits level.
- For the glaze, heat the 60 ml cream until steaming, pour it over the chocolate, wait 1 minute and stir in the oil until smooth. Cool for 10 minutes, until thick but pourable.
- Set the cake on a rack over a tray. Pour the glaze over the top and ease it down the sides with a spatula. Sprinkle with chopped hazelnuts, if using, and chill for 1 hour. Cut with a knife warmed in hot water.
Tips
- Wafer sheets for layered cakes are sold in baking shops and online. Choose the thin, flat, waffle-textured kind. If the cream is too soft to spread, chill it for 10 minutes, and if it firms up too much, warm the bowl briefly.
- Wipe the knife between cuts for clean slices. The cake keeps for 4 days in the fridge and tastes best after resting overnight, when the wafers have softened just enough.
Questions and answers
What is Torta Tre Monti?
It is a layered San Marino cake of thin wafers and hazelnut chocolate cream, covered in chocolate. The name means Three Mountains Cake and refers to the three towers of San Marino.
Can I make Torta Tre Monti without hazelnuts?
Yes, but it will no longer taste like the classic. Replace the hazelnut paste with 100 g (3.5 oz) more chocolate and 60 ml (1/4 cup) more cream. Check wafer labels for nut traces.
How far ahead can I make it?
Up to 4 days. Keep it covered in the fridge and take it out 20 minutes before serving. The wafers soften gradually, so the cake is at its best on the second day.
How long does it take to make Torta Tre Monti (San Marino Wafer Cake with Hazelnut Chocolate Cream)?
About 1 h 15 min in total: 1 h of preparation and 15 min of cooking.
How many calories are in Torta Tre Monti (San Marino Wafer Cake with Hazelnut Chocolate Cream)?
About 385 kcal per serving, with 4 g of protein, 29 g of carbohydrates and 28 g of fat. These values are estimates.
Nutrition per serving
| Calories | 385 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 4 g |
| Carbohydrates | 29 g |
| Fat | 28 g |
| Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 15 g |
| Sodium | 55 mg |
Estimated values, calculated from the ingredients.
