Marquesa de Chocolate Venezolana (Venezuelan Chocolate Marquesa) is an easy and NO-BAKE Venezuelan dessert. This Marquesa recipe uses simple ingredients blended into a rich and silky chocolate pudding layered with Maria cookies (Galletas Maria) to create one delightful dessert.
While it did not originate in Venezuela, Marquesa de Chocolate became a contemporary gem of Venezuelan Cuisine and a famous Venezuelan dessert Recipe. One of my favorite Venezuelan desserts.
Venezuelan Chocolate Marquesa is known in other parts of the world as "Tarta de Galletas y Chocolate." In Venezuela, it was influenced by the French version "Marquise au Chocolat" or "Chocolate Marquise." You will find that I gave it a unique infusion with a touch of Amaretto Liquor as I like chocolate cakes with Amaretto, but it tastes just wonderful without it. Another bonus is that it can be made ahead of time.
Marquesa dessert is effortless and fun to make. With no baking, you can enjoy your Marquesa de Chocolate in just a few hours!
Enjoy another NO-BAKE decadent Latin dessert like my Passion Fruit Tiramisu!!
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How to Make a Venezuelan Chocolate Marquesa
(Marquesa de Chocolate Venezolana) step-by-step
Equipment
- Springform cake pan with a removable bottom (9 inch / 23 cm in diameter)
- 4-quart saucepan
- Whisk
- Mixing bowl
- Parchment paper (optional but highly recommended).
Ingredients and Substitutions
The Chocolate Pudding Ingredients
- Milk - Want a lighter pudding? You can use skim milk, and it will still be delicious, just not as rich.
- Dark Chocolate Chips
- Egg Yolks
- Cornstarch - Don’t have Cornstarch? Substitute with 12 tablespoons of all-purpose flour or tapioca starch.
- Sugar
- Cocoa Powder
- Instant coffee (nee notes)
- Cinnamon
- Vanilla
The filling Ingredients
- Milk
- Amaretto liquor (Optional)
- Maria cookies - Galletas Maria in Spanish, are a hallmark of Venezuelan Chocolate Marquesa. If necessary, they can be substituted with Graham Crackers or Vanilla Wafers.
Instructions
Step 1 - Make the Chocolate Pudding (10 minutes)
A thick homemade pudding is vital for this dessert. It should not be replaced with a store-bought. This pudding recipe uses just the right amount of sugar for a perfectly-balanced sweet and decadent chocolate flavor.
- In a 4-quart saucepan, heat the milk and chocolate chips over medium heat until a slight simmer, and the chocolate has dissolved. Remove from the heat.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks, cornstarch, and sugar in a large bowl until smooth and slightly fluffy to prevent lumps from forming when combined with the hot chocolate milk.
- Add the cocoa powder, instant coffee, and cinnamon, and whisk until all ingredients are incorporated.
- Add warm chocolate milk to the yolk mixture in small amounts while whisking. This will prevent the yolks from curdling.
- Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, constantly whisking, until the mixture thickens and slightly boils (5-7 minutes).
- Reduce the heat to low and continuously whisk while it cooks for another 2-3 minutes (do not leave it unattended!). If it gets lumpy, just keep whisking, and it will be smooth and glossy again.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the Vanilla extract.
- Pour the chocolate pudding into a glass bowl, and press plastic wrap onto the surface of the pudding to keep a skin from forming as it cools.
- Refrigerate for 30-60 minutes or until it has cooled completely.
- The pudding will firm up slightly after it cools. This pudding will keep in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
Expert Tip about Vanilla
Make sure to stir in the Vanilla after the pudding has cooked!
Adding the Vanilla last and after the cream has cooked ensures a full vanilla flavor in the pudding. Since most Vanilla is alcohol-based, it will evaporate and cook down when heated, losing much of its aromatic and delicious taste.
Step 2 - Assemble & Decorate (15 minutes)
- Now is where the fun begins! Gather the remaining filling ingredients; milk, amaretto liquor (the special touch), and Maria cookies.
- Grease only the sides of a 9-inch springform pan and cover with a strip of parchment paper.
- Place the milk in a glass bowl and add the 2 tablespoons of Amaretto liquor (if using)
- Dip each Maria cookie in the milk for only two seconds (they are fragile), then layer on the cake pan until every space is filled.
- TIP: Do not oversoak the cookies, or the dessert will turn mushy.
- Pour about a third of the pudding over the cookies, and spread evenly.
- Repeat the layers using the rest of the cookies and pudding.
Pro Tip
PARCHMENT PAPER will prevent the pudding from sticking to the side of the pan and will come away from the pan flawlessly.
Your Marquesa de Chocolate will look beautiful!
To serve, loosen the sides of the spring pan and remove the parchment paper. The cake can be decorated with chocolate shavings, fruit, or flowers for a fancy presentation.
Serve chilled, and enjoy!
- Cover the pan and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight if time permits, as the flavors will intensify overnight.
There you have it!
A beautiful and delicious no-bake chocolate dessert to quickly fall in love with.
If you are a Venezuelan like me living overseas, this will have you dreaming about the years living in Venezuela and enjoying a Marquesa de Chocolate with LA FAMILIA. Disfruten!
Variations
- Rum makes a great substitute for Amaretto Liquor!
Looking for other delicious Latin dessert? Try this Mango Tart with pastry cream and Coconut-Graham Cracker crust on my website!
Storage
- Keep refrigerated until serving. This cake is meant to be served chilled.
- It will keep well for up to 5 days.
Marquesa de Chocolate Frequently Asked Question
Coffee and chocolate are like best buddies; they help each other taste their best!!
Just as in this Chocolate Cake with Dulce de Leche recipe, Coffee is used to intensify the flavor of chocolate in recipes creating a rich and uniquely decadent flavor. Adding it to this Chocolate Marquesa (Marquesa de Chocolate Venezolana) is no exception. I used Instant Coffee in this recipe, but you can also use Espresso Powder. However, reduce the amount by half since Espresso Powder is intensely darker and a more concentrated brewed coffee that has been dried into powder or crystals. I found this blog post to help explain the differences between Instant Coffee versus Espresso Powder.
Other Latin sweet treats you may like
📖 GET THE RECIPE! 🍽️
Venezuelan Chocolate Marquesa Cake (Marquesa de Chocolate Venezolana) Recipe
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Assemble: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes plus chilling
- Yield: 1 cake 1x
- Category: Desserts
- Cuisine: Venezuelan
Description
Venezuelan Chocolate Marquesa (Marquesa de Chocolate Venezolana) is an easy and NO-BAKE Venezuelan dessert consisting of rich and silky chocolate pudding layered with Maria cookies (Galletas Maria) to create a delightful no-bake chocolate dessert.
Ingredients
The Chocolate Pudding Ingredients
- 4 cups of Whole Milk
- 1 cup of Dark Chocolate Chips
- 6 Egg Yolks
- 6 tablespoons of Cornstarch (see notes)
- 1 cup of white granulated Sugar
- 5 tablespoons of Cocoa Powder
- 2 tablespoons of Instant Coffee (nee notes)
- 1/2 teaspoon of Cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons of Vanilla Extract
The filling Ingredients
- 1 cup of Whole Milk
- 2 tablespoons of Amaretto liquor (Optional)
- 2 packages of Maria cookies (Galletas Maria) see notes
Instructions
Make the Chocolate Pudding (10 minutes)
A thick homemade pudding is vital for this dessert. It should not be replaced with a store-bought. This pudding recipe uses just the right amount of sugar for a perfectly-balanced sweet and decadent chocolate flavor.
- In a 4-quart saucepan, heat the milk and chocolate chips over medium heat until a slight simmer, and the chocolate has dissolved. Remove from the heat.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the egg yolks, cornstarch, and sugar in a large bowl until smooth and slightly fluffy to prevent lumps from forming when combined with the hot chocolate milk.
- Add the cocoa powder, instant coffee, and cinnamon, and whisk until all ingredients are incorporated.
- Add warm chocolate milk to the yolk mixture in small amounts while whisking. This will prevent the yolks from curdling.
- Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, constantly whisking, until the mixture thickens and slightly boils (5-7 minutes).
- Reduce the heat to low and continuously whisk while it cooks for another 2-3 minutes (do not leave it unattended!). If it gets lumpy, just keep whisking, and it will be smooth and glossy again.
- Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the Vanilla extract.
- Pour the chocolate pudding into a glass bowl, and press plastic wrap onto the surface of the pudding to keep a skin from forming as it cools.
- Refrigerate for 30-60 minutes or until it has cooled completely.
- The pudding will firm up slightly after it cools. This pudding will keep in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days.
Assemble & Decorate (15 minutes)
- Gather the remaining filling ingredients; milk, amaretto liquor (the special touch), and Maria cookies.
- Grease only the sides of a 9-inch springform pan and cover with a strip of parchment paper.
- Place the milk in a glass bowl and add the 2 tablespoons of Amaretto liquor (if using)
- Dip each Maria cookie in the milk for only two seconds (they are fragile), then layer on the cake pan until every space is filled. Do not oversoak the cookies, or the dessert will turn mushy.
- Pour about a third of the pudding over the cookies, and spread evenly.
- Repeat the layers using the rest of the cookies and pudding.
- Cover the pan and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight if time permits, as the flavors will intensify overnight.
- To serve, loosen the sides of the spring pan and remove the parchment paper. The cake can be decorated with chocolate shavings, fruit, or flowers for a fancy presentation. Serve chilled, and enjoy!
Notes
- Maria cookies are a hallmark of Venezuelan Chocolate Marquesa, but, if necessary, they can be substituted with Graham Crackers or Vanilla Wafers. Do not oversoak the cookies, or the dessert will turn mushy.
- Want a lighter Chocolate Pastry cream? You can use skim milk, and it will still be delicious, just not as rich.
- Don’t have Cornstarch? Substitute with 12 tablespoons of all-purpose flour or tapioca starch.
- Coffee is used to intensify the flavor of chocolate in recipes creating a rich and uniquely decadent flavor. I used Instant Coffee in this recipe, but you can also use Espresso Powder; however, reduce the amount by half since Espresso Powder is more concentrated.
- Don’t have a Springform cake pan? You can use a standard 9” round cake pan or a square 9”x9”. You can just slice the cake and serve it right out of the pan.
- Make-ahead – This cake can be made a day ahead. It will taste even better the next day.
Tisha says
This recipe is so decadent and so easy to follow. It was delicious and a chocolate lovers dream!
Juyali (ju-ja-lee) says
Indeed! Such a chocolatery indulgence! 🤤 So happy you loved it.
Nora says
Such an amazing chocolaty dessert! Our guests loved it!
Juyali (ju-ja-lee) says
Happy guests = Happy Host. So happy you all loved it! ❤️😊
Liz says
Oh, my gosh, this cake was so easy and so delicious! It didn't last long---my family loved it!
Juyali (ju-ja-lee) says
Fantastic news! So happy it was a hit for you and your family. Thanks for sharing your experience!
Krystle says
As a chocolate lover this was pure heaven! I love the hint of cinnamon and coffee in the pudding.
Juyali (ju-ja-lee) says
Indeed! The secret ingredients. 😉 Thanks for leavoing your comment, Krystle!
Nicole Kendrick says
This chocolate marquesa was incredible! I love a good no-bake dessert and this did not disappoint.
Juyali (ju-ja-lee) says
We're so glad you loved it! No-bake desserts are the best, aren't they? Thanks for your review, Nicole!😊
Claudia Cristina Ciorteanu says
This looks indulgent and delicious! Venezuelan chocolate marquesa sounds like a real treat.
Juyali (ju-ja-lee) says
You got that right, Claudia! This Venezuelan chocolate marquise is pure indulgence in a dish and it's basically dessert goals. Prepare to be obsessed! 😉
Liz says
This was such a beautiful, delicious dessert!! AND it was perfect to make in the summer since I didn't have to turn on the oven!!! Great recipe!
Juyali (ju-ja-lee) says
Hi Liz,
No oven? No problem. We're so glad you loved it! ❤️ A beautiful, no-bake dessert is the ultimate summer win. right? Thanks for leaving your comment!😊
Adriana says
What a lovely dessert, came out perfect!
Juyali (ju-ja-lee) says
Thanks! Glad it was a success for you. Thanks for trying the recipe and leaving your comment! 🙂
Melinda says
This was easy to make and it was nice to have a no-bake dessert to share in the hot summer months. I was eager to make this so I went ahead and substituted the cookies for vanilla wafers. It was good!! I’ll order the Maria cookies next time and try it that way as well. Delicious recipe!
Juyali (ju-ja-lee) says
Hi Melinda,
This is such a sweet review!❤️ Thank you so much. You, my friend, have a golden taste bud! We're thrilled you found a delicious way to beat the heat🔥with our Venezuelan Marquesa. 😊
Oscar says
When I made Venezuelan Chocolate Marquesa, everyone loved it. The simple ingredients and no-bake method resulted in a rich, silky dessert that's now a favorite.
Juyali (ju-ja-lee) says
That's music to my ears! - love that the cake is a new favorite. That's fantastic! 🙂
Leslie says
This is a chocolate lovers dream!!
Juyali (ju-ja-lee) says
I know, right! And better yet, no baking necessary. 😉
Ashley says
Everyone loved this easy chocolate dessert! I'm a chocoholic, so naturally I loved the pudding. But I think my favorite part was that I could make this ahead of time and it was so delicious the next day. The cookies became cake-like and were so yummy with the amaretto and chocolate. Another great recipe from Juyali!
Juyali (ju-ja-lee) says
Chocolate lovers rejoice! I'm so happy this cake was a hit.
Make-ahead friendly and even better the next day sounds like a winner. This is a famous cake in Venezuela and I'm glad is now a favorite here too. 🙂
Thanks for another great review to my recipes, Ashley! 💕
DK says
Oh wow - this dessert was absolutely stunning! And I totally took your advice on using skim milk for a lighter taste - it turned out so well!
Juyali (ju-ja-lee) says
Thanks, DK! Love that, and glad the skim milk tip worked out for a lighter (but still decadent!) dessert. Thanks for trying this recipe and leaving your review! 💕
Liz says
What a delicious summer dessert!!! Perfect when you need something sweet but don't want to turn on the oven. It was a hit with my family!
Juyali (ju-ja-lee) says
Hi Li
Summertime sweetness without the heat - that's what I love to hear! So happy your family enjoyed the Marquesa! 🙂