This 15-minute no-bake lazy cake (chocolate salami cake) is a beloved dessert made using basic ingredients. It tastes like fudgy brownies but without any baking and with minimum effort. Topped off with a silky chocolate glaze. It requires just 15 minutes of preparation (plus cooling time in the fridge).
Why is it called lazy cake? Because it requires NO baking and comes together so quickly. All you need to do is melt the ingredients in a small pan and then fold in crushed cookies/biscuits. Stick it in the fridge, wait & voila, you're all set to dig in!
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💌 Why You’ll Love This Cake
- Such a forgiving recipe - you don't have to be super exact for it to turn out AMAZING (which usually isn't the case with desserts)
- No fancy ingredients or tools - I tried to make the recipe as budget-friendly as possible. Plus, you can pour the mixture into any shape pan you’ve got on hand so no need to buy anything new.
- Kid-friendly - As it requires very basic baking skills, this cake is a perfect way for kids to get involved in the kitchen. Plus, they can decorate it with fun & colorful toppings like sprinkles or mini marshmallows.
- It's versatile! - Easy to customize with other flavors (like orange, almond, or even rum).
Even if you've never baked before this lazy cake is completely achievable. Let's take a look!
🍫 Ingredients
You'll need just a handful of ingredients for this no-bake chocolate fridge cake.
Ingredients Details
- Biscuits (cookies) - You can use tea biscuits, digestive biscuits, graham crackers, animal crackers, Marie biscuits, etc.
- Margarine or vegan butter- I used dairy-free butter/margarine spread by the brand Vitalite. It's slightly salted, but you can use either salted or unsalted.
- 70% dark chocolate - Gives that deep, rich chocolate flavor without making the cake too sweet.
- Sugar - Any sugar will do. I recommend granulated or soft brown sugar.
- Cocoa powder - Make sure you are using unsweetened cocoa powder rather than drinking chocolate powder.
- Vanilla extract (optional)- I used pure vanilla extract but you can swap it out for vanilla essence.
I've also added two other optional ingredients - salt & espresso powder. They help bring out an intense chocolate flavor.
For the optional, but HIGHLY recommended chocolate topping, I simply mixed more dark chocolate & vegan single cream.
You can use any cream you have on hand. I like vegan single cream by Alpro because it's super light and creates that gorgeous chocolate ganache texture without the heaviness.
A lot of lazy cake recipes use heavy cream however I think it's unnecessary and the lighter creams work just as well if not better.
Green tip - This easy chocolate biscuit cake is great for using up any leftover candy you've got lying around in your kitchen cupboards. Think cookies, pretzels, chocolate chips, crackers, white chocolate, etc. Simply crush them up and add them along with the biscuits.
⏲️ Steps
Tip - This is just a quick visual overview. Check the recipe card at the bottom of the post for detailed instructions including exact measurements.
1 - Use your hands to break up the cookies/biscuits into small pieces.
2 - In a small saucepan heat margarine & chocolate on low heat until melted. Then add sugar, and cocoa powder & stir until dissolved. Add salt, espresso powder & vanilla extract (if desired) and mix well.
3 - Add the crushed cookies to your mixture and stir to coat all the pieces.
4 - Transfer the mixture to a lined loaf tin (see here how to line a loaf tin). Smooth out the top using the back of a spoon or a silicone spatula.
5 - Cover the tin with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Let it set in the fridge or a freezer for a minimum of 1 hour before topping it with the chocolate topping. Gather your topping ingredients.
6 - To make the topping, add dark chocolate and half of the cream to a small saucepan. Heat on low heat until the chocolate is completely melted - be careful not to burn it. Once the chocolate is completely melted turn off the heat and pour in the remaining cream.
7 - Remove the lazy cake from the fridge and peel back the plastic wrap/foil. The top layer should look mostly set. Pour the chocolate topping on top.
8 - Cover again and let chill in the fridge until the topping is set - about 3-4 hours (or overnight). Sprinkle with very finely crushed biscuits before serving.
Hint - Use seasonal toppings to make this lazy cake extra special for a big occasion! For example, you could top it with spooky sprinkles and googly eyes for Halloween or add crushed candy canes and Christmas sprinkles when serving it over the Christmas holidays.
💡 Important Tips
- Add-ons - You can mix in toasted nuts, seeds, orange zest, or dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, etc). I love adding hazelnuts for a Nutella-like experience.
- Pouring - Don't pour in the entire mixture at once when filling the loaf tin. This will make it harder to even out the surface. Add it slowly, spreading it equally across the surface.
- Boozy - If you're making this for adults you can add some rum, bourbon, or amaretto to the cake mixture. You can also add orange, almond, or rum extract.
- Simpler - I used dark chocolate because it's way more affordable where I live, however, you can also use chocolate chips instead. They melt more quickly and easily.
🍰 Serving
This cake is best served a little bit cold. This will also make cutting it easier.
You can slice this cake into any size of your choice using a sharp knife.
I like making it bite-sized, but you can cut it into larger pieces instead.
If you want to take the indulgence to the next level, serve it with some ice cream or custard. You can also pour chocolate syrup on top when serving.
📦 Storage
There are 3 different ways you can store the leftover cake pieces:
- Room temperature
In an airtight container for 2-3 days.
- Fridge
It will last for 5-6 days in an airtight container.
- Freezer
Alternatively, you can store individual slices in the freezer for 2-3 months.
Let them thaw at room temperature for about an hour before serving. In a hurry? Use the defrost function on your microwave and they'll be ready in minutes.
Tip - Whichever method you are using to store the leftovers, I recommend placing some parchment paper in between each slice. This will prevent the slices from sticking together and make them easier to remove.
❓ FAQ
No. Cling film will stick to the cake mixture.
I used a loaf tin measuring 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.5 inches.
You can also use any other tin like a small round or a square cake tin.
Yes! If you don't have a pan, you can shape this cake into a log.
Simply spoon it out onto a large piece of parchment paper. Roll it into a log shape and tightly twist both sides to prevent leakage.
Skip the topping (or make it anyway and serve it in little Weck jars alongside the cake!)
🎂 More Chocolate Treats
If you love the look (& taste) of this cake I've got more easy treats for you:
Made this lazy cake? It would mean a LOT to me if you could leave a comment & star rating below. This helps more readers receive feedback about this recipe.
Got any questions? Simply leave a question below.
🍴Recipe
Lazy Cake - No-Bake Chocolate Cookie Cake Recipe
EQUIPMENT
- Kitchen scales
- small saucepan
- Loaf tin 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.5 inch
- Parchment (baking) paper
- Aluminum foil or plastic wrap
INGREDIENTS
Lazy cake
- 7 oz (200 g) crushed biscuits (cookies) tea biscuits, digestive biscuits, graham crackers, animal crackers, Marie biscuits, etc.
- ⅔ cup (100 g) margarine or vegan butter
- 1 oz (25 g) 70% dark chocolate or other semi-sweet chocolate
- ¼ cup (55 g) brown sugar or any other sugar
- 2 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 pinch salt optional
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder optional
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
Silky chocolate topping
- 4 oz (100 g) 70% dark chocolate
- 1 cup (200 ml) single soy cream or another cream of choice
- 4 tablespoon crushed biscuits (cookies) for topping at the end
INSTRUCTIONS
Lazy Cake
- Use your hands to break up the cookies/biscuits into small pieces - don't break them up too small because the cake will lose that signature texture.7 oz crushed biscuits (cookies)
- In a small saucepan heat margarine & chocolate on low heat until melted. Then add sugar, and cocoa powder & stir until dissolved. Add salt, espresso powder & vanilla extract (if desired) and mix well.⅔ cup margarine, 1 oz 70% dark chocolate, ¼ cup brown sugar, 2 tablespoon cocoa powder, 1 pinch salt, ½ teaspoon espresso powder, 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the crushed cookies to your mixture and stir to coat all the pieces.
- Transfer the mixture to a lined loaf tin (or any other tin or cake pan you have on hand - see the Notes below if you don't have a tin). Smooth out the top using the back of a spoon.
- Cover the tin with plastic wrap or aluminum foil. Let it set in the fridge or a freezer for a minimum of 1 hour before topping it with the chocolate topping.
Silky chocolate topping.
- Add dark chocolate and half of the cream to a small saucepan. Heat on low heat until the chocolate is completely melted - be careful not to burn it. Once the chocolate is completely melted turn off the heat and pour in the remaining cream.
- Remove the lazy cake from the fridge and peel back the plastic wrap/foil. Pour the chocolate topping on top.
- Cover again and let chill in the fridge until the topping is set - about 3-4 hours (or overnight). Sprinkle with very finely crushed biscuits before serving.
Notes
- Add-ons - Mix in toasted nuts, seeds, orange zest, or dried fruit. I love adding hazelnuts for a Nutella-like experience.
- Pouring - Don't pour in the entire mixture at once when filling the loaf tin. Instead, add it slowly, spreading it equally across the surface.
- Boozy - If you're making this for adults you can add some rum, bourbon, or amaretto to the cake mixture. You can also add orange, almond, or rum extract.
- Simpler - I used dark chocolate because it's way more affordable where I live, however, you can also use chocolate chips instead. They melt more quickly and easily.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: The nutritional information above is calculated automatically. The author of this post cannot guarantee 100% accuracy of this data.
Dawn says
Hi Tajda,
I would like to make this with alcohol. How much should I add?
Thanks
Tajda Ferko says
Hiya Dawn! That sounds delicious. I would say it's a matter of personal preference (for example some might want just a little hint of alcohol whereas others would prefer a strong flavor), however, I would say it's better to be on the cautious side - I wouldn't add more than 5 or 6 tbsp of rum to the whole cake. And don't forget that if you're adding a liquid (for example rum, whiskey, etc) you'll be changing the ratios of wet:dry ingredients here. You might want to add some more cocoa powder, melted chocolate, or biscuits in order for the cake to set properly and not end up too wet 🙂 As I was testing this recipe one of my tests included some plant-based milk and it make the cake too wet/squidgy so if I was to add liquids again I'd try to balance that out a bit better. Some extra butter/margarine might help too! I hope this makes sense but if you have any other questions just let me know. I'd love to hear about how it turned out 🙂