A no bake, easy coffee biscuit cake that’s creamy and has a rich coffee flavor. Nescafe cake is like the cheaters version of tiramisu with no eggs, no mascarpone, and lots of flavor!
What is Nescafe cake?
It’s a simple dessert, made with nescafe dipped biscuits. Nescafe is a classic instant coffee drink very popular in the Middle East, making this dessert super popular in this region. The premise is a simple, no bake dessert that just requires a few layers and ingredients
Why should I make Nescafe cake?
It requires just a handful of ingredients, and it’s so extremely easy to make! A great last minute recipe using ingredients you’d have in your pantry or fridge.
It’s no bake, so all you need for this is your fridge.
If you are a coffee lover, you’ll appreciate the coffee flavor from the soaked biscuits. The aroma really comes through.
This recipe is adapted from Little Sunny Kitchen, a wonderful blog known for making Middle Eastern recipes approachable to all.
Ingredients you need for this:
Nescafe or instant coffee powder: dissolved in hot water
Heavy whipping cream
Sweetened condensed milk: to sweeten the cream mixture. You can also substitute powdered sugar.
Vanilla extract: Just a tiny splash for a hint of flavor in the cream
Creme Caramel Powder: This is the secret ingredient! It really enhances the cream, and takes it away from being just sweet whipped cream- which is totally yummy too, if you want to leave out the creme caramel. You just need the powder envelope in the box of creme caramel mix, not the liquid syrup envelope.
Tea biscuits or graham crackers: Any biscuit that soaks up liquid well.
Cocoa Powder: The final touch to offer a little bitterness and decorative appeal.
How to make this coffee biscuit cake:
Make the cream mixture by whisking together the heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk and creme caramel powder (preferably with an electric mixer) until soft peaks form. Set this cream aside just while you assemble your coffee biscuit layer.
To make the coffee biscuit layer, mix the instant coffee powder into room temperature water, and dip the biscuits into the coffee for a few seconds until soaked but not falling apart. Place in a single layer in your serving dish.
Layer with half the cream mixture, then repeat with another layer of coffee soaked biscuits, followed by another layer of cream. Top with sifted cocoa powder, and refrigerate for several hours to set.
Note: You can use any serving dish of your choice- I use an 11×7 inch oval pyrex pan. You can even use individual trifle cups or ramekins and make more layers.
Tips and tricks for Nescafe cake success:
Be careful not to over soak the biscuits with coffee or they’ll fall apart while you are assembling. Just a quick dip in the coffee mixture, and then layer.
It’s better to use room temperature water for dissolving the coffee in, hot water will cause the biscuits to break apart faster and if the biscuits are hot when you add the cream it’ll turn runny.
Don’t rush to eat this, some time chilling in the fridge will give it a wonderful set texture and the flavor of the coffee will really permeate the biscuits.
If you liked this recipe, you might like:
Nescafe Cake
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp nescafe powder dissolved in 1 cup hot water
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream 250ml
- 3 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
- splash vanilla extract, optional
- 1 creme caramel sachet, powder only 49g
- 1 pack tea biscuits or graham crackers 7 oz or 200 g
- 2 tbsp cocoa powder for topping
Instructions
- Add the heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla and creme caramel powder to a bowl and beat until soft peaks form. Set this cream mixture aside.
- Dip the tea biscuits into the coffee briefly until they soak up the coffee but before they start to break apart. Layer in a 7×11 or 9×9 inch clear pyrex dish, then top with half the cream mixture.
- Repeat another layer of coffee soaked biscuits on top of the heavy cream, followed by the remaining half of the cream. Sift the cocoa powder on to the top, then refrigerate for several hours until set. This is even better the next day!
I’m a huge coffee fan so I can’t wait to try this one Farah! I love these photos too <3
Thanks so much Shivani!
Genius! These photos are beautiful, such a clever way of making a cheat’s coffee cake. And I love Tiramisu too, so this has got to be a winner.
Thank you so much! It tastes like a super simple tiramisu which is awesome
Thank you so much for this recipe! super easy and helpful! loved it!
So happy to hear that!!
Such an easy yet delicious dessert that’s perfect when you need something in a pinch!
So true! And with very basic ingredients
My daughter and hubby were all over this when I made this cake! So quick and so yummy! My family loved this recipe! Definitely a recipe I’ll make again!
So happy to hear that thanks Beth!