Lazy Cake Recipe (2024)

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This lazy cake is my take on the classic Romanian Salam De Biscuiti or UK chocolate biscuit cake. It’s a cooked chocolate mixture poured over crushed animal crackers to make a cake-like texture and topped with dark chocolate ganache. Keep it simple vanilla or add rum, kahlua or bourbon.

Lazy Cake Recipe (1)

Friends. If you’re European you’ve probably had these. I once thought they were specific to Romanians but I was wrong but then realized that other European and middle eastern cultures have a similar dessert. In the UK it’s actually called a chocolate biscuit cake as well.

So for those who have no idea what I’m talking about, this is a super easy chocolate ‘cake’ recipe. It’s traditionally made in a “salami” shape which I think is slightly unappetizing but nonetheless it is still very rich and delicious.

I made it much more appetizing by making it in a brownie pan. I also topped it with a dark chocolate ganache and some crushed animal crackers for extra visual appeal.

Lazy Cake Recipe (2)

What is lazy cake?

Basically, it’s like a no-bake brownie made with crushed animal crackers. Butter, sugar, cocoa powder and mix get boiled on the stove for 10 minutes and then the crushed animal crackers get folded in.

The animal crackers give it the structure since we’re not using any flour or anything like that. However, you can also add whatever fill-ins your little heart desires. I like to keep it simple but some people may enjoy adding nuts, chocolate chips, raisins, etc.

My mom adds rum flavor but you can substitute this bourbon, amaretto or kahlua. Vanilla extract and almond extract are also a great substitute.

I also have this truffle version that I shared a while ago. & if you’re looking for an actual chocolate cake recipe, I have this olive oil chocolate cake that is really easy.

If you’re loving the dark rich chocolate flavor, my chocolate ganache cake is a true show-stopper.

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Ingredients for lazy cake

  • Butter: the butter gets melted so it doesn’t matter if it’s cold but it is quicker if the butter is already soft. I like salted butter but unsalted works too, just add an extra ¼ tsp of salt.
  • Sugar: I use granulated sugar in this recipe but brown sugar should work fine as well.
  • Cocoa Powder: the better quality your cocoa powder is, the better your cake will taste! My favorite is King Arthur Dutch Process Cocoa Powder or Rodelle Dutch Process Cocoa Powder. Don’t use sweetened cocoa powder though!
  • Salt: salt brings out the flavor in all baked goods.
  • Milk: I use whole milk but any percentage of milk or dairy free milk works fine.
  • Animal crackers: I use the cheap kind because I’ve found that they all kind of taste the same when they’re smothered with chocolate! Graham crackers and vanilla wafers should work well too.
  • Chocolate: you can use milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate or dark chocolate. I prefer dark chocolate for this recipe because I like it more rich than sweet..
  • Heavy Cream: you’ll need heavy cream to make the ganache
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How to make this lazy cake recipe

  1. You begin by heating the butter in a saucepan until it’s melted.
  2. Then add in the sugar and cocoa powder, stirring until they’re well combined.
  3. Slowly add the milk while whisking and then bring the mixture to a boil.
  4. Continue to whisk for about 10 minutes, until it’s just slightly thickened.
  5. Remove from the heat, add in vanilla or other flavors and fold in the crushed animal crackers.
  6. Spread into the prepared pan and refrigerate or freeze until it’s set.
  7. Heat the cream for the ganache and pour it over the chocolate chips.
  8. Stir until the ganache is smooth and spread on top of lazy cake.
  9. Top with animal cracker crumbs and/or pinch of sea salt flakes.
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Sweetened condensed milk version

I tried making these eveeennnn lazier by using sweetened condensed milk. It works well but sweetened condensed milk isn’t my favorite flavor and it gives a slightly sticker texture. If you want that version, it’s SO EASY.

Just combine the ingredients in a bowl and fold in the crushed crackers. No need to cook the mixture!

  • 1 cup (227g) melted butter
  • 1 cup (80g) cocoa powder
  • 1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk
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Frequently asked questions

What pan to bake this in?

I used a square 8 inch baking pan

You can also use a:

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Can I make this dairy free?

Yup! Just use a vegan butter and dairy free milk and dairy free chocolate chips.

Can I make this gluten free?

Yup! Just use a gluten-free animal cracker or any gluten-free cracker you like.

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Can I change up the flavor?

Omg yes! I was thinking of adding ½ cup of peanut butter or cookie butter to the chocolate mixture and the ganache next time!

Can I make these in advance?

Yes, these stay amazing for days and they’re especially great because they do better at warmer temperatures than other cakes with frostings.

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How to serve and store lazy cake

This lazy cake needs a few hours to fully set before it’ll slice smoothly. Once it’s been chilled for a few hours, feel free to slice it and serve immediately. It can be served slightly chilled or at room temperature.

Lazy cake can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. Refrigerate it for 7-10 days or freeze it for 2-3 months.

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If you make this chocolate lazy cake, let me know what you guys think! Also make sure to tag me on instagram @baranbakery so I can see what you’re making. As always, have a blessed day and happy baking!

Love, B

Yield: 16 large slices

Lazy Cake Recipe

Lazy Cake Recipe (12)

This lazy cake is my take on the classic Romanian Salam De Biscuit. It's a cooked chocolate mixture poured over crushed animal crackers to make a cake like texture and topped with dark chocolate ganache. Keep it simple vanilla or add rum, kahlua or bourbon.

Prep Time10 minutes

Cook Time5 minutes

Additional Time4 hours

Total Time4 hours 15 minutes

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1 cup (227g) salted butter
  • 1/2 cup (40g) unsweetened cocoa powder (I like dutch-process), spooned and leveled
  • 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
  • 1 cup (8oz) whole milk
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla extract (or 1-2 Tbsp of Rum, Kahluha, Amaretto, etc.)
  • 425g animal crackers, roughly chopped (pulsed leaving chunky pieces)

Ganache

  • 1 cup (6oz) dark chocolate
  • 1/2 cup (4oz) heavy whipping cream

Instructions

Cake

  1. Line an 8 inch square pan with parchment paper, leaving an overhang for easy removal. Secure it with binder clips.
  2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter.
  3. Add the cocoa powder and granulated sugar and whisk until they’re combined and smooth.
  4. Add the milk and whisk frequently (not aggressively) for about 5 minutes. Around five minutes the mixture should begin to boil, whisk frequently for another 10 minutes.
  5. The mixture thickens a little but not significantly. Remove from the heat and add the vanilla extract or other flavorings.
  6. Fold in the animal crackers and spread into the prepared pan. Refrigerate or freeze for at least an hour.

Ganache

  1. Place the chocolate chips in a medium size bowl and set aside.
  2. Place the cream in a small saucepan, over medium-low heat, and bring to a gentle simmer.
  3. Swirl the pan to make sure it is heating evenly. You want the edge of the cream to be bubbling, not the whole cream boiling.
  4. Pour the cream over the chocolate chips and cover with a lid for 2-3 minutes. Then slowly stir the chocolate and cream until they’re smooth and combined.
  5. Spread on top of the cooled 'cake' and top with more animal cracker crumbs.
  6. Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours, until it feels firm enough to slice.

Notes

*you can use any kind of cracker, like animal crackers, vanilla wafers, graham crackers, etc.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

16

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:Calories: 394Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 42mgSodium: 228mgCarbohydrates: 44gFiber: 2gSugar: 27gProtein: 3g

Nutrition information may not be fully accurate.

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Tag @baranbakery or #baranbakery

Lazy Cake Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is lazy cake made of? ›

What is lazy cake? Basically, it's like a no-bake brownie made with crushed animal crackers. Butter, sugar, cocoa powder and mix get boiled on the stove for 10 minutes and then the crushed animal crackers get folded in. The animal crackers give it the structure since we're not using any flour or anything like that.

What happens if you put too much flour in cake batter? ›

Too Much Flour

A cake batter with too much flour will be dry, crumbly, and heavy. To avoid this, make sure you weigh your flour instead of scooping it. Although it's quick, scooping with a measuring cup can easily result in too much flour.

Is butter or margarine better for baking cakes? ›

But when you're baking, butter triumphs over margarine every time. For cakes, cookies, and pastries, butter (unsalted, that is) provides richer flavor. (It begins as cream, after all, and margarine is made from vegetable oil.) Butter's high fat content is also what gives baked goods their texture.

Where did lazy cake come from? ›

Lazy cake is a traditional dessert popular throughout the Middle East, Asia, and Europe. Some believe that it originated in the Middle East, while others believe the origin is actually in East of Europe. Today, many different countries around the world make this wonderful cake and call it differently.

What is Elvis Presley cake? ›

You don't have to be Young and Beautiful to appreciate the Elvis Presley Cake. After one bite, you'll be saying that you Can't Help Falling in Love with how easy it is to make this fruity cake, which has a pineapple topping and creamy, decadent cream cheese frosting.

What is a substitute for rum in chocolate cake? ›

We would suggest using 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract as an alternative as vanilla is also a very complimentary flavour to chocolate. If you can use alcohol but don't have any rum, then brandy, bourbon or whisky would be good alternatives.

What happens if you add cornstarch to cake batter? ›

By adding cornstarch to cake batter, nineteenth century cooks found that their cakes were more tender but to improve the taste some flavoring was usually used—lemon juice, vanilla, or almond (as recommended below).

What if I put too much milk in my cake batter? ›

Adding too much moisture to your cake, like milk, buttermilk, or oil, can cause it to fall apart. There won't be a proper balance between the wet and dry ingredients. This will cause the structure to not be able to stay together because there is too much moisture in the batter.

What happens if you put too many eggs in a cake? ›

Eggs also contain a variety of proteins that create the structure of a cake, and when beaten, they can act as a leavening agent by adding air to the cake batter. However, if you add too many eggs to your cake batter, then your end result could be spongy, rubbery, or dense.

What is the best spread for baking cakes? ›

Margarine/non-dairy spreads

Loved for its ease of spreading and scooping, margarine has long been a choice ingredient for bakers as its soft texture makes it light work to whip up into buttercream frosting or to cream into sugar for a sponge cake.

Which makes a cake more moist oil or butter? ›

Why does oil give cake superior texture? Butter is 18% water, so when the batter is baked, some of its liquid evaporates. Replacing the water from the butter with oil means there's more fat left in the cakes to ensure tenderness.

What happens if you use butter instead of margarine in a cake? ›

When it comes to taste, baked goods made with butter have much more flavor than baked goods made with margarine. Margarine also has a much higher water content than butter which yields a softer-textured result, while butter yields chewier results.

Why is it called wacky cake? ›

Wacky cake is considered wacky not only because the recipe lacks any dairy or eggs but also because all the ingredients for this cake are mixed directly in the pan it is baked in. This recipe goes against the most popular methods for mixing cake batters, especially since there is no bowl or whisk necessary.

Why is it called buckle cake? ›

A buckle cake is named after its distinctively buckled appearance after baking. As the cake cooks, the batter rises, but the fruit on top weighs it down here and there, so the top of the cake buckles as it bakes.

What ethnicity is angel food cake? ›

Some historians think that the first angel food cakes were probably baked by African American slaves from the South because making this cake required a strong beating arm and lots of labor to whip the air into the egg whites.

What is raindrop cake made of? ›

The classic raindrop cake is made from two ingredients: mineral water and agar agar powder. Therefore this dessert is vegan and has almost no calories. The cake itself almost has no taste, cuz it's just water and agar agar powder. So it is always served with brown sugar syrup and roasted soybean powder.

Why is it called Lazy Daisy cake? ›

Probably so named because if you're feeling a little lazy, or in a rush, this cake is easy to make, uses everyday ingredients, and it tastes so good. A Lazy Daisy Cake is composed of a Hot Milk Sponge Cake that is topped with a Broiled Frosting.

What is dream cake made of? ›

The Most Trending Viral Dream Cake has five layers a Chocolate Cake Layer, a Chocolate Mousse Layer, a Chocolate Ganache Layer followed by a thin Hard Chocolate Shell and topped with a thin Cocoa Powder Layer.

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