Easy Lazy Cake Recipe

What is lazy cake? 

Lazy cake is no-bake dessert that doesn't require a lot of work to make.

What makes this recipe for lazy cake stand out

• It has a few simple ingredients. Nothing fancy or complicated here! All the ingredients are easy to find.
• It doesn't contain sweetened condensed milk. This is an easy lazy cake recipe without condensed milk, so it's not that sweet.
• It's customizable. I've successfully made this cake vegan, too, so you can easily customize some of the ingredients.
• It's eggless. This cake is perfect for those who have an egg intolerance or an allergy since there are no eggs in it.
• It's quick to prepare. This cake comes together in no time! The hardest part is waiting for it to set!
• It's a perfect, no-fuss dessert. You don't need any decorating skills or experience to make it, so it's ideal for beginner bakers.

What you'll need

Ingredients chocolate lazy cake

• Unsweetened Cocoa powder: I use unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder. You can also use natural unsweetened cocoa powder. Not sure what the difference is? Check out my post about it here.
• Sugar: I use regular, granulated sugar. You can also use light brown sugar.
• Milk: I use fresh, low-fat milk. You can use regular milk, too. Plant-based milk, like unsweetened almond milk will work fine, as well.
• Chocolate: I use semi-sweet chocolate.
• Butter: I use unsalted butter.
• Cognac: I use a little cognac as this is popular in Greece, but this cake is also good with Kahlua. Feel free to omit it, though, if you don't want alcohol or you want a kid-friendly cake.
• Vanilla: I use pure vanilla extract.
• Nuts: I use a combination of walnuts and pistachios.
• Cookies: I use Petit-Beurre cookies by Papadopoulou, which are plain vanilla cookies that are low in sugar. You can also use animal crackers, graham crackers, tea biscuits, Digestive biscuits or Marie biscuits. You can basically use any plain vanilla cookie you want.
• Heavy whipping cream: You'll need full-fat heavy cream for the chocolate ganache topping.

Equipment you'll need

• large mixing bowls
• an 8 inch or 10 inch (20-30 cm) springform pan or pastry ring
• parchment paper

How to make lazy cake

Step-by-step Instructions

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, whisk the milk, cocoa powder, sugar, butter and chocolate. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and let it simmer for 5 minutes, whisking continuously. Then remove from the heat and whisk in the cognac and vanilla.

Use your hands to break the cookies into medium and small pieces. 

Pour the chocolate mixture over the cookie pieces. Add half of the nuts and stir everything with a rubber spatula or large spoon. Make sure to coat everything well.

Transfer the mixture to the prepared pan and press it in using the spatula or the back of a spoon. Press it down well and even out the surface. Refrigerate the cake for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the chocolate ganache. Heat the cream and pour it over the chopped chocolate and let it sit for 5 minutes without stirring.

After 5 minutes, stir the mixture until it's smooth and creamy and the chocolate has melted.

Take the cake out of the refrigerator and pour the ganache on the top. Use the back of a spoon to spread it evenly.

Add the remaining nuts on top and refrigerate the cake overnight.

Recipe Notes

Make ahead options

You can easily make this recipe up to 2 days in advance. 

Storage Tips & freezing instructions

You can store this cake in the refrigerator for up to about 10 days. Cover it with plastic wrap.

This lazy cake is absolutely amazing straight out of the freezer! You can easily freeze it for about 2 months. I always wrap individual slices in plastic wrap and then place them in freezer bags or freezer-safe containers.

Variations

I have made this cake so many different ways! Here are a few ideas you might want too try, too:

• This cake is delicious with milk chocolate instead of semi-sweet chocolate, but it's also a bit sweeter, too.
• Instead of cognac, add some Kahlua, which is also phenomenal with chocolate! Ouzo is great with chocolate, too, like in my Ouzo Spiked Chocolate Orange Cake.
• I like pistachios because they're a bit salty and they add a little color to the cake, too. You could also add your favorite nuts, like pecans or peanuts, instead. 
• You can also add raisins or dried cranberries or other dried fruit.
• I also think orange zest would be delicious in this cake!
• Swirl in some melted cookie butter (Lotus Biscoff spread), Nutella, or peanut butter over the chocolate ganache or in the cake filling.
• Drizzle some salted caramel sauce on top for a truly indulgent dessert!
• You can also make this cake vegan by using your favorite vegan cookies, vegan chocolate, vegan butter (or margarine), and plant-based milk. For the ganache, substitute the heavy cream with full-fat coconut milk.

FAQs