This foolproof no-bake chocolate cake is perfect for any celebration. My dad'southward been making it my entire life.

Celebration cake after being refrigerated for a day

My dad'south celebration block is an easy, no-bake dessert perfect for every family unit.
Anneta Konstantinides/Insider
  • I learned how to make my dad'southward commemoration cake, which he's been whipping up since I was a kid.
  • It includes layers of Nilla Wafers and chocolate whipped foam filling, plus chocolate chips.
  • My dad'south succulent no-broil recipe is quick and foolproof, and I think whatsoever family would love it.

As a food author, sometimes I get inspiration from the likes of Gordon Ramsay and Ina Garten. And, sometimes, I get it right from my dad.

My dad is the mastermind behind some of my favorite recipes.
Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Sure Ramsay'due south breakfast sandwich is unbeatable, and no 1 makes a nine a.m. cosmo quite similar the "Barefoot Contessa." But sometimes the best food comes with a side of nostalgia.

My dad is behind one of my favorite pasta dishes with his incredible pastitsio, which I truly believe is ameliorate than lasagna.

After sharing that love family recipe, I asked my dad to teach me some other one of his classics. And this time we're making dessert.

This easy, no-bake cake is something my dad makes for all of our birthdays — and it's perfect for any celebration.

The commemoration cake is foolproof, and super quick to make.
Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

We've dubbed it the Konstantinides Torte for as long as I can think, but you tin phone call it whatever you want (don't worry, my dad gives yous permission).

This foolproof recipe barely takes 15 minutes to make. And you tin easily alter the ingredients to satisfy any gustation.

Our family unit'south commemoration cake merely needs a few simple ingredients.

The celebration cake includes Nilla Wafers, semi-sweet chocolate, and heavy whipping cream.
Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

To whip up the original version of my dad's cake, yous'll need:

  • one/2 box Nilla Wafers
  • two cups heavy whipping foam
  • ane loving cup milk
  • ⅓ cup brandy
  • 1 iv-ounce semi-sweet chocolate bar
  • 2 tablespoons powdered carbohydrate
  • Semi-sweetness chocolate chips

If you'd rather make a strawberry and whipped foam version of this cake, you tin can skip the chocolate bar and supercede the chocolate chips with strawberries — or any other fruit — instead.

"You could also exercise the chocolate whipped foam with strawberries if y'all want," my dad added. "And if yous yet want to put chocolate fries, nobody's stopping yous from putting chocolate chips!"

My dad, as yous may have gathered, is very into chocolate.

The first step to making the celebration block is melting the chocolate.

First we melted the chocolate with an improvised bain-marie.
Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

My dad does this with an improvised bain-marie, which is a fancy French term for putting a pan inside another pan to avert called-for the chocolate.

First, fill up a pot with simply enough h2o so that the second pot touches information technology when y'all place it on elevation. Then, interruption the semi-sweetness chocolate bar into smaller pieces and throw them in the 2d pot.

If that sounds similar also much work, my dad said you can besides but melt the chocolate in the microwave.

The chocolate should take almost five minutes to melt.

The melting chocolate in activity.
Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Don't forget to stir!

Then it was time to make the whipping cream.

We added ii tablespoons of powdered sugar to sweeten the whipping cream.
Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Commencement nosotros added the two cups of heavy whipping foam (which amounts to ane xvi fluid-ounce bottle) to our stand mixer.

And then we added two tablespoons of sugar to the cream and turned the mixer to high speed.

But earlier the mixer began forming soft peaks, nosotros added the melted chocolate.

After ii minutes, nosotros added the melted chocolate.
Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

The consistency of the whipping cream should wait similar the film higher up. Information technology'll accept about two minutes of mixing in total.

My dad said this is besides a great time to check if your filling is sweet enough.

"If you lot desire more than sugar, this is your time to add it," he told me.

Once you see the soft peaks, your whipping cream is fix.

This shows how stiff you lot want the peaks of your whipping foam to be.
Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

The entire procedure takes less than five minutes.

Then it was time to prep the cookies.

We mixed milk and brandy to add to our cookies.
Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Start, we added the milk and brandy to a bowl and gave it a little swirl.

(If you lot want to go booze-free, that'due south totally fine! This recipe is completely customizable).

When we were ready to kickoff building the block, nosotros threw a few Nilla Wafers into the basin.

But soak a few of the Nilla Wafers in the mixture at a fourth dimension so they don't get soggy.
Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

My dad said this footstep non but infuses the cookies with more flavour, it besides softens them — giving the cake a consistency and texture that's very like to tiramisu.

And you don't need to place each cookie in the milk-and-brandy bathroom i by one. I did this at first and my dad just laughed at me.

"This would take all night if we did it that way!" he exclaimed.

But don't put besides many cookies in the bath either. You don't want them to get too soggy before you identify them on the pan.

Constructing the cake is super easy. Start nosotros added a layer of Nilla Wafers to the lesser of the pan.

Feel free to break the cookies to help fit the empty spaces.
Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

We ever use a 21-by-21 centimeter pan for the cake, but my dad said yous could easily employ a bigger pan too.

"It merely means yous'll employ more cookies and accept a thinner layer of whipped foam with this recipe," he added. "Or you can only make more whipped cream."

Then we added half of the whipped cream filling right on acme.

We used a spatula to spread and shine the whipping foam.
Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

We used a spatula to spread and smooth the filling over the Nilla Wafers.

Nosotros sprinkled chocolate fries all over the meridian of the first layer.

Don't be shy when it comes to adding the chocolate chips.
Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

If you're opting for fruit instead, this would be when you add strawberries (or whatever fruit your center desires). Just make sure y'all cut them into thin slices.

Then we added another layer of Nilla wafers.

At that place will be 2 layers total of Nilla Wafers.
Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

We broke some of the cookies to help fill up in the spaces.

Then nosotros added the residuum of the whipped foam filling, plus more chocolate chips.

It barely takes 10 minutes to prep the ingredients and build the cake.
Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

And that's it, you're washed! But don't forget the very important final pace — licking the bowl.

"It'south the advantage for the chef — and whoever helps — to lick the basin," my dad told me sagely.

We and then covered the pan with plastic wrap and stuck it in the fridge.

The cake should sit down in the refrigerator overnight.
Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

The block needs to sit overnight, and so some patience is required.

The next day, we admired our latest commemoration cake.

My dad proudly shows off his latest celebration cake.
Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

My dad said that one of his favorite parts about this block is that there'due south no baking required, which removes a lot of the stress that comes with making dessert for the family (don't ask him about the Great Souffle Disaster of 2001).

"You lot don't have to worry, 'Oh, is it ready? Did I overcook information technology? Is it going to enhance?' like with other cakes" he told me.

Plus, the recipe is so simple. My dad didn't even have it written downward until I asked him to for this commodity.

"It's very easy to remember," he said. "Y'all don't fifty-fifty take to remember the proportions, you can just mix and match and put whatever you want there."

"It'south always trial and error, and it'due south very difficult to fail. If you put too much brandy? It's okay! And if you put too piffling, you know next time to put a piffling more."

It was finally time to dig in! And, as e'er, the celebration cake was admittedly delicious.

The cake is super light and fluffy — yous'll want to eat the whole pan.
Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

What I dearest nearly my dad's cake is how fluffy information technology is. It'south lighter than a tiramisu or Ina Garten's similar no-bake mocha chocolate icebox cake (which I've also fabricated), but it has this delicious crunch from the chocolate chips.

The chocolate in the mousse is sweet merely subtle, and the Nilla Wafers add some great texture (plus who doesn't love a little boot from that brandy).

This block is manifestly great for the hotter months, but it's likewise perfect for any flavour. My dad makes this for my sis'southward altogether in November, and for my mom (with strawberries swapped for chocolate) a month later.

Later all, chocolate and cookies taste good no matter the season.

Plain I'm biased, only I think my dad'due south celebration block would fit in with every family.

The celebration cake works smashing volition all kinds of tastes.
Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

When I asked my dad what inspired the Konstantinides Torte, he told me information technology was actually his older sister who first taught him how to make it. She used ladyfingers for the base, but when my dad moved to the Usa from Hellenic republic he couldn't easily detect them in the supermarket, so he went with Nilla Wafers instead.

It's such a simple cake to laissez passer down within the family. And, since it'south so versatile, it's really easy to modify. As my dad told me, "1 recipe can actually be used for annihilation y'all want!"

But, mostly, this cake is super special to me because of its history, and I know I'll be making it for my own friends and family for decades to come.

I promise it brings you every bit much joy every bit it has for us.

Bargain icon An icon in the shape of a lightning commodities.

Keep reading

Features Cake Baking