No Bake Layered Cake, Italian Brick Cake Recipe (VIDEO)
There are many versions of the Italian No Bake Layered Cake or Italian Brick Cake Recipe. What I’m going to show you is the version of the Brick Cake similar to Tiramisu and very easy to make.
I love the words “No Bake”! That means one step less and less wasted time. It makes my life easier!
This cake is always in demand in my family, and not only is it easy to make, but also so tasty! Plus, it looks very impressive, which makes this dessert the perfect holiday dessert.
What is the Brick Cake
I don’t know the exact origin of this cake, but I think it is typical of northern Italy. My mom used to prepare it for all occasions because it’s quick and with ingredients that almost everyone has at home: biscuits, eggs, sugar, butter, cocoa, and coffee. The procedure is similar to that of its more famous cousin, the classic Tiramisu, with the difference that instead of mascarpone we will use butter, and instead of Savoiardi biscuits, we will use biscuits like these Butter Biscuit Cookies.
Since, as in the classic version of Tiramisu, this recipe uses raw egg yolks, I advise you to always choose very fresh eggs. Alternatively, you can buy pasteurized eggs.
Watch the Brick Cake Video Recipe
Ingredients For The Italian Brick Cake Recipe
Here is an overview of the ingredients you’ll need to make my version of the Italian Brick Cake. Remember to refer to the recipe card below the post for the full recipe details:
- Butter, softened at room temperature
- Granulated sugar
- Eggs
- Espresso coffee (also decaffeinated)
- Rum or other liqueur (optional)
- Thin rectangular (or square) biscuits or cookies – I often use these biscuits Bahlsen Leibniz Butter Biscuit
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
Tools You Will Need
How To Make the Italian No-Bake Layered Cake “Brick Cake”
Preparing this dessert is really a breeze. Follow my suggestions and look at the step photos, and your Brick Cake will be delicious!
Coffee. Prepare coffee with a Moka pot or an Espresso Machine, pour it into a deep bowl, and allow it to cool. Add liqueur to coffee (5). You can also skip this step if you prefer an alcoholic dessert.
Buttercream. In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until creamy. Then add the egg yolks and continue beating until you get a light and fluffy cream (2). In another bowl, beat egg whites to stiff peaks (3). The egg whites will beat properly if the whipped mixture does not fall out when the bowl is turned upside down. Gradually add the beaten egg whites to the buttercream (4), stirring slowly from the bottom up so as not to disassemble the mixture.
Assemble. Now assemble the dessert by alternating layers on a baking sheet or baking tray. Divide the biscuits into 3 parts and the buttercream into 2 parts. Make the first layer with 1/3 of the biscuits by quickly dipping them in the coffee for 1 second (6). Add a layer of 1/2 buttercream, another layer of 1/3 biscuits (7), and another layer of 1/2 buttercream, and finish with biscuits. The biscuits in each layer must match exactly with the cookies in the bottom layer. Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 2–3 hours.
How To Serve The Italian Brick Cake
Before serving, sprinkle your Brick Cake with cocoa powder (8). Cut portions following the biscuit shapes (9).
Italian Brick Cake Storage Instructions
Store this layered dessert in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. You can also put it in the freezer for up to 2 months. Just let it be at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.
No Bake Layered Cake, Italian Brick Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 200 g butter softened at room temperature
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 200 ml coffee Espresso or Moka also decaffeinated
- 1 tablespoon Rum or other liquor of your choice
- 200 g thin rectangular or square biscuits
- 6-8 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
- Prepare coffee with a Moka pot or an Espresso Machine and pour it into a deep bowl. Let it cool.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter with sugar with an electric mixer until creamy.
- Add the egg yolks and continue beating until you get a light and fluffy cream.
- In another bowl, whip the egg whites to stiff peaks. The egg whites will be whipped when the mixture does not fall out when the bowl is turned upside down.
- Gradually add the egg whites to the buttercream, stirring slowly from bottom to top.
- Add liqueur to cooled coffee. You can also skip this step if you wish.
- Now assemble the cake by alternating the layers. Take a baking sheet or pan (about cm 25×35) and divide the biscuits into 3 parts and the buttercream into 2 parts.
- Dip 1/3 biscuits into the coffee for 1 second and arrange them in one layer on the baking sheet.
- Add a layer of 1/2 buttercream, another layer of 1/3 dipped biscuits, and another layer of 1/2 buttercream. Finish with biscuits. The biscuits in each layer must match exactly with the biscuits in the bottom layer.
- Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate for at least 2–3 hours.
- Sprinkle with cocoa powder before serving. For a very nice effect, cut the portions following the rectangles (bricks) formed by the last layer of biscuits.
