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Nescafe Cake

nescafe cake with a slice of cake served beside it

Nescafe cake is the Arab version of the beloved Italian Tiramisu but even easier to make! Instead, you enjoy layers of dipped tea biscuits in Nescafe instant coffee, sweetened whipped cream, and cocoa powder to finish. As you can see, you only need a handful of ingredients and a little time to make this popular coffee icebox cake. It’s so light and tastes even better the next day!

Nescafe Cake is an icebox cake with layers of cream and biscuit topped with cocoa

What is Nescafe Cake?

Nescafe cake is a popular no-bake cake in the Middle East. Everyone there knows this dessert. The name comes from the instant coffee brand, Nescafe, which is commonly found in everyone’s pantry in the Middle East. It is the leading instant coffee brand and you will find people will enjoy Nescafe almost daily overseas. Often, we dip tea biscuits in our tea or coffee which is usually mixed with milk. The idea to layer a cake with the dipped biscuits and fold the cream in between is just genius. This dessert is essentially an ice-box cake meaning it requires no baking and is served cold. It makes sense that it became so trendy given how hot the Middle East is!

Ingredients needed for Nescafe cake:

Tea Biscuits: This is a must. It is essentially the foundation of the cake. You can find tea biscuits, digestive, or maria cookies almost in any supermarket. I personally purchase my tea biscuits from the local Arab store. For this recipe, you will need 2.5 sleeves of tea biscuits.
Nescafe Instant Coffee: Although the name suggests you must use Nescafe brand instant coffee; you technically don’t need to if you cannot find it. However, it is suggested to use Nescafe but any instant coffee will work. The flavor of Nescafe is distinct and distinguishes this dessert. You should be able to find this brand in any supermarket.
Heavy Whipping Cream: You can use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream; either will do here. This along with the sweetened condensed milk will comprise the filling between the layers of dipped tea biscuits. The cream is whipped until soft peaks form for a smooth touch.
Sweetened Condensed Milk: This is what will offer sweetness to the dessert. Most sweetened condensed milk is sold in 14 oz cans. For this recipe, you only need to use 10 oz for what I think is the perfect amount of sweetness. However, you can always add a bit more if you prefer a sweeter dessert. You can also sweeten the cream with powdered sugar instead but sweetened condensed milk is much more preferred.
Cocoa Powder: This is the finishing touch that you should definitely not skip. I use unsweetened cocoa powder to dust the top of this dessert heavily. The flavor of chocolate with coffee and cream is just perfection.

How to make Nescafe Cake:

  • Stir the instant coffee with the hot water in a shallow dish and set to the side.
  • Make the cream filling by whipping heavy cream until soft peaks have formed and then fold in the sweetened condensed milk.
  • Dip the tea biscuits quickly in the warm Nescafe liquid and add a flat layer of the biscuits to a 9×13 baking dish.
  • Follow by adding a thin layer of cream spread out on top of the biscuits.
  • Repeat this step another two times. All in all, you should be left with 3 layers of biscuit and 3 layers of cream. Starting with biscuit first and ending with cream to be dusted with cocoa.
  • Cover the baking dish and refrigerate for at least 4-6 hours, preferably overnight. This dessert tastes best the next day and is refrigerated for up to 5 days.
step by step nescafe cake from making the cream to the nescafe and layering

Other No-Bake Desserts to try:

As always, I would love to hear what you think of my No bake Nescafe cake recipe. If you give it a try, please leave a rating and review below! Feel free to send remakes over to my Instagram page. I love to see your creations and hear your feedback. Thank you!
@fufuinthekitchen

The most delicious no bake cake with Nescafé, biscuits, cream, and cocoa. It’s always a crowd pleaser and requires minimal effort! Recipe is on my blog. Link in bio. #nescafe#nescafecake#nobakecake#foryou#fyp#ramadan#iftar#dessert#easydessert#nobakedessert#iceboxcake

♬ original sound – Heifa
Nescafe Cake is an icebox cake with layers of cream and biscuit topped with cocoa
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5 from 51 votes

Nescafe Cake

Nescafe cake is the Arab version of the beloved Italian Tiramisu but even easier to make! Instead, you enjoy layers of dipped tea biscuits in Nescafe instant coffee, sweetened whipped cream, and cocoa powder to finish.
Prep Time30 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Arab, Middle Eastern
Keyword: coffee icebox cake, layered biscuit cake, nescafe cake
Servings: 12 servings
Author: Heifa

Ingredients

Biscuit Layer

  • 2.5 Sleeves of Tea Biscuits
  • 3 tbsp Nescafe Instant Coffee
  • 1.5 cups Hot Water

Cream Layer

  • 1 pint Heavy Whipping Cream
  • 10 oz Sweetened Condensed Milk about 3/4 of a 14 oz can

Topping

  • Cocoa Powder

Instructions

  • To start, chill your stainless bowl and whisk in the freezer that will be used for whipping the cream.
  • Meanwhile, mix the hot water with the Nescafe instant coffee in a shallow dish big enough to dip the tea biscuits in. Set this to the side.
  • In the chilled bowl, add the heavy whipping cream and start whipping the cream until you achieve soft peaks. This can take several minutes. You can either use an electric whisk or the whisk attachment to whip the cream.
  • Once whipped, gently fold in the sweetened condensed milk. Set the cream filling aside.
  • Dip the tea biscuit for a few seconds in the nescafe then start lining the bottom of a 9×13 baking dish.
  • Once there is a flat layer of dipped tea biscuits, add a thin layer of cream.
  • Top with dipped biscuits again followed by cream and keep repeating. You will most likely have 3 layers of biscuit and 3 layers of cream. The final layer being cream.
  • Top that final cream layer with a heavy dusting of cocoa powder. Cover the nescafe cake and place in the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours if in a hurry. However, this is best enjoyed chilled for at least 24 hours. It tastes even better as it sits in the fridge. You can enjoy this for up to 4 days refrigerated. Just slice and enjoy!
Nescafe Cake dessert plated

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157 Comments

  1. Another delicious yet super simple recipe! This cake was delicious.. will definitely be making it again soon. Thank you fufu 🙂

      1. Hi! I’m thinking of making this for my mom’s birthday and I was wondering how many biscuits/ or how many grams of biscuits you usually use? Like how many grams / biscuits in one pack? Thank you!

  2. This was sooo easy to make! I only had half a pint of heavy whipping cream so used half the amount of condensed milk and made so much! It’s not too strong of a coffee cake as it balances out with the sweet whipped cream. Great for the entire family. Super simple and delicious.

  3. The easiest most delectable dessert you will ever have!!!! I make it almost once a month and it’s always a hit!

  4. I made this recipe. It’s so easy to follow and turned out great! Also Heifa answered my questions about it on Instagram. So helpful! Thanks

    1. This is the best dessert EVER. Heifa has said that this is her favorite dessert ever and I’m going to have to agree. My favorite ever!!!! It’s so light and fluffy and doesn’t feel like you’re eating something too sweet. Even if you don’t drink coffee (I don’t), you’ll love it. It’s also so simple to make, literally takes less than 15 minutes. It is a must try for everyone. I made it 3 times for 3 different parties and everyone LOVED it and asked me for the recipe. Thank you so much Heifa!!!!

      1. I have made this cake many times. I made it for a dinner party at my brother-in-law’s house and it was a hit. You can never go wrong with this dessert. I love this cake, it is one of my favorite desserts. Thanks for the simple step by step instructions Heifa.

  5. Heifa.. thank you for sharing your beautiful recipes. This Nescafe cake was super easy to make and tasted delicious. I usually buy tiramisu from Pompi in London all the time.. it’s definitely on par with their taste and texture. Love it!

        1. Hi! It keeps good for 3-4 days max because of the whipped cream but I wouldn’t recommend making it more than a day or 2 in advance.

  6. I had guests coming over for dinner last week, and made the Nescafe cake , everyone loved it ! The best part is that it’s so easy to make! I made it with decaf Nescafe so my kids could enjoy it too. Thank you Heifa for this AMAZİNG recipe ❤️❤️

  7. I made this recipe with my family; the kids enjoyed helping. It was simple, fun and delicious! Thank you for the recipe Fufu! 🙂

  8. Amazing amazing! I made this and my family devoured it in one day! I’ve been dreaming of it ever since and plan on making it again soon. It’s definitely a recipe I will keep going to!

  9. I made the Nescafé cake but the mix of the heavy whipping cream with the condensed milk was liquidy is it suppose to be that way ? Thank you .

    1. It shouldn’t be too liquidy if anything the whipped cream must’ve needed to be whipped a little bit longer and make sure to not use the entire can of condensed milk. Gently fold the ingredients together to a creamy filling but it should have some substance to it. Sorry for the late reply.

  10. If you’re like me and you like to prepare ahead, this recipe is for you. It’s super simple but tastes like you’ve spent hours in the kitchen. Light and not to sweet with the perfect amount of coffee flavor. This is a go to for me when I know I have people coming over the next day. Thank you for this delicious recipe Heifa!

  11. This is seriously one of the easiest recipes yet it’s so delicious for so little steps and ingredients. This dessert is seriously an almost effortless crowd pleaser! Great job on this recipe Fufu. You knocked it out of the park with this one.

  12. Tried on multiple occasions and always a hit.
    We call it Tiramisu because to me the flavors
    are comparable and the recipe so much easier
    to make. Thanks for a lovely recipe!

  13. I’m in love with this delicious Nescafe recipe! It is The Best out there, so simple to make and a crowd pleaser! I even purchased the Soufrati E-cookbook!! Which is my Go-to bookmark when I need to get Dinner inspiration! Thank you Heifa for sharing your unique love of food with all of us. -Xoxo!

  14. I made this last Ramadan for an Iftar gathering and everyone loved it. It made me feel so good especially since I never make desserts. I need to make it again soon but this time I’ll make sure to buy a hand mixer so I don’t whisk it by hand like I did last time 😝

  15. The perfect dessert to throw together when you’re short on time! (or even if you’re not 😉 ) Or when you want to bring something simple when visiting friends/family. Am going to always make sure to have these ingredients on hand so I can make it at any point 🙂 Would 10/10 reccomend!

  16. I made this for my husband so he can take it with him to an office lunch, and it was a hit mashaAllah! So delicious&easy, we all loved it! I even got a few phone calls from my husbands coworkers’ wives asking for the recipe!

  17. This is a quick & easy recipe that will have everyone wanting more! It’s delicious and worth every calorie 🙂 I get so many compliments every time I make it and everyone asking for the recipe!

  18. This is sooooo sooooo delicious and soooo easy to make! The combination of the ingredients is the perfect balance of sweet & creamy, not too heavy not too sweet. A crowd pleaser for sure!

  19. I honestly not good at making dessert! I started asking around and followed people’s steps however my kids and family didn’t like the result. Then came across fufuinthekitchen! Let me tell you it was a life changing for me!! This recipe came out so goood that my kids beg me all the time to make it for them. They will eat it in three days. Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner! I am not ever joking. Following recipes from fufuinthekitchen made me love cooking and making desserts as well.

  20. This is an amazing recipe! So light and delicious, even the kiddos love it! Thanks for sharing, I’ve made it many times!

  21. The easiest most delicious dessert that every time I make or take to someone’s house, nothing is left on the plate. Everyone that tastes it says it’s SO good. I make this AlL the time. You make cooking and baking much easier and always spot on. Thank you 🙂

  22. Yum yum yummm deliciousss😍😍 just wanted to ask for the next time if i am out of condensed milk ccan i replace it with powdered sugar? Thank you!

  23. So good!! Every time I make this it’s always a hit! People at work are always asking for the recipe!! Thank you so much for bringing people together with your recipes 😍😍

  24. The best recipe ever! My entire family loves it. Especially my younger brother. I used less condensed milk to cut back on the sugar and used Nescafé gold instant coffee! Perfection! Thank you for the recipe.

  25. One of my favorite dessert recipes!! It’s so easy to make and absolutely delicious! Thank you so much for sharing

  26. I make this dessert at least 5x a year now. Everyone loves it and it’s so taster. Thank you for the recipe!

  27. This is now my go to dessert. So simple but such a big impact. And so so delicious! Even has coffee haters coming back for more!! Think that says it all.

  28. Your Nescafé cake is my go to for every azooma/Iftar. Every single person either asks me for the recipe or eats at least two pieces in one sitting. I appreciate an easy recipe and this hits the nail on the head. I’m getting married this summer and have saved so many of your recipes that will help me out when needed. Thank you!

  29. Heifa!! This is the most amazing dessert I have made and now is a staple in our house for every event. Thank you for sharing it 💕

  30. So simple yet so so good!! Everyone is always obsessed when I make this for them! Thank you for sharing the best recipes 🤍

  31. Turned out so so yummy. Simple and easy to follow instructions, and great recipe. Definitely a keeper recipe! Thank you

  32. This recipe has saved the day when I needed to whip up a quick dessert! I don’t drink coffee either but it is is so so good. Thank you!

  33. This recipe was the dessert for all my guest when I was visiting Amman everybody loved it, and every one asked me for the recipe , keep going Fufu 👏🏻👏🏻

  34. 5 stars
    One of my favorite desserts to make! This recipe has been on repeat over the last couple years and is still my favorite.

  35. 5 stars
    This Nescafé cake was amazing!! It’s so moist and it’s such an easy recipe to make . Kids loved it , husband approved . Will definitely be making this a lot more thanks fufu for all the amazing recipes !

  36. 5 stars
    Simple, delicious and elegant! Definitely a crowd pleaser. Our family and friends enjoyed it at the last gathering. Thank you!

  37. 5 stars
    Soooooo good!!!! Party please 100%! I brought it to a dinner party and while there was an array of desserts that require way more work and time than the Nescafé cake, I WON DESSERT OF THE NIGHT!!! What an honor! You won’t regret bringing it to your next dinner party or just making it for yourself on your cheat day lol 😉

  38. 5 stars
    This is the best dessert EVER. So simple yet so delicious and addicting. Perfect for any party, get together, or even for your sweet craving. You will wish you made this sooner! 1000000/10, thank you Fufu!

  39. 5 stars
    Made this super easy & delicious cake once in Ramadan (HUGE hit) and a 2nd time just a few days ago after popular demand- it disappeared soooo quickly!! Truly a magical recipe😄 (I have a 6m old so the fact that I was able to make it shows how easy it is!!).
    It is soooo going to be staple in my house that I now keep tea biscuits, cream & condensed milk around here! Thank you Heifa for sharing this!

  40. 5 stars
    Love this recipe! So easy and tastes delicious. So light and is an excellent dessert for summer!

  41. 5 stars
    This is always a party favorite! Simple and delicious. Make sure to follow fufu’s tips to get the heavy whipping cream right!

  42. 5 stars
    SA
    Mashallah! This is one of the families go to, We found this recipe a few years back. This will be made every Ramadan/Eid and Birthdays! I have other families requesting this all the time! It’s a simple but so elegant dessert. Thank you and you are the first person I check out if I need guidance or idea for something new to make! 💚💚

  43. 5 stars
    The best cake ever, easy and delicious, my family loves it!! I love watching and learning your recipes!! You’re so talented!!!
    Thank you 😊

  44. 5 stars
    I have used so many Nescafé cake recipes but this is definitely our family favorite. It’s made with minimal ingredients but is so rich in flavor and such a delicious treat. Thank you Fufu!

  45. 5 stars
    hands down the best dessert iv made and easiest too. it’s a hit every time i make it and goes by super fast. I also tried it with chocolate tea biscuits instead of regular tea biscuits and omg! i couldn’t stop eating! .
    thankyou so much for this recipe! ♥️

  46. 5 stars
    Such an easy and delicious recipe!! I definitely recommend making it a day or two ahead of time because it just tastes even better than the same day!

  47. 5 stars
    Easy & Delicious. I have made this dessert three times (till date) and it’s always been a HIT with everyone! Love that it is so simple to put together too! Thanks Heifa.

  48. 5 stars
    My husband and I absolutely LOVE this recipe and have made it many times since it was published. Always a hit!! Only change is we use lotus biscoff cookies and top it with crushed biscuits instead x

  49. 5 stars
    Simple yet delicious. If you’re in a crunch or not a baker, this one’s for you!! My entire family loved this dessert.

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