Today I uploaded the final video of my South African cuisine series, and I saved the best for last, especially if you have a sweet tooth! As summer approaches, this supremely easy yet creative dessert is great for barbecues, potlucks, and parties. Behold, the South African style “fridge” cake:
This dessert is no bake, so no need to turn on the oven in the summer! The layers are made of cookies, with layers of a caramel flavored icing made up of only two ingredients. The confection is finished off with your favorite crushed candy bar.
The original cake uses a South African cookie called Tennis Biscuits, which are like a coconut shortbread, and a South African chocolate wafer called the mint crisp. I did not have these ingredients, so I used my own substitutions and they were a HUGE hit with my family. As a matter of fact my son said he wants this cake for his next birthday–and he is a picky guy. I used Biscoff biscuits for the cake layer, and to celebrate both Palestinian and South African cultures together I used Ali Baba Wafers, which I thankfully found on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3UI4bTO I personally do not like mint and chocolate together, and if you are like me feel free to use any chocolate bar you like, from crushed Heath and Snickers to even crushed sandwich cookies!
Truly this is a beautiful marriage between two cultures that have an intertwined history. The icing layer made up of whipped cream and canned dulce de lache is light and refreshing, and when kept overnight the biscuits get this soft texture, like ladyfingers in a tiramisu. This is a sheet cake so there are plenty of servings for a crowd.
To check out my easy technique click on my video below!
BISCOFF FRIDGE CAKE
Ingredients:
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream (no substitutions for this)
- 1 can of creme caramel – you can also use a can of condensed milk plus a teaspoon of vanilla extract if you prefer a vanilla flavor over a caramel one
- 2 packages of your favorite cookie (like tennis biscuits or biscoff) You can even use sandwich cookies if you prefer
- 4-6 candy bars that are easy to crush, I used Ali Baba wafers, but you can use Heath Bars, Peppermint Crisps, or even Loaker Hazelnut Wafers
- Ali Baba wafers here: https://amzn.to/3UI4bTO
- Tennis biscuits here:
Start by whipping the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gradually pour in and fold the creme caramel until well incorporated. In a 13 by 9 baking dish, add one layer of cookies. Spread half the icing on top, Spring with half the crushed candy bars. Add another layer of cookies, then spread the other half of the icing. Sprinkle the top with the remaining candy bars. The magic happens when you refrigerate this cake, I recommend a minimum of 4 hours or overnight. If you can to get fancy you can drizzle Biscoff Butter or even Nutella on top.
