This foolproof no-bake chocolate block is perfect for whatsoever celebration. My dad's been making information technology my entire life.

Celebration cake after being refrigerated for a day

My dad's celebration block is an like shooting fish in a barrel, no-bake dessert perfect for every family unit.
Anneta Konstantinides/Insider
  • I learned how to make my dad'south celebration cake, which he'southward been whipping up since I was a child.
  • Information technology includes layers of Nilla Wafers and chocolate whipped cream filling, plus chocolate fries.
  • My dad'south delicious no-bake recipe is quick and foolproof, and I think any family would dearest information technology.

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

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

Certain Ramsay'due south breakfast sandwich is unbeatable, and no 1 makes a 9 a.yard. cosmo quite like the "Barefoot Contessa." Only sometimes the best food comes with a side of nostalgia.

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

After sharing that beloved family recipe, I asked my dad to teach me another ane 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 celebration cake is foolproof, and super quick to brand.
Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

We've dubbed information technology the Konstantinides Torte for as long as I can remember, simply you tin can call it whatever you lot desire (don't worry, my dad gives you permission).

This foolproof recipe barely takes xv minutes to make. And you can hands modify the ingredients to satisfy any gustation.

Our family'southward commemoration block only needs a few simple ingredients.

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

To whip upwardly the original version of my dad's block, you'll need:

  • 1/2 box Nilla Wafers
  • ii cups heavy whipping cream
  • 1 cup milk
  • ⅓ cup brandy
  • 1 4-ounce semi-sweet chocolate bar
  • two tablespoons powdered saccharide
  • Semi-sweet chocolate chips

If you'd rather brand a strawberry and whipped cream version of this block, you can skip the chocolate bar and supercede the chocolate chips with strawberries — or whatever other fruit — instead.

"You could also do the chocolate whipped cream with strawberries if y'all desire," my dad added. "And if you lot still want to put chocolate fries, nobody'southward stopping y'all from putting chocolate chips!"

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

The first step to making the celebration cake 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 within another pan to avoid called-for the chocolate.

Start, fill up a pot with just enough water and then that the second pot touches it when you identify it on elevation. Then, suspension the semi-sweet chocolate bar into smaller pieces and throw them in the second pot.

If that sounds like too much piece of work, my dad said you tin can also only melt the chocolate in the microwave.

The chocolate should take well-nigh five minutes to melt.

The melting chocolate in activeness.
Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Don't forget to stir!

Then it was time to make the whipping cream.

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

Showtime we added the 2 cups of heavy whipping cream (which amounts to one sixteen fluid-ounce bottle) to our stand mixer.

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

Only before the mixer began forming soft peaks, we added the melted chocolate.

After 2 minutes, we added the melted chocolate.
Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

The consistency of the whipping cream should expect like the movie above. It'll accept about two minutes of mixing in total.

My dad said this is also a keen fourth dimension to bank check if your filling is sweet enough.

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

One time you see the soft peaks, your whipping cream is prepare.

This shows how strong you desire the peaks of your whipping cream 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

First, nosotros added the milk and brandy to a bowl and gave it a petty swirl.

(If you want to become alcohol-gratis, that's totally fine! This recipe is completely customizable).

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

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

My dad said this step non only infuses the cookies with more flavor, it also softens them — giving the cake a consistency and texture that's very similar to tiramisu.

And yous don't need to identify each cookie in the milk-and-brandy bath i by i. I did this at first and my dad just laughed at me.

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

But don't put likewise many cookies in the bath either. Y'all don't desire them to become besides soggy earlier you lot place them on the pan.

Amalgam the cake is super easy. Kickoff we added a layer of Nilla Wafers to the lesser of the pan.

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

We always utilize a 21-by-21 centimeter pan for the cake, but my dad said you could hands utilize a bigger pan also.

"It just ways you lot'll apply more cookies and have a thinner layer of whipped cream with this recipe," he added. "Or y'all can just make more than whipped cream."

Then nosotros added one-half of the whipped foam filling right on top.

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

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

Nosotros sprinkled chocolate chips all over the height of the commencement layer.

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

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

Then we added another layer of Nilla wafers.

In that location will exist two layers total of Nilla Wafers.
Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

We broke some of the cookies to help make full in the spaces.

And so we added the rest of the whipped cream filling, plus more chocolate chips.

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

And that's it, yous're done! Simply don't forget the very important final pace — licking the bowl.

"It's the reward for the chef — and whoever helps — to lick the bowl," my dad told me sagely.

Nosotros and so covered the pan with plastic wrap and stuck it in the fridge.

The block should sit in the fridge overnight.
Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

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

The next mean solar day, we admired our latest celebration cake.

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

My dad said that ane of his favorite parts most this cake is that there'due south no blistering required, which removes a lot of the stress that comes with making dessert for the family (don't enquire him about the Dandy Souffle Disaster of 2001).

"You don't have to worry, 'Oh, is it ready? Did I overcook it? Is it going to heighten?' similar with other cakes" he told me.

Plus, the recipe is and then uncomplicated. My dad didn't even have it written down until I asked him to for this article.

"It's very piece of cake to call back," he said. "Yous don't even have to recollect the proportions, y'all tin can only mix and friction match and put whatever you want at that place."

"It'south always trial and fault, and information technology'south very hard to neglect. If you put too much brandy? It's okay! And if yous put too little, you know next time to put a piffling more."

Information technology was finally time to dig in! And, as always, the commemoration block was absolutely delicious.

The cake is super lite and fluffy — you'll want to swallow the whole pan.
Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

What I honey about my dad's block is how fluffy it is. It'due south lighter than a tiramisu or Ina Garten'south like no-broil mocha chocolate icebox cake (which I've also made), but it has this delicious crunch from the chocolate fries.

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

This cake is obviously great for the hotter months, just information technology's as well perfect for whatever flavor. My dad makes this for my sis'due south altogether in Nov, and for my mom (with strawberries swapped for chocolate) a month later.

After all, chocolate and cookies gustatory modality skillful no matter the season.

Manifestly I'thou biased, but I remember my dad's commemoration block would fit in with every family unit.

The commemoration block works great will all kinds of tastes.
Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

When I asked my dad what inspired the Konstantinides Torte, he told me it was actually his older sister who get-go taught him how to make information technology. She used ladyfingers for the base, just when my dad moved to the US from Greece he couldn't hands find them in the supermarket, so he went with Nilla Wafers instead.

It'due south such a simple cake to laissez passer downwards within the family. And, since information technology's and so versatile, it's actually like shooting fish in a barrel to modify. Every bit my dad told me, "One recipe tin really be used for annihilation you want!"

But, mostly, this block is super special to me because of its history, and I know I'll exist making information technology for my ain friends and family for decades to come up.

I promise it brings you as much joy as information technology has for us.

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