Bolo De Bolacha (Biscuit Cake)

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The Portuguese Bolo de bolacha means “biscuit cake” in English. It is a type of no-bake cake made with Maria biscuits. It is made with Maria biscuits that have been soaked in coffee and layered with a simple butter cream. After the layers are put together, the cake is put in the fridge for a few hours or overnight before it is served.

What Is Bolo de Bolacha?

Bolo de bolacha might become one of your favorite Portuguese desserts if you like coffee. Biscuit cake is a layered dessert that looks like a tower made of Marie biscuits soaked in coffee and held together with buttercream. The top is covered with buttercream, and round biscuits are usually arranged in a circle with a tower of the same kind in the middle to make a flower-shaped cake. Most of the time, biscuit crumbs or a few coffee beans are used to decorate bolo de bolacha.

It is made with the English biscuit, which was invented in 1874 and is the base for many desserts around the world. It is thought to be the most decadent Portuguese dessert.

The filling is the key: Some people make it with margarine or cream, but according to tradition, it should be made with a lot of good butter, which gives it a unique flavor and creamy texture. Traditional dessert that is also our favorite Portuguese desserts.

Bolo de Bolacha is a simple recipe for a cake that doesn’t need to be baked. It’s served at every Portuguese party. It has tasty layers of Marie biscuits that have been soaked in coffee and a simple butter cream. After stacking everything, you put the Bolo de Bolacha in the fridge for a few hours, or even better, overnight. When it’s done, you have a beautiful cake that cuts perfectly and tastes so good.

A rich tea biscuit or digestive cookie from the U.K. is a lot like a Maria biscuit. It is a round biscuit (or cookie in the US) that tastes like vanilla and has the brand name stamped on top.

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How To Make Bolo de Bolacha (Biscuit Cake)

Ingredients:

- 20 oz. Maria Biscuits
- 2 Egg Yolks, see note below
- 1 cup Light Brown Sugar
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter, room temp
- 1 cup Sweetened Coffee, room temp

Instructions:

1. In the bowl of a mixer cream the butter and brown sugar together.
2. Add 1-2 tablespoons of coffee to mixture. This coffee should be sweetened to the same level that you would sweeten your morning coffee.
3. Add egg yolks one at time and beat until a smooth consistency is achieved.
4. Set bowl aside.
5. Lightly soak 7 Maria cookies in the remaining coffee and place them on a large round serving platter. Start with a layer of 6 biscuits in a circle shape and a biscuit in the center of the circle.
6. On top of the single layer of cookies, add a layer of the cream icing. Spread it thinly over the Maria biscuits and then make a second layer of Maria biscuits. Repeat this process 3 more times for a total of 5 layers.
7. Spread the remaining icing over the top and sides. Smooth out the top and sides with a spatula. The layer of cream on the sides should be very thin.
8. Place in the refrigerator for a few hours or over night.
9. Optional: Before serving garnish with crushed Maria cookies.

Note: This recipe does contain raw egg yolks. If you are worried about consuming raw eggs you can look for pasteurized eggs at your local grocery store. Pasteurized eggs have been treated to kill bacteria and are safe to eat raw. You can also leave the yolks out totally.

Tips for Making Bolo de Bolacha:

1. You can make the icing lighter and fluffier by folding in whipped topping.
2. For a stronger flavor you can use espresso. You can also add a but of cocoa for a chocolate flavor.
3. This isn’t a cake you can move once you start making it so be sure to start assemble your layers on the platter you plan to serve it on.
4. If you only want to have 1-2 slices, cut the slices and leave the rest of the cake in the refrigerator.
5. If Marie biscuits are not available you can substitute Graham Crackers.

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