Turkish Chocolate Biscuit Cake, also known as Lazy Cake or Mozaik Pasta, is a rich no-bake dessert made with tea biscuits, dark chocolate, and walnuts. Everything gets mixed in one bowl, pressed into a loaf pan, and chilled until firm.
This recipe needs no oven and no special tools, just about 15 minutes of actual work. Both kids and adults go for it, so it never lasts long in our house.
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Just like Easy No-Bake Strawberry Tiramisu and Chocolate Covered Oreos, it is a no-bake sweet you can throw together on a busy day.
If you'd rather watch than read, here's a quick video that walks through the whole process.
What is Mozaik Pasta - Lazy Cake
Mozaik Pasta is the Turkish name for this popular chocolate biscuit cake. Pasta means cake in Turkish, and mozaik refers to the mosaic pattern the biscuit pieces make when you slice it. In Turkey it is a tea-time classic, and most of us grew up eating it at birthdays and family visits.
You will find versions of this no bake dessert around the world. It is called Lazy Cake in Lebanon, Chocolate Salami in Italy, and Kormos in Greece. The Turkish version is made with a cooked chocolate sauce of milk, butter, and cocoa instead of the condensed milk many other versions use.
Why This Recipe Works
- You do not need an oven, a mixer, or any special equipment. A bowl and a saucepan get the whole thing done.
- I make the sauce with real dark chocolate as well as cocoa, and you can taste the difference.
- It is a great one to make with kids. They can break the biscuits and press the mixture into the pan.
- The whole cake can be made days ahead and waits in the freezer until you need it, so it is a good dessert for guests.
- One loaf gives you 12 slices, so it goes a long way at tea time.
Ingredients You'll Need
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information
- Biscuits - I use Petit Beurre biscuits as they are the most popular ones that we use in Turkey for making Mozaik Pasta. However, you can use whatever is available for you, such as digestive biscuits or graham crackers.
- Chocolate - Here in this Chocolate Biscuit Cake recipe, chocolate is the star of the show so it is important to choose a top-quality one you can afford. I use Lindt 70% dark chocolate but Valrhona chocolates are also quite popular.
- Butter - I melt the butter in the microwave before adding it to milk to make things quicker. However, you can melt the butter together with the milk. Both salted and unsalted butter works fine with this recipe.
- Milk - Milk provides the moisture necessary to help the sugar dissolve, and also thin out the batter making it much easier to mix with the biscuits. You can substitute it with orange juice.
- Cacao Powder - Same as when I am making no-bake dessert Classic Italian Tiramisu, I prefer using good quality unsweetened cocoa powder for a rich & bitter chocolate taste.
- Walnuts - They add extra crunch and flavor to Lazy Cake. Lightly toast them in the oven and crush them before adding them to the biscuits. You can substitute walnuts with pecan nuts, hazelnuts, or pistachio nuts.
- Icing Sugar - Because it melts quicker! You can use caster sugar if you prefer.
How to Make Lazy Cake - Chocolate Biscuit Cake
Make the Chocolate Sauce
Melt the butter in a microwave, and place it in a saucepan along with the milk, cacao powder, and icing sugar.
Give them a good stir, place the pan on medium-low heat, and bring it to a boil. Remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate pieces.
When the chocolate pieces melt, give the mixture a good stir until the sauce is nice and shiny, and all the chocolate is incorporated.
Let the chocolate sauce cool down for 10 minutes while preparing the biscuits and lining the loaf pan with a cling film or parchment paper.
Build and Chill the Cake
Line a 23 cm (9") loaf pan with cling film or parchment paper, leaving an overhang to cover the cake later. This step is necessary to avoid the cake from sticking to the pan when you flip it. Break the biscuits into chunky pieces in a large bowl.
Chop or crush the walnuts (lightly toasted in a 160° C - 320° F preheated oven for 10 minutes), and add them to the biscuits.
Pour in the chocolate sauce and give them a gentle stir, making sure all is combined.
Transfer the mixture to the loaf pan and press it gently, making sure that the biscuits are firmly packed without any gaps.
Cover the top of the cake with overhanging cling film (or parchment paper), and place it in a freezer.
Freeze the cake for a minimum of 3 hours, remove the cling film and transfer it to a serving plate. Alternatively, if you're not serving it on the same day, you can place the cake in the fridge overnight.
Garnish with ground pistachio and/or desiccated coconut, slice, and serve.
Recipe Tips From the Chef
- Line a 23 cm (9") loaf pan with cling film or parchment paper to avoid the cake from sticking to the pan when you flip it.
- Chocolate is the star of the show so it is important to choose a top-quality one you can afford.
- Lightly toast the walnuts (or any other nuts you use) in a 160° C - 320° F preheated oven for 10 minutes to enhance the flavor.
- Break the biscuits into medium pieces by hand. If you crush them too fine, the cake loses its mosaic look and turns mushy.
- Let the sauce cool for about 10 minutes before adding the biscuits, or they will soften too much.
- Taste the sauce before the biscuits go in. If it is not chocolatey enough for you, stir in a little more cocoa while it is still warm.
- Run your knife under hot water and wipe it dry before slicing. You get clean slices with a sharp mosaic pattern.
Variations
- Swap the walnuts for pistachios to make a pistachio lazy cake, or use hazelnuts or almonds instead.
- Add a handful of dried cranberries, raisins, or chopped dried figs along with the biscuits.
- Stir a little orange zest into the sauce for a chocolate orange version.
- Fold in mini marshmallows for a rocky road style cake.
- Top the set cake with a quick ganache of melted chocolate and cream for a bakery style finish.
- Leave the nuts out completely if you are making it for someone with an allergy. The cake sets just the same.
Serving Ideas
This cake is rich, so thin slices go a long way.
- In Turkey it is usually served with a glass of Turkish Tea - Çay in the afternoon. It also goes well with Turkish Coffee or a warm cup of Salep (Sahlab) in the winter months.
- Serve it straight from the fridge on a dessert platter with fresh strawberries or raspberries.
- A slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream turns it into a proper pudding.
Storage and Make Ahead Instructions
You can make this cake a few days ahead and keep it in the freezer until you need it. Let it sit at room temperature for about half an hour before slicing and serving.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. You can also portion and freeze them for up to 3 months.
Recipe FAQs
My Plum Cake Recipe takes a little more time in the oven, but it's just as simple to put together.
You can turn this lazy cake simply by using gluten-free biscuits instead of regular tea biscuits.
They are close cousins. Chocolate Salami is the Italian version, shaped into a log by hand and sliced into thin rounds. Lazy Cake sets in a loaf pan and is cut into thicker slices, and the Turkish version uses a cooked sauce of milk, butter, and cocoa.
Because it takes so little effort. There is no baking, no mixer, and only one bowl to wash. The name is common in Lebanon and the Middle East, while in Turkey the same cake is called Mozaik Pasta.
Yes. Use a plant-based butter and milk, and pick a dairy-free dark chocolate. Check the biscuit label too, as most tea biscuits are already vegan but some brands contain milk.
Some traditional Turkish recipes use raw egg in the chocolate mixture. This recipe does not. The sauce is cooked on the stove, so there is no raw egg anywhere in the cake.
Yes. Shape the mixture into a log on a sheet of cling film, roll it tightly, twist the ends, and freeze. This is how it is usually shaped in Turkey. A springform pan works too.
Related Recipes
For more delicious no-bake dessert recipes why not try:
Did you make this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out! Leave a comment below and tag @cookingorgeous on Instagram and hashtag it #cookingorgeous.
I hope you enjoy the process of making this rich, crunchy, and delicious Lazy Cake (Mozaik Pasta) as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
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Chocolate Biscuit Cake - Lazy cake
Ingredients
- 4 ½ oz butter (130 grams)
- 1 cup semi-skimmed or full-fat milk
- ½ cup icing sugar
- 3 tablespoon cacao powder
- 4 ½ oz dark chocolate (130 grams)
- 10 ½ oz tea biscuits (300 grams)
- 1 cup chopped walnuts (lightly toasted)
- chopped pistachio nuts and/or desiccated coconut (to garnish)
Instructions
Make the Chocolate Sauce
- Melt the butter in a saucepan, and add the milk, cacao powder, and icing sugar.
- Give them a good stir, place the pan on medium-low heat, and bring it to a boil.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the chocolate pieces.
- When the chocolate pieces melt, give the mixture a good stir until the sauce is nice and shiny, and all the chocolate is incorporated.
- Let the chocolate sauce cool down for 10 minutes while preparing the biscuits and lining the loaf pan with a cling film or parchment paper.
Build and Chill the Cake
- Line a 23 cm (9") loaf pan with cling film or parchment paper, leaving an overhang to cover the cake later. This step is necessary to avoid the cake from sticking to the pan when you invert it.
- Lightly toast the walnuts in a 160° C (320° F) preheated oven for 10 minutes.
- Break the biscuits into chunky pieces in a large bowl and add the roughly chopped walnuts.
- Pour in the chocolate sauce and give them a gentle stir, making sure all is combined.
- Transfer the mixture to the loaf pan and press it gently, making sure that the biscuits are firmly packed without any gaps.
- Cover the top of the cake with overhanging cling film (or parchment paper), and place it in a freezer.
- Freeze the cake for a minimum of 3 hours, remove the cling film and transfer it to a serving plate.
- Alternatively, if you're not serving it on the same day, you can place the cake in the fridge overnight.
- Garnish with ground pistachio and/or desiccated coconut, slice and serve.
Video
Notes
- Line a 23 cm (9") loaf pan with cling film or parchment paper to avoid the cake from sticking to the pan when you flip it.
- Chocolate is the star of the show so it is important to choose a top-quality one you can afford.
- Lightly toast the walnuts (or any other nuts you use) in a 160° C - 320° F preheated oven for 10 minutes to enhance the flavor.
- Break the biscuits into medium pieces by hand. Crushing them too fine loses the mosaic look and makes the cake mushy.
- Let the chocolate sauce cool for about 10 minutes before adding the biscuits, or they will soften too much.
- You can swap the walnuts for pistachios, hazelnuts, or almonds, or leave the nuts out completely.
- Turn this lazy cake gluten free simply by using gluten-free biscuits instead of regular tea biscuits.
- Make ahead: The cake can be made a few days in advance and kept in the freezer. Let it sit at room temperature for half an hour before slicing.
- Storage: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week, or portion and freeze for up to 3 months.
- Run your knife under hot water and wipe it dry for clean slices.
Katherine says
It was so easy to make and turned out crunchy, chocolate and finger licking good !