Known as sukseh “سوكسه” or “lazy cake” this cake is popular throughout the levant area of the Middle East (Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine).
It uses readily available ingredients, is made without an oven, and can be prepared within a matter of minutes. It is perfect for last-minute guests!
Where is sukseh made?
While Sukseh is the name of this cake in Arabic, it is found throughout the world under other names. It is sometimes referred to as chocolate salami, tiffin, chocolate icebox cake, or just simply chocolate biscuit cake. This recipe likely developed as a result of the proliferation of canned and processed foods, the invention of tea biscuits, and the spread of the British empire.
Today, Sukseh, or lazy cake, is made all around the world. It is truly one of the easiest deserts that please all palettes!
Different Variations
Different recipes call for slightly different variations of lazy cake. Some call for cream, chocolate chips, or sugar to be melted together.
My recipe is made with only 4 ingredients. It is a version that I learned from my Arab friends, and it uses ingredients commonly found in Arab households and around the world.
Even better, the recipe does not require anything cooking appliances beyond a microwave and freezer. In fact, it doesn’t even require that you use a pan!
What ingredients are needed to make Arab Lazy Cake?
Melted Butter: Unlike most food bloggers, I don’t find a huge difference between salted or unsalted butter, especially in this recipe. Feel free to use whichever butter you have on hand.
Cocoa Powder: Any brand of unsweetened cocoa powder will work for this recipe!
Tea Biscuits: Often known as Marie Biscuits, you want to use a lightly-sweetened tea biscuit for this cake. They are often a bit lighter and less sweet than digestive cookies or graham crackers, and they can be found in most countries’ biscuit or cookie isle. As I live in Kuwait, I usually use Kuwait Flour Mill’s Petit Beurre cookies for this recipe. I recommend looking for the local version of unflavoured sweetened tea biscuits.
Sweetened Condensed Milk: I use a little bit more than a half can of sweetened condensed milk when making this cake. However, it is fairly flexible to your liking. Feel free to add more or less sweetened condensed milk to suit your personal tastes.
How to make Sukseh?
Firstly, you’ll mix together the melted butter, cocoa powder, and sweetened condensed milk. The mixture will look like a ganache or thick chocolate syrup.
Then, you’ll want to crush your biscuits into fairly large chunks. This recipe is called lazy cake for a reason – not a lot of precision is required! I typically break the biscuits into pieces a little bit larger than my thumb.
Afterwards. Mix the chocolate mixture and cookies together. Transfer the mixture to a sheet of aluminum foil.
Then, roll the aluminum foil with the mixture into a log shape. If you do not have aluminum foil, you can also transfer the mixture to a pan or container lined with baking paper.
Then, you’ll want to place the completed aluminum log into the freezer for 2-3 hours. Once out of the freezer, you can slice the log into cookie-sized pieces and serve!
The dish keeps well in the fridge for 2-3 days, although I find that it rarely lasts that long!
Other Variations
You can also add in marshmallows, nuts, nutella, or a mix of biscuits to the batter to make different variations of this cake.
Sukseh – Arab Lazy Cake
Description
Sukseh or "lazy cake" is the Arab version of a no-bake biscuit cake. It requires no pans, oven, or stove, and it is a perfect desert that can be whipped up in just minutes!
Ingredients
Instructions
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Break the biscuits into thumb-sized chunks.
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In a large bowl, mix together the melted butter, cocoa powder, and sweetened condensed milk. Combine until the mixture resembles ganache or a think chocolate syrup.
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Mix in the biscuit pieces.
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Transfer to a sheet of aluminum foil or a parchment-lined tin. If using aluminum foil, roll the mixture into a log shape and seal the ends.
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Transfer to the freezer for 2-3 hours.
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Afterwards, slice the log into slices as desired and serve.
