No-Bake Lime and Speculoos Cake

Name: No-Bake Lime and Speculoos Cake
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 12 h 10 min
Total time: 12 h 15 min
Yield: 10 servings
Ingredients: 1 cup heavy cream; 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk; 1 (8-ounce) block cream cheese, softened to room temperature; 1 teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal); 2 tablespoons freshly grated lime zest and 1/3 cup lime juice (from 3 limes), plus more lime zest for garnish; 8 to 10 ounces Biscoff or gingersnap cookies, plus more for garnish

By Zaynab Issa

Published Aug. 6, 2025

No-Bake Lime and Speculoos Cake — Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.

Total Time: 15 minutes, plus 12 hours’ chilling
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes, plus 12 hours’ chilling
Rating: (0)
Comments: Read comments

The caramel-y, gently spiced flavor and crisp texture of Biscoff speculoos cookies make them a great choice for icebox cakes. As the cookies chill in the refrigerator between layers of lime cream, they meld and soften, resulting in a sliceable dessert reminiscent of a frosted cake. The whipped cream layer includes cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk to sweeten and stabilize the cream, while lime zest and juice add a bright, citrusy contrast.

or to save this recipe.
Subscriber benefit: Give recipes to anyone
As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
Subscribe
Share this recipe
Print this recipe
Include recipe photo

Ingredients

Yield:10 servings

1cup heavy cream
1(14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1(8-ounce) block cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1teaspoon kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
2tablespoons freshly grated lime zest and ⅓ cup lime juice (from 3 limes), plus more lime zest for garnish
8 to 10ounces Biscoff or gingersnap cookies, plus more for garnish

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Rinse a standard 8½-by-4½-inch loaf pan and shake off the excess water. Use a few sheets of plastic wrap to fully line the pan, making sure it lays as flat as possible and comes all the way up the sides with overhang. (The residual moisture from rinsing will encourage the plastic wrap to adhere.)
Step 2
Add heavy cream to a large bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat just until stiff peaks form. Add condensed milk, cream cheese and 1 teaspoon salt and whip until the cream cheese has been evenly incorporated. Add lime zest and juice and briefly beat to combine.
Step 3
Transfer about 1 cup of the lime cream to the prepared pan and use a small spatula to spread it across the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Arrange an even layer of biscuits over the cream, breaking the cookies as needed to form an even layer. Top biscuits with about 1 cup of the lime cream, spread it into an even layer, and top with another layer of biscuits. Continue layering in the same manner, finishing with the cream. There should be 5 cream layers and 4 cookie layers total.
Step 4
Cover the top with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely chilled and set, at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours.
Step 5
To serve, remove the top layer of plastic, cover the loaf pan with a platter, and flip over. The icebox cake should easily release. If it doesn’t, hold down the excess plastic wrap from the sides with one hand while lifting the loaf pan with the other to help break the seal. Peel off the plastic wrap and cut into ¾-inch-thick slices. Serve immediately.