No-Bake Lime and Speculoos Cake

By Zaynab Issa

Published August 5, 2025

  • Rachel Vanni for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Samantha Seneviratne.
Media 1 of 1
Total Time
15 minutes, plus 12 hours’ chilling
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes, plus 12 hours’ chilling
Rating
5(288)
Comments
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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.

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Ingredients

Yield:10 servings

  • 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 ⅓ cup lime juice (from 3 limes), plus more lime zest for garnish

  • 8 to 10 ounces Biscoff or gingersnap cookies, plus more for garnish

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)

45 grams carbs; 63 milligrams cholesterol; 398 calories; 7 grams monosaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 13 grams saturated fat; 22 grams fat; 1 gram trans fat; 1 gram fiber; 290 milligrams sodium; 7 grams protein; 29 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. 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.)

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. Step 4

    Cover the top with plastic wrap and refrigerate until completely chilled and set, at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours.

  5. 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.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
288 user ratings
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Comments

P

I look forward to trying this! It's very similar to what I've done for years (though at a larger scale...) since the college dorm days (and habits that might inspire such experimentation :) ): Take two rock-hard ginger snaps, place between a t and a T of cream cheese between them, squish to where the cream cheese is right at the edge of the cookie, and throw them into an airtight container and let them sit on top of the fridge overnight. Like a soft, gingery oreo the next day.

Andy

There are no stupid questions in baking - only inexperienced bakers. Certainly you could use lemon - I was thinking I might prefer orange. I wouldn't have thought to pair lime with the warm spices in Biscoffs.

Tuire

Loved this cake. I am thinking of adding some flaked coconut or maybe pistachios next time.

C

This was too sweet for my family, even after cutting back the condensed milk by 1/3, and we couldn't really taste the lime. the Biscoff cookies just didn't work with this for us. If I make something like this again, I'll switch up the flavor profile (chocolate wafers and coffee?) and switch out the cream cheese for mascarpone.

Sharon

Looked similar to a simpler dessert I make, so I wanted to try it. It comes together quickly, zesting and juicing the limes takes longest. I used all of the lime juice, a bit more than 1/3 cup, because I like tart flavors. There was plenty of the mixture and even with generous layers, I ended up with not quite a cup left. I saved it to "ice" the dessert once I turned it out. Tasty, though the cookies didn't lend as spicy a flavor as I expected, so I'll stick with my easier dessert.

Geoff

I made this during the recent heat-dome event. Used an 8x8 glass dish, had three layers of cookies. Next time, I would add only 1/2 t of salt… the cream cheese has plenty. People loved it. Full disclosure: I decided to go with the Key West lime juice but was in a hurry and bought the Key West Lemon juice by mistake and actually made the recipe before realizing the mistake. [I mean, the ONLY difference in the bottles is a green cap…and who ever heard of Key West lemon juice, anyway?] …and yet, people loved it. Will make again with the correct juice.

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