This no bake white chocolate wafer cake is a snow-white centerpiece for the Christmas table. Crisp cake wafers alternate with a thick white chocolate pudding cream, toasted hazelnuts and whipped cream, and the oven stays free for other holiday baking.
Crisp wafers and soft cream are a hard combination to resist, and the assembly is simple. The original recipe calls it “Biely anjel” (White Angel). So how do you get a cake that is firm enough to cut into neat slices?
How do you make a white chocolate wafer cake?
Cook a very thick pudding from milk and sugar, then melt white chocolate into it. Beat the cooled pudding into butter. Layer wafers with pudding cream, nuts and whipped cream, then chill the cake until the wafers soften and the flavors come together.
At a Glance
- Prep time: 40 min (plus cooling the pudding and chilling the cake)
- Cooking time: 15 min
- Servings: 12–15 slices
- Difficulty: Medium
- Calories: about 380 kcal per slice
- Trend: No-bake / Holiday / Dairy-free option (with margarine and plant-based milk and cream)
Ingredients
(US cups, with grams in brackets)
- 1 package large rectangular cake wafer sheets (torte wafers)
- 1–2 cups (100–200 g) hazelnuts, toasted and finely ground
Pudding Base
- 3 cups (750 ml) milk, plus about 1 cup (250 ml) to dissolve the pudding powder (plant-based milk works)
- 3/4 cup (200 ml) water
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 6 packets (8.5 oz) vanilla pudding powder, 40 g each (240 g total; see tip for substitutes)
- 7 oz (200 g) white chocolate
Butter Cream
- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (250 g) butter, softened (or stick margarine for a dairy-free version)
- 3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon (100 g) powdered sugar
Whipped Cream Layer
- 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (500 ml) cold heavy cream (36% in the US), whipped to stiff peaks
- Alternative: 300 g instant whipped-topping powder prepared with 300 ml (1 1/4 cups) cold milk or water
Instructions
- Bring the larger part of the milk (3 cups / 750 ml) and the water to a boil in a large pot.
- In the remaining milk (about 1 cup / 250 ml), whisk together all of the pudding powder and the granulated sugar.
- When the milk comes to a boil, pour in the pudding mixture. Stirring constantly, cook a very thick pudding.
- Take the pot off the heat. Break the white chocolate into the hot pudding and stir until it melts.
- Cover the pudding with plastic wrap pressed directly onto the surface and let it cool completely to room temperature.
- In a bowl, beat the softened butter (or margarine) with the powdered sugar until fluffy.
- Beat the cooled pudding into the butter a spoonful at a time until you have a smooth cream.
- In another bowl, whip the whipped topping (prepared from powder with liquid, or fresh heavy cream) to stiff peaks.
- Layering: Place the first wafer on a tray or board. Spread it with a thin layer of the pudding cream.
- Sprinkle the cream with ground hazelnuts and add a layer of whipped cream.
- Cover with a second wafer and repeat (pudding cream, nuts, whipped cream) until you run out of wafers.
- Spread the last wafer with the remaining pudding cream and finish with hazelnuts or shredded coconut.
- Refrigerate the cake for at least 4 hours (ideally overnight) so it firms up and slices cleanly.
Video Recipe
Tips for Perfect No Bake White Chocolate Wafer Cake
- Thick pudding: Do not be alarmed by the 6 packets of pudding powder. The cream has to be extra thick, almost “concrete”, to carry the weight of the cake and to keep the wafers from soaking up moisture too quickly. Wafer cake sheets are sold in Eastern European and German grocery stores and online.
- Hazelnuts: Toast the nuts in a dry skillet before grinding them. They add a pronounced aroma that is reminiscent of Ferrero Rocher candies.
Easy Variations
- Coconut version: Use shredded coconut instead of hazelnuts. White chocolate and coconut go together beautifully.
- Dairy-free version: Use plant-based milk, margarine and a plant-based whipped topping.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can I use less pudding powder? We do not recommend it. With less powder the cream is runnier, and the cake will not hold neat slices.
Why did my cream curdle? The pudding and the butter must be at the same room temperature. If the pudding is cold from the refrigerator and the butter is soft, the cream can split.
How long does the cake keep, and can I make it ahead for Christmas? Yes. It needs at least 4 hours in the refrigerator and is best made the night before. Fresh, it keeps 3–4 days in the refrigerator. The wafers gradually absorb moisture, so by day three the cake is at its softest.
What if I cannot find European pudding powder? It is mostly starch. As a rough substitute, cook the milk with about 1 3/4 cups (225 g) cornstarch and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract and keep cooking until the pudding is very thick and a spoon stands upright in it.
Where do I find the wafers? Look for large rectangular cake or torte wafer sheets in Eastern European, Polish or German grocery stores, or order them online.
This dessert suits a lazy Sunday afternoon as well as the holiday table. Serve it well chilled, cut into neat slices or squares.
The recipe is based on a version by Domaći Recepti, adapted by the We Cook With Love team.
Enjoy! Try more recipes from our kitchen.
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