Bolo de Bolacha or Biscuit Cake is a Portuguese dessert made with multiple layers of buttercream and Marie biscuits soaked in strong coffee. It’s a Portuguese classic, and you will find it in most tascas and pastelarias. It’s also one of those desserts someone will claim their grandma does best. This Portuguese biscuit cake is simply delicious, and it whips up in under 30 minutes. So, keep reading if you want to learn how to make an authentic Portuguese Bolo de Bolacha from scratch.
Bolo de Bolacha – Portugal’s Iconic Biscuit Cake
If Italy has Tiramisu, Portugal has Bolo de Bolacha. A ‘cake’ made with the thinnest layers of buttercream, and coffee-soaked Marie biscuits. Bolo de Bolacha emerged as a birthday cake making its way to pastelarias and restaurants. Nowadays, can a tasca be really called a tasca if they don’t have bolo de bolacha in their dessert display case?
Like the name implies, Bolo de Bolacha is a cake made with bolacha (the Portuguese word for biscuits). We are not talking about any biscuits though, but the Marie biscuits called bolacha Maria in Portugal. The humble circular biscuits with some tiny holes and embossed rim, which are so popular that even some Portuguese ceramicists draw inspiration from them.
Bolacha Maria – The Biscuits Named after a Duchess
Maria biscuits are the most versatile of biscuits, they are sweet and have a touch of vanilla and are especially appreciated by children. I was surprised to learn that although they are very popular in Portugal, they weren’t really invented here. Instead, they were created in a London bakery in 1874 to celebrate the wedding of the Grand Duchess Maria Alexandrovna of Russia to Queen Victoria’s second son, Alfred, the Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. Ever so slightly different from a rich tea biscuit, they carry the name Marie in the centre, Maria if you are in Portugal.
Authentic Portuguese Biscuit Cake
The Portuguese dessert arose more than a century later, first popping up at tv programs and recipe books during the 70’s and 80’s. Since it’s a bake-less recipe, it became popular at birthday celebrations and gatherings. You will find several recipes out there, some only using butter layered with Maria biscuits soaked in coffee, others where the butter is whipped with sugar, sometimes egg yolks too, to create a lighter buttercream.
My favourite way of making it is to make a buttercream with butter, sugar, egg yolks, a couple of tablespoons of coffee, and vanilla extract. I then whisk the remaining egg whites until firm peaks form and combine it gently with the buttercream creating a mousse-like texture. To assemble the dessert all you have to do is layer the buttercream with the biscuits on a serving dish or cake tin, making sure the layer of cream is as thin as possible. The more layers the better! The top layer should be the buttercream topped with crushed Maria biscuits.
How to Make Bolo de Bolacha – Portuguese Marie Biscuit Cake
Bolo de Bolacha or Biscuit Cake is a Portuguese dessert made with multiple layers of buttercream and Marie biscuits soaked in strong coffee.
Bolo de Bolacha – Portuguese Biscuit Cake Recipe
8
servings0
minutes45
minutes537
kcalBolo de Bolacha or Biscuit Cake is a Portuguese dessert made with multiple layers of buttercream and Marie biscuits soaked in strong coffee.
Ingredients
300 g Marie biscuits
250 g Unsalted Butter- room temperature
200 g Granulated Sugar
1 cup Strong Coffee – cooled
3 Egg Yolks
3 Egg whites
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
Directions
- Add both the softened butter and the sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Cream it with the whisk attachment over medium speed until fluffy. You can also use a wire whisk.
- Add in the egg yolks, continue to whisk to incorporate.
- Add in the vanilla concentrate or extract, and three tablespoons of the coffee. Carry on beating for a couple of minutes. Set aside.
- Add the whites to a separate bowl. Beat with the whisk attachment over low speed until foamy. Increase the speed to medium, continue to beat until it reaches firm peaks. Fold it delicately into the buttercream.
- To assemble the dessert, start by quickly dipping each biscuit into the coffee, then place it on a serving dish in a single layer.
- Spread a thin layer of butter cream on top. Repeat the process until you run out of cream. You should finish with a layer of buttercream.
- Use a pestle and mortar to crush about 6 biscuits, leaving in some chunks. Sprinkle it on top of the cake.
- Pop in the fridge to chill for a couple of hours prior to serving. Enjoy!
Tips
- Make sure to place the butter at room temperature a couple of hours in advance.
- When you fold the whites into the yolks, the butter cream might curdle, don’t worry, it won’t affect the results.
Have you tried this recipe? Let me know in the comments!
More Portuguese Desserts You Will Love!
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- Salame de Chocolate – Portuguese Chocolate Salami
- Leite Creme – Portuguese Crème Brûlée
- Arroz-Doce – Authentic Portuguese Rice Pudding
- Farófias – Portuguese Soft Meringue with Custard