Bailey Tries… No Bake Cookie Cake

I’m not one who usually tries the viral TikTok/YouTube/Instagram hacks but this one seemed fairly simple and a great option if you are short on time and cash so I thought I’d give it a go. It is essentially a way to make a “cake” without baking while only having a few ingredients on hand.

Now, being the testing pro that I am, I chose to do this completely from memory with a few tweaks on my part. That was a mistake… The original hack calls for milk, flat shortbreadish cookies and frosting of some sort. I decided to shoosh it up a little by making a fall flavored cake with Biscoff cookies, glazed donut flavored coffee creamer and cream cheese frosting. I basically wanted a spiced cake of sorts. I figured you could use plain cookies and any fun flavored creamer for a plethora of cake options.

So, the original videos show someone dipping dry cookies in milk before stacking them in a cake-like shape. The idea is that the cookies will take on a bit of the milk to soften them and that will create a more cake-like texture without the need to make an actual cake. However, I was trying to multitask and I think my cookies soaked a bit too long. They didn’t feel soggy when I started stacking them but as I went on I noticed more and more creamer leaking out. Mistake number one.

Mistake number two came when I decided to stack them on aluminum foil in the hopes of creating a little package to go in the fridge and set up. The concept worked until I tried to transfer the structurally compromised cookies to a more presentable plate and just gave up, leaving me with a terribly attractive “leftovers” presentation situation.

Why does this "cake" look like a mashed potato topped meatloaf?

Mistake number three came in buying this Duncan Hines Whipped Cream Cheese frosting. It tastes like plastic...slightly vanillaed plastic. It was tragic! I know store bought is never the best but I’ve had store bought cream cheese frosting that tastes like cream cheese at least but this certainly did not. I’m not sure if this is the brand, in general, or the whipped version but it’s a hard pass from me.

Overall, the theory worked but the execution was a bit of a failure on my part. Next time I would devote my full attention to my cookie dipping as to avoid the soggy bottom situation. It came out more like a cake ball consistency than anything which made the Biscoff cookies look like wet cat food. Not visually appealing to say the least. Flavor wise, however, it was really good. I think it would actually make a better fall layered trifle than anything. Kind of a cheats tiramisu. My ultimate kitchen critics, the boys, loved it and begged for more so I guess that’s my seal of approval!