Kalter Hund (German No-Bake Chocolate Biscuit Cake)

In the fall and winter, every German household has its own version of a pumpkin-spiced turnover, often called “Kalter Hund” or “Cold Dog.” The recipe goes like this: Take a roll of puff pastry, cut it into quarters, divide it into strips, and cover each with one layer of melted chocolate, then roll it like a jelly roll. You can add dried fruit for a seasonal touch, or replace the chocolate with semisweet chocolate chips.

No-Bake Chocolate Biscuit Cake from the German language blog “Kalter Hund”, (meaning Cold Dog). This is a traditional German dessert made with chocolate biscuits, which are then rolled in cocoa and dusted with powdered sugar before being decorated with a star cookie cutter.

It doesn’t get much simpler than this. You can make this cake with store bought chocolate wafers or with homemade ones. A little bit of butter in the crust creates a crisp crust, and a little bit of jam or other fruit spread between the wafers makes a tasty filling in no time at all.

A Chocolate Cake Like No Other! Kalter Hund Is A Simple Chocolate Cake Like No Other!

Are you searching for a rich, silky, and crispy chocolate cake? Kalter Hund is a must-have!

This traditional German dish is known by many distinct names. Kalter Hund (cold dog) is Lisa’s favorite, but it’s also known as Kalte Schnauze (cold snout) or Kellerkuchen (basement cake)!

English speakers may be familiar with a comparable variation known as a “hedgehog slice,” which is similar but not necessarily identical to a Kalter Hund.

It’s essential to note that the recipe has many variations. Some recipes call for eggs, but because this cake isn’t cooked, we prefer to prepare it without them – and this recipe won’t either.

Hedgehog slices (the type described above) may also contain nuts or puff rice bits, but we went with the traditional Kalter Hund.

Look those those beautiful Kalter Hund slices!

For Lisa, this no-bake cake brings back a lot of memories. This was always a popular cake for children’s birthday celebrations when she was a kid growing up in Germany in the 1990s.

However, it is also well-liked by grownups! In fact, if you want to, you may add a little rum to the chocolate mixture. Then you’ve got a “tippy Kalter Hund” (no, that’s not a thing).

Our delectable Kalter Hund came out beautifully!

Recipe Suggestions

The secret to making Kalter Hund is to get the layers of biscuits/cookies just perfect. These are essentially butter biscuits, which are extremely crispy and have a basic, almost vanilla-like taste.

You may think of “butter biscuits” in a different way, but this is what Germans mean when they speak of traditional “Butterkekse” (German for “butter biscuit”).

They are available in a variety of nations, but in Germany, prominent brands include Leibnitz and Bahlsen. No-name brands, on the other hand, will do the job just as well!

Consider the bottom portion of Leclerc’s “Celebration Cookies” if the chocolate branding were removed. If you’re a Canadian, you’ll understand what we’re talking about.

We’re not sure whether there’s a comparable brand in the United States – if there is, please let us know!

For Germans, they are traditional butter cookies!

Overall, this cake is simple to prepare. It’s important to remember that it’s not healthy – but it’s tasty.

Another factor to consider is the amount of time it takes to prepare food before eating. Kalter Hund should be refrigerated for at least four hours.

So, although it doesn’t take long to prepare, you’ll have to wait a few hours before you can eat it. This has always been (and continues to be) the most difficult aspect for Lisa!

Recipes that are similar

If you like Kalter Hund, you’ll love these other delicious dessert and cake recipes!

Ingredients

• Dark Chocolate, 10.5 oz (300g)
• Milk Chocolate, 7 oz (200g)
• 2/3 cup whipping cream (160 mL)
• Coconut Oil, 1/2 cup (120 ml)
• Butter Biscuits, 4.2 oz (120 g) (popular brands are Leibnitz or Bahlsen)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence, a squirt of rum

Instructions

1. Small bits of chocolate should be broken up.
2. In a small saucepan, melt the chocolate, cream, and coconut oil over low heat. Stir continuously. If your coconut oil is solid, you may warm it in a hot water bath ahead of time to make measuring simpler.
3. Remove the pan from the heat after everything has melted and turned into a smooth chocolate mixture. Add a teaspoon of vanilla essence if you don’t like the flavor of coconut oil. If it’s an adult-only cake, a dash of rum may be added.
4. If you’re not using a silicone loaf pan, line it with parchment paper.
5. Cover the bottom of the pan with a thin coating of the chocolate mixture. As required, smooth it out with a spatula or spoon.
6. On top of the chocolate mixture, place one layer of biscuits. The biscuits should not contact the loaf pan (there should be a small gap/border around it) to give the cake an even appearance in the end. You may trim your biscuits to suit your pan as required.
7. Apply a second thin coating of chocolate mixture to the cookies, smoothing it out as required. Repeat with another layer of biscuits until all of the chocolate mixture has been used up. It’s crucial that the last layer be chocolate-based, so keep that in mind. Our cake (which is a little on the small side) typically has four layers of biscuits.
8. To ensure that the chocolate has set properly, cover the loaf pan and place it in the fridge for at least 5 hours. You may also refrigerate the cake overnight.
9. Remove your cake from the fridge once the refrigerating period has passed, remove the lid, and gently release it from the pan. Turn it out onto a serving plate, discard the parchment paper (if you used any), and serve cold! When cutting slices, be cautious not to break the biscuits.

Notes

• This recipe may be made using “regular” chocolate. If you have access to cooking chocolate or chocolate coating (known in German as Kuvertüre), you may use some of that as well. Typically, black cooking chocolate and regular milk chocolate are combined.
• Butter biscuits weighing 4.2 oz (120 g) should provide around 16 cookies. You may need extra biscuits if your bread pan is wider.
• A silicone loaf pan with dimensions of 9.5 4 inches was utilized. We suggest using a silicone pan since it’s simpler to remove the cake after it’s baked. If you don’t have one, parchment paper should be used to line your loaf pan.
• The cake tastes better, in our view, when chilled overnight before serving. Five hours in the fridge, on the other hand, is more than enough time for it to harden.
• Because this cake is so heavy, the pieces you cut should be on the thinner side.

Information about nutrition:

Serving Size: 16 1 Serving Size: 1 Serving Size: 1 Serving Size: 1 Serving Size: 1 Serving Size: 1 Serving Size 107 calories 6 g total fat 2g Saturated Fat 0g trans fat 3 g of unsaturated fat 4 milligrams of cholesterol Sodium content: 98 mg 12g Carbohydrates 1 gram of fiber 4 g sugar 2 g protein

An online nutrition calculator was used to determine this nutritional information. It should only be used as a guideline and not as a substitute for expert dietary guidance. Depending on the particular components used, the exact values may vary.

How did this recipe turn out for you?

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If you’re looking for an easy, no-bake dessert that’s perfect for the upcoming holiday season, then look no further. This year we’re bringing back the favorite chocolate biscuit recipe of all time: Kalter Hund with no-bake chocolate biscuit cake. We’ll be posting every step-by-step recipe (including the instructions for the chocolate glaze) on the blog, so stay tuned.. Read more about kalter hund history and let us know what you think.