Carlota de Cafe
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If you love tiramisu, you’re going to adore this Carlota de Cafe! Think of it as the Mexican twist on the classic dessert, layers of soft, coffee-soaked Maria cookies paired with a creamy, cinnamon-spiced filling that melts in your mouth. The best part? It’s no-bake, super simple, and perfect for coffee lovers. Everyone I’ve made this for fell in love with it and immediately asked for the recipe!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Cream Cheese: I used Philadelphia. Make sure it’s at room temperature so it blends smoothly with the other ingredients. If you don’t have cream cheese, mascarpone is a great substitute.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: This is a key ingredient for the classic Carlota texture. If you want it less sweet, you could reduce the amount slightly.
- Vanilla Extract: Brings a warm, aromatic flavor that pairs perfectly with the coffee and cinnamon. Pure vanilla extract is best.
- Ground Cinnamon: If you’re not a fan, you can skip it or replace it with a pinch of nutmeg.
- Brewed Coffee: This is what gives the dessert its bold coffee flavor. Use strong coffee that’s cooled. Espresso works too if you want an even more intense flavor.
- Heavy Whipping Cream: Make sure it’s cold before whipping to get the best texture.
- Maria Cookies: Graham crackers or digestive biscuits can work as a substitute, but Maria cookies give the dessert its authentic flavor and texture.
- Cocoa Powder and Instant Coffee (for garnish): If you don’t have instant coffee, you can skip it or just use cocoa powder.
Start by grabbing your cream cheese. Make sure it’s at room temperature because trust me, trying to mix cold cream cheese is a battle you don’t want. Toss it into a mixing bowl along with the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, salt, and cooled coffee. Now beat everything together until it’s silky smooth. You can use either a stand mixer or a hand mixer.
Here’s where the magic happens: pour the heavy whipping cream straight into this mixture. Don’t worry if it looks a bit thin at first. Start whipping and stick with it, it might feel like it’s never going to thicken, but give it a few minutes. Suddenly, it’ll transform into soft peaks, light and fluffy, but not stiff. That’s when you know it’s ready.
Take your 9×13-inch baking dish and spread a thin layer of that whipped coffee cream at the bottom. This is like your glue for the first cookie layer. Now, grab your Maria cookies and arrange them in a single layer, covering the entire surface.
Add another layer of the coffee cream over the cookies, spreading it evenly. Keep alternating layers of cookies and cream until you’ve used up all the cream, finishing with a nice thick layer of cream on top. I got about 5 layers. If you’re left with leftover cream, don’t throw it out, use it as a dip with your cookies. It’s so good, trust me!
Cover the dish with plastic wrap and pop it in the fridge. Here’s the thing, you need to let it chill for at least 4 hours, but overnight is even better. This is when the cookies soften and the flavors meld into something magical. Patience really pays off here. When you’re ready to serve, mix the cocoa powder with a little instant coffee, and lightly dust it over the top.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use a different type of cookie instead of Maria cookies?
Yes, if you don’t have Maria cookies, graham crackers or digestive biscuits work well as substitutes. Just make sure they’re not too thick, as the goal is for the cookies to soften into a cake-like texture.
How do I store leftovers?
Store any leftover Carlota de Cafe in the refrigerator. Cover the dish tightly with plastic wrap or transfer slices to an airtight container. It’ll stay fresh for up to 3 days.
Can I freeze this dessert?
I don’t recommend freezing Carlota de Cafe as the cream mixture can separate and the cookies may lose their softened texture when thawed. Stick to refrigerating it for the best results.
Can I use decaf coffee?
Absolutely! If you want to cut back on caffeine, decaf brewed coffee or espresso works just as well and won’t change the flavor of the dessert.
More Delicious No Bake Desserts
- No Bake Cheesecake
- No Bake Banana Pudding Dessert
- Banana Split Cake (No Bake)
- No Bake Nutella Cheesecake
- The Best Tiramisu
- No Bake Peanut Butter Chocolate Bars
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Carlota de Cafe
Video
Ingredients
- 8 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
- 1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz )
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾-1 cup strong brewed coffee (completely cooled)
- 3 ½ cups heavy whipping cream
- 2-3 packages Maria cookies (or any digestive cookies)
- ½ tablespoon cocoa powder (for garnish)
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee (for garnish)
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the room temperature cream cheese, sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, cinnamon, salt and cooled brewed coffee. Beat the mixture with a mixer until smooth and creamy.
- Add the heavy whipping cream directly into the coffee cream mixture. Continue whipping until the mixture thickens and forms soft peaks. The cream should be fluffy but not too stiff. Don’t worry if it looks a bit thin at first. Start whipping and stick with it, it might feel like it’s never going to thicken, but give it a few minutes.
- In a 9×13 inch baking dish, spread a thin layer of the whipped coffee cream mixture on the bottom. Place a layer of Maria cookies on top, covering the entire surface. Add another layer of the coffee cream on top of the cookies. Repeat the process, alternating layers of cookies and coffee cream, until all the mixture is used, finishing with a layer of the coffee cream on top.
- Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight, to allow the cookies to soften and the flavors to meld.
- Before serving, mix the cocoa powder and instant coffee together in a small bowl. Lightly dust the top of the Carlota with this mixture using a fine sieve or sifter. Slice the Carlota into squares and serve chilled.
Notes
- Use strong brewed coffee for the filling to get a more robust flavor. Decaf works too if you’re avoiding caffeine.
- Some people have been having a hard time with the cream mixture thickening so to avoid this, start with just half of the coffee in step 1 to mix into the cream cheese and condensed milk. Once the whipped cream has stiffened, gently fold in the rest of the coffee gradually, tasting as you go to ensure the mixture stays thick and doesn’t thin out too much. This way, you can control the consistency while still achieving the perfect coffee flavor!
- Chill the dessert overnight if possible. The extra time lets the cookies soften into a cake-like consistency.
- For an extra touch, garnish with grated chocolate or a sprinkle of cinnamon in addition to the cocoa powder and instant coffee.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
