Mattonella Cake: grandma’s recipe with custard and cookies. Discover how to prepare this easy no-bake dessert that’s creamy and simple. Just a few ingredients for an irresistible cookie mattonella, perfect as an after-dinner treat or an afternoon snack. Read the secrets to make it perfect!
Grandma’s recipe with custard and cookies. If there’s a dessert that can instantly take us back to childhood, it’s definitely the Mattonella Cake. This version, the classic grandma’s recipe with custard and cookies, is the symbol of homemade baking: simple, genuine and incredibly indulgent.
Why do we love it so much? It’s a no-bake cold cake that is assembled in minutes but gives immense satisfaction at the first bite. Layers of dry cookies quickly soaked in milk merge with a velvety pastry cream (custard), creating a contrast of textures that wins over both kids and adults.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Affordable
- Rest time: 6 Hours
- Preparation time: 45 Minutes
- Portions: 6 servings
- Cooking methods: No-bake
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Mattonella Cake Ingredients
- 2 1/8 cups pastry cream (custard)
- 17.6 oz dry cookies
- 7 fl oz milk (lukewarm)
- 8.5 fl oz heavy cream (for whipping)
- to taste unsweetened cocoa powder
Mattonella Cake Tools
- Baking Pan
- Spatula
- Sieve
- Electric Whisks
Mattonella Cake Steps — no-bake cake
Ready to get your hands (a little) messy and enjoy a guaranteed success? Here is the recipe step by step!
Happy cooking!
Preparing the Base (Pastry Cream (Custard))
1. The secret of the pastry cream
For a perfect result, the pastry cream must be very cold and firm at assembly time. Our advice is to prepare it well in advance, preferably the day before, and keep it in the refrigerator covered with plastic wrap, touching the surface.
You can follow our pastry cream recipe here or use your beloved family recipe.2. Assembly and the First Layer
Take a rectangular baking pan (ideal size about 10 x 6 in).
The Soak: Pour lukewarm milk into a bowl. Quickly dip the dry cookies (they should get moist but not fall apart!) and arrange them on the bottom of the pan without leaving gaps.
The Cream: Spread a generous first layer of cold pastry cream over the cookies.
Pro Tip: Try to visually divide the cream into three equal portions so you will get three even layers.The Indulgent Touch: Smooth the surface well with a spatula and dust generously with unsweetened cocoa powder.
3. Continue Layering
Repeat the operation to create a solid, rich structure:
Make a second layer of soaked cookies, cover with cream and dust again with cocoa.
Finish with the third and final layer of soaked cookies. This will be the base on which the whipped cream rests.4. The Whipped Cream Topping
To make your Mattonella Cake even softer and more inviting, let’s finish with decoration:
Pour the very cold heavy cream from the fridge into a bowl.
Add sugar (about 15 g if the cream is unflavored) and whip with electric beaters until you obtain a stiff, firm consistency.
Spread the whipped cream over the last layer of cookies, leveling with a spatula for a smooth finish or creating waves with a spoon.
5. Final Touch and Refrigeration
The final touch is a light dusting of unsweetened cocoa over the whipped cream.
Now comes the hardest part: the wait! Cover the pan and refrigerate your cold mattonella cake for at least 6 hours. This rest is essential so the cookies absorb the moisture from the cream, becoming as tender as sponge cake, and the cake will slice neatly.Share Your Creation
Did you make this recipe too? I’d love to see your versions!
📷 Tag me on Instagram @camozzini.sonia or leave a comment on the blog.
Together we can create a gallery of elegance and taste!
Follow me on All Channels
Want more ideas like this? Join me:
⭐ On the official blog
⭐ On Instagram
⭐ On Pinterest
⭐ On Facebook
⭐ And of course on the new YouTube Channel
To never miss a recipe, subscribe to the channel and the Facebook group Arte e Fantasia a Tavola: a space to share passions, tips and cooking moments.
Thanks for Being Here
Many thanks to those who visit these pages, leave a comment, a like or simply a thought. Cooking is love, beauty, sharing. Every visit, every word, every shared recipe is part of this small world made of taste and imagination.
Until the next recipe!
With affection,
Sonia – Arte e Fantasia a Tavola
Storage of the Mattonella Cake
The Cold Cookie and Cream Cake is perfect to prepare in advance, but it is essential to store it properly to maintain freshness and texture.
Storage Method
Duration
Useful Instructions
In the Refrigerator
Up to 3-4 days
Keep it in the pan and cover with plastic wrap touching the surface to prevent the whipped cream from absorbing odors or drying out.
In the Freezer
Up to 1 month
Cut the mattonella into slices or freeze whole (without the whipped cream — it’s best to add that fresh after thawing). Seal well in an airtight container.
Thawing
3-4 hours in the refrigerator
Move the cake from the freezer to the refrigerator a few hours before serving. If you froze it without whipped cream, whip fresh cream and add it just before serving.
Variations for Your Mattonella Cake
Coffee Mattonella (Tiramisu-style)
Replace the lukewarm milk used to soak the cookies with strong coffee (or coffee diluted with a little milk).
Intense and aromatic. If you use coffee, try replacing the whipped cream with a light mascarpone cream.
Chocolate Cream
Make half the amount of classic pastry cream and add cocoa powder or melted dark chocolate to the other half. Alternate layers of white cream and chocolate cream.
Perfect for true chocolate lovers.
Adding Fruit
You can add thin layers of fresh fruit (like sliced strawberries or bananas) between cream and cookies, or decorate the surface.
For a touch of freshness and acidity. Ideal in summer.
Different Cookies
Use cookies other than the classic dry ones, such as ladyfingers (for a spongier texture) or crushed Oreos on the bottom for a crunchy base.
This changes the final texture of the dessert completely.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
Which cookies can I use for the Mattonella Cake?
You can use any type of dry cookies (like simple butter cookies, Oro Saiwa or Digestive) that hold up well to soaking. The important thing is to dip them quickly in the milk (2-3 seconds per side is enough) so they remain compact and don’t fall apart completely. If you prefer a lighter texture, you can also use ladyfingers.
Can I use coffee instead of milk to soak the cookies?
Absolutely yes. If you love the flavor of tiramisu, you can replace the lukewarm milk with cold coffee (sweetened or unsweetened, to taste). In that case, your Mattonella will take on a more intense and enveloping flavor, perfect for adults.
Can I freeze the Mattonella Cake?
Yes, this cake freezes well! We recommend freezing the cake without the final whipped cream.
Wrap the finished mattonella (without whipped cream) in plastic wrap and then in a sheet of aluminum foil.
It keeps in the freezer for up to one month.
Thaw slowly in the refrigerator for 3-4 hours. Add freshly whipped cream only before serving.If I buy already sweetened cream, do I still need to add sugar?
If the cream you buy is labeled as “sweet” or “sweetened,” it is not necessary to add the 15 g of sugar suggested in the recipe. Taste it before whipping: if it is already sweet enough for your preference, you can skip that step.
