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Carlota de limón
Lime icebox cake
Carlota de limón: no-bake Mexican icebox cake of Marías biscuits and lime cream
In Mexican home kitchens carlota de limón is the dessert everyone's aunt knows by heart: layers of Marías biscuits and a lime cream whipped from condensed and evaporated milk, chilled until it slices like a cake. It is made on hot afternoons in Sonora and Veracruz and turns up at every children's party. The lime curdles the milk just enough to thicken it, so there's no cooking at all. It contains wheat and dairy. Chef's tip: blend in the lime juice slowly, with the motor running, until the cream thickens visibly.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
- 14 oz sweetened condensed milk
- 1 ½ cups evaporated milk, chilled
- 2 tsp lime zest
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Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Blend 14 oz sweetened condensed milk and 1 ½ cups evaporated milk, chilled on low speed for 30 seconds.
1 minStep 2: With the motor running, pour in the ¾ cup fresh lime juice (about 8 limes) in a thin stream and blend for 1–2 minutes until the cream thickens like loose custard. Pouring it all at once is the common mistake; it can split instead of thickening.
3 minStep 3: Spread a little cream in a 20 cm square dish and cover with a layer of 14 oz Marías biscuits or rich tea biscuits, breaking them to fill gaps.
3 minStep 4: Repeat layers of cream and biscuits, finishing with cream, about 5 layers.
10 minStep 5: Sprinkle with the 2 tsp lime zest and some crushed biscuit. Cover and chill for at least 4 hours, or overnight, until the biscuits are soft and it slices cleanly.
5 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 470 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 72 g
- Fat
- 16 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does carlota de limón take?
- About 25 minutes in total.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of sweetened condensed milk?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
- What can I use instead of evaporated milk, chilled?
- Oat, soy or almond milk, same amount (use unsweetened for savoury dishes).
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