This Lazy Cat Cake Went Viral for a Reason (It’s So Indulgent)

The ceaseless pace of viral recipe sensations means that one is often overtaken by the next big thing before you can get around to trying it. Or, if you’re like me, hearing about it in the first place. I was late to the lazy cat cake party.

Luckily, a recipe lasts longer than buzz. You can return to it anytime. Try this viral sensation from the recent past and serve lazy cat cake at gatherings or just for fun. It’s a rich, chocolatey riot of textures. Use chocolate cake mix as the base and dress it up with a luscious cream cheese layer topped with a thick, shiny ganache. A playful crown of crispy chocolate cereal dusted with cocoa powder caps it all off.

Lazy cat cake is as impressive as a bakery dessert but totally doable at home. Think of it as the love child of tiramisu and a Hostess chocolate cupcake.

What Is Lazy Cat Cake?

During the Ramadan festivities, Kuwaiti chef Ahmed Al Zamel caused a stir with his video of lazy cat cake. The recipe went viral on social media in the Middle East, then rapidly took over foodie feeds all over. Creators posted their own takes and bakeries peddled copycat versions. Simply Recipes even got in on the act with a video!

Now that the flurry has died down a bit, I wanted to revisit lazy cat cake in a calmer fashion. In his original preparation, Al Zamel made the cake from scratch, but why bother when boxed chocolate cake mix is so dang good? (That’s the “lazy” part).

This version delivers an accessible 9x13-inch pan and a bountiful cream cheese layer to perfectly balance the proportions of each delicious element. 

Tips for Lazy Cat Cake

• If your cream cheese isn’t at room temperature, speed up the process by microwaving it in 15-second bursts to take the chill off.
• If a stand mixer is too much of a hassle, you can beat the cream cheese mixture with a hand mixer. Just ensure it's smooth and lump-free.
• After trying different cereals, we went with Cocoa Pebbles (yabba-dabba-doo!) for their diminutively crunchable size and shape. Putting the cereal on the ganache layer while the ganache isn’t quite set makes sure the cereal stays on the cake when you serve it.

Lazy Cat Cake Variations

• For a richer chocolate flavor, substitute the water with brewed coffee when preparing the cake mix.
• Swap in yellow or white cake mix for chocolate cake mix.
• Play around with the topping: Instead of cereal, use crushed chocolate cookies. Or try a mix of chocolate and plain rice cereal for the crispy topping.

Make Ahead

You can freeze the cake without the crispy topping for up to 1 month. Wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and then in foil. Thaw the cake overnight in the refrigerator, then add the cereal topping and chill about 15 minutes before serving.