My dad has been making this chocolate cake since I was a kid. It only takes 15 minutes of prep and doesn’t require any eggs.

We’ve dubbed it the “Konstantinides Torte” for as long as I can remember, but you can call it whatever you want. (Don’t worry, my dad gives you permission.)

This foolproof recipe barely takes 15 minutes to make, and you can easily modify the ingredients to satisfy any taste.

To whip up the original version of my dad’s cake, you’ll need:

• Half of a box of Nilla Wafers
• 2 cups of heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup of milk
• ⅓ cup of brandy
• 1 4-ounce semi-sweet chocolate bar
• 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar
• Semi-sweet chocolate chips

If you’d rather make a strawberry version of this cake, skip the chocolate bar and replace the chocolate chips with strawberries.

“You could also do the chocolate whipped cream with strawberries if you want,” my dad added. “And if you still want to put chocolate chips, nobody’s stopping you from putting chocolate chips!”

My dad, as you may have gathered, is very into chocolate.

My dad does this with an improvised bain-marie, a fancy French term for putting a pan inside another pan to avoid burning the chocolate.

First, fill a pot with just enough water so the second pot touches it when you place it on top. Then, break the semi-sweet chocolate bar into smaller pieces and throw them in the second pot.

If that sounds like too much work, my dad said you can also just melt the chocolate in the microwave.

Don’t forget to stir!

First, we added the two cups of heavy whipping cream to our stand mixer.

Then, we added two tablespoons of sugar to the cream and turned the mixer to high speed.

The consistency of the whipping cream should be like the picture above. Mixing it will take about two minutes in total.

My dad said this is also a great time to check if your filling is sweet enough.

“If you want more sugar, this is your time to add it,” he told me.

The entire prep takes less than five minutes.

First, we added the milk and brandy to a bowl and gave it a little swirl.

If you want to go alcohol-free, that’s fine! This recipe is completely customizable.

My dad said this step not only infuses the cookies with more flavor but also softens them — giving the cake a consistency and texture similar to tiramisu.

And you don’t need to place each cookie in the milk-and-brandy bath one by one. I did this at first and my dad just laughed at me.

“This would take all night if we did it that way!” he exclaimed.

But don’t put too many cookies in the bath, either. You don’t want them to get too soggy before you place them on the pan.

We always use a 21-by-21-centimeter pan for the cake, but my dad said you could easily use a bigger pan, too.

“It just means you’ll use more cookies and have a thinner layer of whipped cream with this recipe,” he added. “Or you can just make more whipped cream.”

We used a spatula to spread and smooth the filling over the Nilla Wafers.

If you’re opting for fruit instead, this would be when you add the strawberries (or whatever fruit your heart desires). Just make sure you cut them into thin slices!

We broke some of the cookies to help fill in the spaces.

We then covered the pan with plastic wrap and stuck it in the fridge, where it sat overnight.

And that’s it, you’re done! But don’t forget the very important final step — licking the bowl.

“It’s the reward for the chef — and whoever helps — to lick the bowl,” my dad told me sagely.

My dad said that one of his favorite parts about this cake is that there’s no baking required, which removes a lot of the stress of making dessert for the family. (Don’t ask him about the Great Souffle Disaster of 2001.)

“You don’t have to worry, ‘Oh, is it ready? Did I overcook it? Is it going to raise?’ like with other cakes,” he told me.

Plus, the recipe is so simple. My dad didn’t even have it written down until I asked him to for this article.

“It’s very easy to remember,” he said. “You don’t even have to remember the proportions; you can just mix and match and put whatever you want there.”

“It’s always trial and error, and it’s very hard to fail. If you put too much brandy, it’s OK! And if you put too little, you know next time to put a little more.”

What I love about my dad’s cake is its fluffiness. It’s lighter than a tiramisu or Ina Garten’s mocha chocolate icebox cake, but the chocolate chips add a delicious crunch.

The chocolate in the mousse is sweet but subtle, and the Nilla Wafers add some great texture. Plus, who doesn’t love a little kick from that brandy?

This cake is obviously perfect for the hotter months, but it works great for any season. My dad makes this for my sister’s birthday in November and for my mom (with strawberries swapped for chocolate) a month later.

After all, chocolate and cookies taste good no matter the season.

When I asked my dad what inspired the Konstantinides Torte, he told me his older sister taught him how to make it. She used ladyfingers for the base, but when my dad moved to the US from Greece, he couldn’t easily find them in the supermarket, so he went with Nilla Wafers instead.

It’s such a simple dessert to pass down within the family. And, since the cake is so versatile, it’s really easy to modify. As my dad told me, “One recipe can really be used for anything you want!”

But, mostly, this cake is super special to me because of its history, and I know I’ll be making it for my own friends and family for decades to come.

I hope it brings you as much joy as it has for us.