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The Basics: How to Make an Icebox Cake
The easiest, most addictive dessert ever
From the store to the kitchen to the table: We outline the steps that get you from raw ingredients to your dinner tonight, free of measurements and complicated techniques. It’s a method you’ll remember and whip out whenever you like. It is the most basic way to make the thing you’re making.
- WHAT YOU’LL NEED:
- - a big bowl (preferably chilled)
- - a whisk, eggbeater, or stand mixer
- - a plate, serving platter, or baking sheet
- - a half pint of heavy cream or store-bought whipped cream
- - vanilla extract
- - powdered sugar
- - a box of thin wafer cookies (chocolate wafers, ginger thins, etc.)
- - decorations for the outside of the cake (M&M’s, chocolate chips, crushed cookies, fruit, nuts, etc.)
WHAT YOU’LL DO:
PRINT PDF1. If you’re whipping your own cream rather than using store-bought, pour the cream into the chilled bowl and add a drizzle of vanilla and a couple of spoonfuls of powdered sugar.
2. Whisk or beat the cream until stiff peaks are clinging to the whisk or beater.
3. Spread the whipped cream on one side of a cookie, then top with another cookie and spread more whipped cream on the top side of that cookie. Place on your plate or baking sheet and keep stacking cookies on top of one another and spreading whipped cream in between until you can comfortably turn the stack on its side, like a log. Build the cake as long as you want it.
4. Spread the remaining whipped cream all over the outside of the cake.
5. Put the cake in the refrigerator and chill at least one and a half hours. (The longer it chills, the softer the consistency of the cookies will be.)
6. Remove the cake from the refrigerator and decorate the outside with the garnish of your choice.
7. Cut the cake a bit diagonally so that you can see the individual layers and serve.
Illustrations by Bill Russell
NickADD - pls review the comments already submitted; they include several suggestions.
Any dry sweet item can be slathered with any thick wet (edible)material to make a refrigerator cake; though you may need to experiment to achieve the best texture.
The dry item does NOT have to be crisp and brittle: I sometimes use Mothers oatmeal raisin cookies and Jell-O French vanilla pudding mix for a...+READ
NickADD - pls review the comments already submitted; they include several suggestions.
Any dry sweet item can be slathered with any thick wet (edible)material to make a refrigerator cake; though you may need to experiment to achieve the best texture.
The dry item does NOT have to be crisp and brittle: I sometimes use Mothers oatmeal raisin cookies and Jell-O French vanilla pudding mix for a hearty rustic result. I don't recommend "instant" pudding, as the thickeners are nasty after the cookies suck up the moisture.-COLLAPSE
Does anyone know if there is an alternative brand to the Nestle chocolate wafer? I'm trying to eliminate hydrogenated oils and high fructose from my diet, but don't want to let go of simple pleasure like this....
Bon Appetit had a version of this that they made into an easy Christmas log, using Dutch cocoa, espresso powder and powdered sugar. It was the hit of our Christmas. BTW, this was also a staple of my mom's repertoire in the 60s and you have to slice it on the diagonal, as stated and illustrated and cookies look just like the picture, which is just how they look when I cut mine. Also one cup of...+READ
Bon Appetit had a version of this that they made into an easy Christmas log, using Dutch cocoa, espresso powder and powdered sugar. It was the hit of our Christmas. BTW, this was also a staple of my mom's repertoire in the 60s and you have to slice it on the diagonal, as stated and illustrated and cookies look just like the picture, which is just how they look when I cut mine. Also one cup of heavy cream isn't enough IMO. In fact, I used 3 cups of cream to make my mocha log. And the whole thing has to sit 6 hours at the very least to work effectively.-COLLAPSE
My mom used to make this in the '50s. She put thin slices of banana in between each layer as well as the whipped cream. Heaven!!!
leslieolson - Famous Wafers(R) are often in odd places, like the baking aisle or next to "gourmet" (imported specialty) foods. My Safeway puts them on the top shelf near "Shake n Bake" (??). Also, sometimes on the end display of the ice cream aisle.
If all else fails, try Amazon.com.
Refrigerator cakes are definitely a fun treat. It's funny how many people have thought it was a dobosh torte and are completely in awe. ;)
I use Anna's Thins (they come in lemon, ginger , et cetera) and often add a splash of brandy or liqueur.
If your LO has specific flavor preferences, you can swap pudding or softened ice cream partially or totally for the whipped cream.
Pls use real...+READ
Refrigerator cakes are definitely a fun treat. It's funny how many people have thought it was a dobosh torte and are completely in awe. ;)
I use Anna's Thins (they come in lemon, ginger , et cetera) and often add a splash of brandy or liqueur.
If your LO has specific flavor preferences, you can swap pudding or softened ice cream partially or totally for the whipped cream.
Pls use real pudding, not "instant" (too artificially thickened for my taste and the resulting cake has an odd texture when the moisture is sucked out by the wafers).-COLLAPSE
Any advice on how to find the elusive chocolate wafers? I'm stuck with standard supermarkets, and can find no chocolate wafers except (ack) sugar-free.
The King Arthur Cookie Cookbook has a recipe that makes excellent, thin chocolate wafers that are not quite a copycat but are as close as I've gotten to replicating Famous Chocolate Wafers. The dough was very hard to handle even after a lengthy chill but the results were worth it.
Re: cmocva's comment. Every recipe for this that I have read (Cook's Country, Everyday Food, back of the cookie box) says to chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. Cook's Country says 6, and that's what I did. After that period of time, the cookies soften and have the texture of a baked cake. It doesn't matter how many cookies you're slicing through, the knife slides through like butter. (In...+READ
Re: cmocva's comment. Every recipe for this that I have read (Cook's Country, Everyday Food, back of the cookie box) says to chill for at least 4 hours or overnight. Cook's Country says 6, and that's what I did. After that period of time, the cookies soften and have the texture of a baked cake. It doesn't matter how many cookies you're slicing through, the knife slides through like butter. (In fact, I used a butter knife).
Re: gyozagirl's comment. When you slice the cake on a diagonal, the cookies look just like they do in the illustration.
Re: the M&Ms haters. Each of these recipes (mentioned above) calls for decorating the cake with mini chocolate chips or mini M&Ms. You don't apply the chips till you're serving the cake, so no, they don't bleed colour or wreck the texture.
Also: Cook's Country calls for the cream to be beaten to soft peaks, so the cream doesn't break down as the cake chills.
I made this cake on the weekend, and it was delicious. Don't over-think it.
Cook's Country: http://www.cookscountry.com/pwlogin.asp?did=3048&area=recipe&iseason=
Everyday Food: http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/chocolate-mint-icebox-cake-COLLAPSE
One and a half hours is simply not long enough. I agree with Discerning1 it's better if left overnight, but 3 hours+ and it will be fine. Not sure about this need to decorate, this is a classic that stands alone, and once people get their peice no one's caring about what it looks like!
I used to think icebox cake was magical when I was a kid... I remember watching my friend's mother make it for us, and I saw those crunchy cookies turn into a lovely soft velvety chocolate cake with my own eyes. Then a couple of hours later we at it. Yum!
gyozagirl, the instructions say to cut it on the diagonal so no, you wouldn't be cutting between cookies but through a row of them. The smittenkitchen version is certainly more attractive although I suspect that it doesn't thoroughly soften unless you trowel whipped cream all around it, which would spoil the look of it. Trader Joe's little cat-shaped cookies (which come in chocolate) would also...+READ
gyozagirl, the instructions say to cut it on the diagonal so no, you wouldn't be cutting between cookies but through a row of them. The smittenkitchen version is certainly more attractive although I suspect that it doesn't thoroughly soften unless you trowel whipped cream all around it, which would spoil the look of it. Trader Joe's little cat-shaped cookies (which come in chocolate) would also work for this if done smittenkitchen-style. Another no vote on the M&Ms.-COLLAPSE
I would hesitate to serve this dessert as outlined to younsters. They could swallow the M&M's in such a creamy dessert and choke on the candies. No thanks.
Remember to refrigerate, not freeze, this confection. And even though the round cake looks lovely, the regular old "tube" version is also very attractive and delish.
Azizeh, That ice box cake at Smitten Kitchen looks fantastic! I wish I'd thought of this/read the article before the 4th of July. Oh well, I can try to remember to make it when my nephew gets back from Bangkok next month. :-) That will give me time to empty out enough space in my freezer for it to fit.
@ cmocva, thanks for the tips!
A tasty alternative is to use those wafer thin ginger cookies, then sprinkle with shaved crystallized ginger
Smitten Kitchen has a very nice looking icebox cake on her site. http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/01/wafer-wonderland/ I've never made/had one of these things, but hers has tempted me on more than one occasion. This one? Not so much.
goyza girl, you are right. the last pic shows the way the cookies are supposed to be aligned when sliced, but the directions given will not result in this neat arrangement. And no, you are not picky, it would be awkward to slice through just whipped cream or try to slice through a single cookie. Instead, you should sandwich together, 4 or 5 cookies, and set the stack down on the cookie's edge....+READ
goyza girl, you are right. the last pic shows the way the cookies are supposed to be aligned when sliced, but the directions given will not result in this neat arrangement. And no, you are not picky, it would be awkward to slice through just whipped cream or try to slice through a single cookie. Instead, you should sandwich together, 4 or 5 cookies, and set the stack down on the cookie's edge. Make a second stack and lay it on edge, put that behind the first stack. you should now have 2 rows of cookies, as if each cookie was a soldier standing in formation, one behind the other. Continue to make stacks until all the cookies are used. Then frost log with cream. I love this dessert. I would love to get a copycat recipe of Nabisco's Famous Chocolate Cookies. Does anyone know if such a recipe exists?? As for the M&M's...2 thumbs down; the chocolate shavings....2 thumbs up.-COLLAPSE
I think a gaggle of 6-yos would love it. This is good information for me since I frequently find myself knee-deep in such persons. For my own peer group, not so much.
M&Ms would be absolutely gross. I don't think the originator tried this recipe. The color of the M&Ms would leak onto the whipped cream. This cake is a family standby; it's better left overnight to allow the chocolate wafers to absorb moisture from the whipped cream get all "cakey."
My mom used to make the for my birthday since I was a little girl. I still love it. NO M&M's for me, just the cake, but I have added some chocolate curls to it
What do I think???? I think you all need to get a grip......this is actually just an icon of the 50's which Chow is embellishing with M&M's. Whipped cream & chocolate wafers cookies! OMG, make it easy on yourself, whip the cream, get a few bowls of nuts, morsels, coconut, etc. and then open the cookies. Dip the cookies in the whipped cream, then dip into the embellishments........easy? You can...+READ
What do I think???? I think you all need to get a grip......this is actually just an icon of the 50's which Chow is embellishing with M&M's. Whipped cream & chocolate wafers cookies! OMG, make it easy on yourself, whip the cream, get a few bowls of nuts, morsels, coconut, etc. and then open the cookies. Dip the cookies in the whipped cream, then dip into the embellishments........easy? You can handle it. I'm sure some of you will make it easier by using Cool Whip :)-COLLAPSE
I hate to get all nitpicky about this, but at least with the way the cake is illustrated, when you cut it at the end, wouldn't you only see one side of one cookie or the whipped cream middles? I thought part of the appeal of an icebox cake was seeing all of the thin cookie layers...
I agree about the M&Ms. I think shaved chocolate would be a nice touch, though.
Made in the round is nicer for a party and I would never decorate an icebox cake with M&M's. The candies won't soften but the chocolate cookie wafers do. So-this version would make it an odd soft/crunch combo.