Chocolate Icebox Cake
This old-fashioned chocolate icebox cake needs just 5 ingredients and no oven. Layers of chocolate wafers and fresh whipped cream chill into a cool, creamy, make-ahead dessert that the whole family loves!
Servings 8 people
Calories 523kcal
Ingredients
- 3 ½ cups very cold heavy whipping cream
- ½ cup powdered sugar (confectioners' sugar)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 9 ounces chocolate wafer cookies (about 29 wafers) (or 40 chocolate graham crackers)
- Optional garnish: chocolate sprinkles, crushed chocolate wafer cookies or graham cracker crumbs, or shaved chocolate curls
Instructions
- In a large bowl that has been chilled in the freezer for about 10 minutes, use an electric mixer to beat the heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt until stiff peaks form.
CHOCOLATE WAFER COOKIE INSTRUCTIONS
- Spread a very thin stripe of whipped cream down the middle of a serving platter (I use one that is about 14 inches long by 5 inches wide). This helps hold the cake in place.
- Spread about 1 tablespoon of whipped cream onto a chocolate wafer. Top with another wafer to make a sandwich, add another tablespoon of cream, and stack a third. Keep going until you have about 5 cookies sandwiched together, then lay the stack on its side like a log on the platter.
- Repeat with the remaining cookies to build one long log down the platter.
- Use the rest of the whipped cream to frost the top and sides of the cake. An offset spatula makes this quick and even.
- Garnish with sprinkles, crushed cookies, or chocolate shavings if you like. Cover loosely and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, though overnight is best. The cookies will soften in the cream into a sliceable, cake-like texture.
- Slice on the diagonal so you can see the chocolate-and-cream stripes in every piece.
ALTERNATE CHOCOLATE GRAHAM CRACKER INSTRUCTIONS
- Spread a very thin layer of whipped cream in the bottom of a 9x13-inch dish.
- Add a layer of graham crackers, breaking them as needed to fit. Gently spread ¼ of the whipped cream over the crackers. Repeat the layers until you have used four layers of crackers and the final ¼ of the cream on top.
- Garnish with crushed chocolate grahams, sprinkles, or grated chocolate. Cover loosely and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, though overnight is best. Slice into squares to serve.
Notes
- Hard-to-find cookies: Both Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers and chocolate graham crackers can be tough to find in stores. Goya Maria Chocolate Cookies or Dewey's Bakery Brownie Crisp Cookies make great substitutes that soften nicely in the cream.
- Whipped cream shortcut: Homemade tastes best, but you can substitute about 7 cups of thawed Cool Whip. Avoid canned, spray-style whipped cream, which is too airy and deflates between the layers.
- Chill for the right texture: A minimum of 4 hours lets the cookies soften, but overnight gives you the best sliceable, cake-like result.
- Store: Keep loosely covered in the fridge at all times. Leftovers last 3 to 4 days, though they are best within the first two.
- Freeze: Wrapped tightly, the cake freezes for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge before serving.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 523kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 25g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Cholesterol: 118mg | Sodium: 286mg | Potassium: 167mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 1534IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 1mg