A classic icebox cake has only two ingredients: rich chocolate wafers and whipped cream. To make the cake, carefully layer the cookies and cream (I tell you how!) and place in the fridge for a few hours to soften up the cookies and meld the flavors. The result is a remarkably delicious, delicately textured dessert. While you can use the Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers, this cake is much better if you make the wafers yourself. Your efforts will really pay off.
SERVES 6 to 12
INGREDIENTS
4 cups (903g/32oz) heavy cream
3 tablespoons (37.5g/1.3oz) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Use 7 wafers on each cake layer: Place 1 at center and 6 around the perimeter. Position each wafer on the perimeter directly between 2 wafers in the row below.
- Place a 10-inch flat serving plate on a cake turner, if you have one, or the counter.
- In a stand mixer with the whisk, start on low speed and whip the heavy cream. Slowly add the sugar and vanilla and continue mixing for 1 minute. Turn the mixer speed to medium and whip until medium peaks form, 4 to 8 minutes more.
- To assemble, use an offset spatula to spread about 2 tablespoons of the whipped cream onto the center of the plate in a round about 7 inches in diameter. Place 7 wafer cookies on top of the round of cream, placing one in the middle and 6 around the edge, making sure the wafers stick out slightly from the edge of the whipped cream as shown in the diagram.
- For the next layer, spread ¾ cup of the whipped cream on top of the wafers, leaving just the edges of the wafers visible. Use 7 more wafers, this time placing the wafers directly in between the previously placed wafers. It’s like building a brick house. Follow the diagram.
- Continue following these steps, alternating the wafers in the exact same pattern, until there are 10 layers of wafers and whipped cream. For the top layer of the icebox cake, use 1¾ cups of whipped cream and spread evenly over the top of the cake.
Use a scoop to portion the dough.
- Place in a cake saver. If you don’t have a cake saver, cover loosely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 5 hours before serving.
Cover the dough with parchment.
Gently press down the dough balls with a flat-bottomed measuring cup.
CHOCOLATE WAFER COOKIES
Why buy packaged wafer cookies when you can make your own? These flavorful cookies are essential for our beloved Icebox Cake. Though they require a bit of work, you can make a lot at once and store them in the fridge or freezer for the next icebox cake. Each cake uses 70 cookies and this recipe makes double that amount.
MAKES about 140 cookies
INGREDIENTS
4½ cups (607g/21.6) all-purpose flour
1 cup (120g/4.2oz) unsweetened dark cocoa powder (22 to 24%), sifted
4½ cups (900g/31.9oz) sugar
4½ teaspoons baking soda
1½ teaspoons baking powder
2 teaspoons salt
2¼ cups/4½ sticks (508g/18oz) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces, at room temperature
3 eggs
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line two to four (depending on how many you have) baking sheets with parchment paper.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle, combine the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Mix on low for 30 seconds, until the mixture looks like sand.
- On low speed, add the butter pieces a little at a time. Beat until the mixture resembles damp soil, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the mixer off until you are ready to add the eggs.
- Whisk the eggs lightly, then add to the cocoa-butter mixture on low. Beat until the mixture comes together into a dough, about 15 seconds or until there are no streaks of flour.
- Use a small (#70) ½-ounce scoop to portion the dough and place on the prepared baking sheets, 3 across and 4 down, for a total of 12 per baking sheet. You will ultimately need to bake 12 sheets of cookies.
- Cover the dough balls with a piece of parchment paper and use a flat-bottomed measuring cup to gently press down (not smash) the dough balls to flatten them. Remove the top parchment.
- Bake two sheets at a time for 14 minutes, rotating top to bottom, front to back halfway through baking time, until the cookies look crisp but are not overbaked. Repeat until all the cookies are baked.
- Cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks. These can be wrapped tightly and kept on the counter for several weeks, or they can be wrapped in foil and zipped into a resealable plastic bag before storing them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
TIP
When you reuse a baking sheet for the next batch, be sure to let it cool before you place the cookies on them, and line it with a new piece of parchment.