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Square side shot of a slice of classic icebox cake on a white plate.
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5 from 3 votes

Icebox Cake

This old-fashioned recipe for icebox cake requires just 5 ingredients and no baking!
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword Chocolate Icebox Cake, ice box cake, icebox cake, Old Fashioned Icebox Cake, original icebox cake recipe, recipe for icebox cake, traditional icebox cake
Prep Time 20 minutes
Chilling Time 4 hours
Total Time 4 hours 20 minutes
Servings 8 people
Calories 523kcal
Author Blair Lonergan

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 extract, and salt until stiff peaks form.
    Overhead shot of homemade whipped cream.

CHOCOLATE WAFER COOKIE INSTRUCTIONS

  • Spread a very thin layer of the whipped cream in a stripe down the middle of a serving platter (I use a platter that is 14 inches long by 5 inches wide). This whipped cream will help to hold the cake in place.
    A spread of whipped cream on a long white platter.
  • Spread about 1 tablespoon of whipped cream onto a round chocolate wafer cookie. Top with another chocolate wafer cookie to create a sandwich. Spread another tablespoon of whipped cream on top, and stack another cookie on top. Repeat until you have 5 cookies sandwiched together. Place the stack of cookies sideways like a log on the platter.
    Process shot showing how to assemble icebox cake.
  • Repeat with the remaining cookies to create one long log on the platter.
    Process shot showing how to make a recipe for icebox cake.
  • Use the remaining whipped cream to frost the outside of the cake.
    Process shot showing how to frost a traditional ice box cake recipe with whipped cream.
  • Garnish with sprinkles, crushed cookies, or chocolate shavings. Cover loosely and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight is even better). The cookies will soften as they sit in the whipped cream, creating a cake-like texture that you can easily slice.
    Finished shot of an original icebox cake recipe on a long platter with chocolate sprinkles on top.
  • Slice diagonally so that you can see the chocolate stripes in each piece of cake.
    Horizontal shot of a slice of chocolate icebox cake on a white plate.

ALTERNATE CHOCOLATE GRAHAM CRACKER INSTRUCTIONS

  • Spread a very thin layer of the whipped cream in the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch dish.
  • Place a layer of the graham crackers in the bottom of the dish, breaking them as necessary in order to fit. Gently spread ¼ of the whipped cream on top of the crackers. Top with a second layer of crackers and then another layer of whipped cream. Repeat the layers until you have used a fourth layer of crackers and the final ¼ of the cream.
  • Garnish the cake with crushed chocolate grahams, sprinkles, or grated chocolate. Cover loosely and refrigerate for at least 4 hours (or overnight is even better). Slice into squares and serve.

Notes

    • In recent years, both Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers and chocolate graham crackers have become hard to find in stores. I purchase the chocolate wafers at a local country market near our house, but you might be able to find them online. You can also use more readily available substitutes, such as Goya Maria Chocolate Cookies or Dewey's Bakery Brownie Crisp Cookies.
    • How to Store: The cake needs to be refrigerated at all times. Covered loosely and packed in an airtight container, leftovers will last in the fridge for 3-4 days (but it's best within the first two days).
    • How to Freeze: Wrapped tightly, you can store the icebox cake in the freezer for up to 1 month.
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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