Mocha Chocolate Icebox Cake
There was a time when icebox cakes were very popular. These were make-ahead cakes layering whipped cream and chocolate wafer cookies. I don’t know why they fell out of fashion…they are easy, pretty and very yummy! For years now, I have been making this Ina Garten recipe. It never fails to please a crowd!
The whipped cream in the original version gets upgraded with the addition of mascarpone cheese, Kahlua, espresso & chocolate. The original chocolate wafer cookies gets a new spin by using a thin, crispy chocolate chip cookie. I love using Tate’s Cookies, but I also discovered that Tate’s Gluten-free Chocolate Chip cookies work equally as well. If you are serving dessert to a gluten-free guest, this is a perfect choice! I love that besides whipping the cream, there is nothing else besides layering the cookies and cream and refrigerating overnight. How easy is that???
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Mocha Chocolate Icebox Cake
Makes: 8 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes plus chill time overnight
Ingredients
- 2 cups cold heavy cream
- 12 ounces Italian mascarpone cheese
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup coffee liqueur, such as Kahlua
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, such as Pernigotti
- 1 tsp instant espresso powder
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 3 (8-ounce) packages chocolate chip cookies, such as Tate’s Bake Shop (Tate’s Gluten-Free cookies work beautifully in this recipe!)
- Shaved semisweet chocolate, for garnish or 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (see Chef’s Note)
Instructions
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the heavy cream, mascarpone, sugar, coffee liqueur, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and vanilla. Mix on low speed to combine and then slowly raise the speed, until it forms firm peaks.
To assemble the cake, arrange chocolate chip cookies flat in an 8-inch springform pan, covering the bottom as much as possible. (I break some cookies to fill in the spaces.) Spread a fifth of the mocha whipped cream evenly over the cookies. Place another layer of cookies on top, lying flat and touching, followed by another fifth of the cream. Continue layering cookies and cream until there are 5 layers of each, ending with a layer of cream. Smooth the top, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
Run a small sharp knife around the outside of the cake and remove the sides of the pan. Sprinkle the top with the chocolate, cut in wedges, and serve cold.
Chef’s Note:
To make chocolate curls, melt chocolate chips in microwave and spread thinly on the back of a sheet pan. Place in fridge for 5 minutes. Use a bench scraper to push little curls off the sheet pan. If too soft, put back in the fridge for another minute or two.
Recipe from Ina Garten
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