This old-fashioned Icebox Cake is a timeless no bake dessert that sounds retro, but has all the modern flavors you love. Creamy homemade vanilla whipped cream is layered with crunchy, chocolaty Oreo cookies, then frozen and sliced into perfect little slices of cookies and cream perfection your guests will devour in moments. It only requires 4 simple ingredients and takes just 5 minutes to assemble (yes, really!) — making it the ideal frozen dessert to make this summer!
So where does the its name come from? None of us have iceboxes anymore, but these devices are the ancestors of modern electric refrigerators. Blocks of ice used to be stored in wooden lockers which was used it to chill and preserve food — including cold treats to cool down on hot days. This easy icebox cake is an homage to this time with a modern twist (hello Oreo's!).
Why You'll Love This Icebox Cake
- Minimal prep. I don't know any other dessert you can make with 5 minutes of effort, at least not one that tastes this good! All that time goes to making the whipped cream, then layering it with Oreo thins in a loaf pan. It does need to freeze solid for 8 hours, but you can start it the night before or the morning of your party, then pop it in the freezer until you're ready to serve. Done and dusted!
- Extremely easy to customize. With only two basic components to this recipe, you might be surprised by how many ways you can tweak the ingredients to make it your own. Change the cookies, add fresh berries, drizzle in some melted chocolate, use different extracts, etc. But you certainly don't have to do that if you don't want to. This traditional icebox cake gets rave reviews exactly as is!
- Cool and creamy. On a hot summer day when the temperatures are soaring, nothing will cool you down like a slice of ice-cold icebox cake straight from the freezer. The chocolatey flavors in the Oreo icebox cake taste like cookies and cream ice cream in cake form!
- Great make-ahead dessert for entertaining. Ice box cakes are ideal for entertaining as you can make them the day (or week) before, then pull them out when you need them. They're great for a birthday party, backyard BBQ, or any other special occasion in your life!
Ingredient Notes
To make this delicious Icebox Cake, you will need the following ingredients (full measurements in recipe card below):
- heavy cream - use high-fat heavy whipping cream to make homemade whipped cream. Don't try to use half-and-half or whole milk; you need the real deal.
- confectioners' sugar - this powdered sweetener will dissolve into the cream for just enough sweetness.
- vanilla extract - for a touch of vanilla flavor.
- Oreo thins - these skinny Oreos are very thin and crunchy, making them ideal for this classic icebox cake. Feel free to use your favorite brand of crispy, crunchy cookies, like chocolate wafers, digestive biscuits, graham crackers, Biscoff cookies, and more.
You will also need measuring cups and spoons, a loaf pan, plastic wrap, stand mixer with a whisk attachment (or large bowl and electric mixer), spatula, serving platter, and a sharp knife for serving.
How to Make the Best Icebox Cake
- Prep. Prepare a loaf pan by lining all sides of it with plastic wrap. Set aside.
- Make whipped cream. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large mixing bowl), add heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla. Beat on high until soft peaks have formed.
- Assemble cake. Dollop a small amount of whipped cream into the bottom of the prepared loaf pan and spread it out into an even layer. Place 8 oreo thins across the whipped cream layer. Add another layer of whipped cream, topped with 8 oreos. Repeat 2 more times (4 total layers). Finish with one more layer of whipped cream on top.
- Freeze. Place into the freezer to harden for 8 hours, or overnight.
- Serve. When ready to serve, turn the loaf pan upside out onto a serving platter to remove it from the loaf pan (it may need to be banged or hit a few times to release it). Remove the plastic wrap from around the cake, then garnish by pressing the crushed Oreos into the top. Slice and enjoy.
Recipe Variations
- Use a different extract. Instead of vanilla, try adding a little almond extract for a nutty flavor or about half as much mint extract for a mint chocolate icebox cake!
- Add some mix-ins. Make your own flavor combination and add lots of texture with fresh berries, chocolate shavings, graham cracker crumbs, Strawberry Jam, Strawberry Compote, or a drizzle of peanut butter.
- Use store-bought whipped topping. Homemade is best, but many people grew up eating icebox cakes made with Cool Whip. Since Cool Whip is non-dairy, this can be an advantage for people who need to avoid dairy products, and some people prefer that extra-sweet, creamy flavor.
- Whip in some cream cheese. Cream cheese makes everything better, doesn't it? Let about 4 ounces (half a box) of cream cheese warm up to room temperature, then whip until fluffy before you drizzle in the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla. The extra tanginess balances the sweetness of the Oreo cookies really well and makes this easy dessert taste like an Oreo cheesecake!
How to Serve
This Icebox Cake is delicious served on its own on a hot day, or paired with some of other summer desserts including:
- Fresh Fruit Tart
- Strawberry Shortcake
- Rhubarb Crisp
- Funnel Cake
- Strawberry Crumb Bars
- Summer Fruit Salad
For more recipe ideas, see our 40 Best Summer Desserts.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Watch for soft peaks. Regular whipped cream is made by whipping the cream until it has stiff peaks that stand up straight even after you remove the whisk. This delicious dessert requires soft peaks, which curl down instead. This is a smoother, creamier texture ideal for this no bake cake.
- Choose thin, crunchy cookies. If you aren't a fan of Oreo cookies, you can absolutely use something else but focus on cookies that are thin and crispy, like Biscoff cookies, graham crackers, etc. These cookies will absorb some of the moisture from the whipped cream and end up having a cake-like texture. It may be tempting to use classic chocolate chip cookies or other chewy cookies, but they are too thick and become very hard and chewy after freezing.
- Don't skimp on the plastic wrap. If you do not properly line your loaf pan, you'll have quite a tough time removing this no bake icebox cake from the pan. You could dip the loaf pan into warm water to soften it up, but this can cause the outside of the cake to look messy, and it's easy to accidentally thaw it too much. Lining the pan well the first time will save you quite a hassle.
Storing Instructions
For best results, this ice box cake should be wrapped in several layers of plastic wrap and stored in the freezer. This will make it easy to remove from the pan and slice. It should be served frozen and sliced like a loaf.
FAQ
Icebox cakes are creamy no bake desserts made by layering whipped cream with a layer of chocolate wafer cookies or graham crackers, then freezing the cookie-cream mixture in a loaf pan until solid. They were initially stored in iceboxes, the precursor to modern refrigerators that rose to popularity in the 1920s and 30s. These wooden lockers were filled with ice, which allowed people to have cold and frozen foods on hand for the first time. Recipes for icebox cakes were distributed on the backs of cookie boxes, and the rest is history. They quickly became a popular summertime tradition that persists even today over 100 years later!
Like homemade ice cream and other creamy treats, most icebox cake recipes should be consumed within about a month of being frozen. After that, it can become frostburned and start to taste like the freezer. To minimize this, wrap it very well in plastic wrap first.
Not exactly. They definitely fit under the same umbrella of frozen creamy desserts, but icebox cakes are made from layers of cookies and whipped cream that are frozen and then sliced like cake. There is no ice cream involved - just frozen whipped cream. Ice cream cakes are usually made from ice cream as well as baked cakes, chocolate ganache, and other fillings or frostings.
More Frozen Dessert Recipes
- Strawberries and Cream Popsicles
- No Churn Vanilla Ice Cream
- Mango Frozen Yogurt
- Watermelon Sorbet
- Strawberry Frozen Yogurt
- Strawberry Sorbet
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Recipe
Icebox Cake
- Total Time: 8 hours 5 minutes
- Yield: 10 servings
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This old-fashioned Icebox Cake is a timeless no bake dessert that sounds retro, but has all the modern flavors you love. Creamy homemade vanilla whipped cream is layered with crunchy, chocolaty Oreo cookies, then frozen and sliced into perfect little slices of cookies and cream perfection your guests will devour in moments. It only requires 4 simple ingredients and takes just 5 minutes to assemble (yes, really!) — making it the ideal frozen dessert to make for any occasion this summer!
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups (600 grams) heavy cream
- 7 tablespoons (53 grams) confectioners’ sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 42 oreo thins (32 whole + 10 crushed by hand)
Instructions
- Prepare a loaf pan by lining all sides of it with plastic wrap. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large mixing bowl), add heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla. Beat on high until soft peaks have formed.
- Dollop a small amount of whipped cream into the bottom of the prepared loaf pan and spread it out into an even layer. Place 8 oreo thins across the whipped cream layer.
- Add another layer of whipped cream, topped with 8 oreos. Repeat 2 more times (4 total layers). Finish with one more layer of whipped cream on top.
- Place into the freezer to harden for 8 hours, or overnight.
- When ready to serve, turn the loaf pan upside out onto a serving platter to remove it from the loaf pan (it may need to be banged or hit a few times to release it). Remove the plastic wrap from around the cake, then garnish by pressing the crushed oreos into the top. Slice and enjoy.
Notes
How to store: For best results, this ice box cake should be wrapped in several layers of plastic wrap and stored in the freezer. This will make it easy to remove from the pan and slice. It should be served frozen and sliced like a loaf.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Chill Time: 8 hours
- Category: Cake
- Method: No Bake
- Cuisine: American
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