Chocolate Wafer Icebox Cake
Inspired by techniques from Serious Eats.
Crisp chocolate wafer biscuits are layered with freshly whipped cream and chilled until the biscuits soak up moisture and soften into tender, cake-like layers. No oven is needed: the freezer and fridge do all the work, and the cake slices cleanly once it's firm.
Always check the labels of the products you use.
Method
- 1
Chill the bowl, then whip the cream. Place the stand mixer bowl and whisk attachment in the freezer for 10 minutes. Add the cream, sugar and vanilla to the chilled bowl and whip on medium-high speed until soft peaks form.
- 2
Line the pan. Line the loaf tin with cling film, leaving enough overhang to fold over the top later. Spread a thin layer of whipped cream over the base.
- 3
Stand and layer the biscuits. Stand a biscuit upright against each short end of the pan, and three more, evenly spaced, against each long side. Spread the standing biscuits with whipped cream, then lay more biscuits flat to build rows, spreading cream between each one; you'll need about 9-11 biscuits per row to make three rows.
- 4
Chill. Spread whipped cream over the top of the biscuits and fold the cling film over the cake. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight, so the biscuits soften into cake-like layers. Cover and refrigerate the remaining whipped cream separately.
- 5
Unmould and coat. Turn the cake out onto a platter, peel off the cling film, and spread the reserved whipped cream over the outside. Freeze for 30 minutes, until solid.
- 6
Slice and serve. Slice the cake with a sharp knife while it's still frozen, then let the slices stand for a few minutes to come to room temperature before serving.
Storage
Store leftovers wrapped tightly in the freezer or refrigerator; slice straight from frozen for the cleanest cuts.
Free sugars
8.3 g per serving
16.6 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 33.2 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- stand mixer with whisk attachment
- 23 x 13 cm loaf tin
- cling film
- rubber spatula or offset spatula
- serving platter
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 327 kcal |
| Protein | 3.1 g |
| Carbohydrate | 25.5 g |
| of which sugars | 18.1 g |
| of which free sugars | 8.3 g |
| Fat | 24.5 g |
| of which saturates | 14.6 g |
| Fibre | 0.7 g |
| Salt | 0.35 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
0.9 g High Protein needs ≥ 5 g (20% of energy)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
