It’s the middle of October, but here in the desert our highs are still in the triple digits, so I made one of our favorite summer desserts this week. This double chocolate mocha icebox cake is what I would consider the ultimate no-bake dessert.
This beauty layers a fluffy mocha mascarpone cream with chocolate cookies and while the cake chills overnight, those cookies soak up the cream making them tender and absolutely perfect. This one is so easy and a great choice for bringing to a cookout or keep slices in your freezer for any last minute dessert emergencies that may pop up.
Today, we proving that your oven does not need to get involved to make a rich, decadent dessert. Let’s get started…
Start by combining 2 1/2 cups of cold heavy cream with 8 ounces of room temperature mascarpone, 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, 1/4 cup of cooled strongly brewed coffee or espresso, 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon of espresso powder in a large bowl. Use an electric hand mixer to beat everything together until you have a nice thick and fluffy consistency.
The only thing left to do is to begin layering that gorgeous mocha cream with chocolate cookies, so let’s talk options…
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- The cookies – I love chocolate graham crackers here, but you can technically use any thin, crisp chocolate cookie in this cake
- The pan – I usually make this in a deep 9″x5″ loaf pan, but you can also use an 8″ springform pan or even an 8″ square dish. Just keep in mind that if you use a loaf pan, you will need to invert the cake to transfer it out of the pan. A springform pans sides will remove easily, which is nice, but not everyone keeps a springform pan in their collection. A square pan is also an option and you can decide to either serve the cake directly out of the pan or invert it like the loaf pan. The bottom line is that you have plenty of options here and we aren’t baking this cake, so the dish doesn’t have to be oven safe.
- Prepping the pan – unless you are using a springform pan or plan to serve the cake directly out of the pan, line the pan with plastic wrap leaving some excess hanging over the sides to wrap over the top when you are finished layering
- The layers – keep in mind whether you will be inverting the cake or not before you begin layering this cake. If you are making this cake in a loaf pan, begin with a layer of cream so that will be on top when you invert the cake.
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Add your layers as evenly as possible and feel free to use your best creative skills to break the cookies into pieces that can fill in the layers that are too wide for a single layer of cookies or too narrow to fit cookies double wide. Perfection is not necessary here!
Continue layering until you have used all of the cream and as many cookies are preferred, wrap the pan with plastic wrap and chill in your refrigerator for 8 or more hours.
This cake gets better and better as it chills, so its great to make well in advance!
When it comes time to invert the cake, remove the plastic wrap and flip it over onto a cutting board. If the cake doesn’t want to release, using a blow dryer on the sides of the pan for 5-10 seconds will be enough to make it pop right out.
Would you just look at this beautiful slice? Those layers are every bit as delicious as they look. The way that the mocha mascarpone cream soaks into the cookies is magical and if you haven’t been formally introduced to an icebox cake, I would love for this to be your first experience with one… because it is the ultimate icebox cake in my opinion.
Cheers!
Double Chocolate Mocha Icebox Cake
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups of heavy cream, cold
- 8 ounces of mascarpone, room temperature
- 1/2 cup of granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup of strongly brewed coffee or espresso, cooled
- 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon of espresso powder (optional, but recommended)
- 10 ounces of chocolate graham crackers
- chocolate shavings (for garnishing)
Instructions
- Line a 9”x5” loaf pan or 8” round springform pan with plastic wrap and set aside for now
- Combine 2 1/2 cups of cold heavy cream with 8 ounces of room temperature mascarpone, 1/2 cup of granulated sugar, 1/4 cup of cooled strongly brewed coffee or espresso, 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon of espresso powder in a large bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer until the mixture becomes thick and fluffy
- Begin with a single layer of chocolate graham crackers, add a thin layer of cream and repeat until all of the cream has been added
- Cover the pan with plastic wrap and chill for 8 hours+
- When fully chilled, discard the plastic wrap and remove the springform sides or invert the loaf pan (if anything sticks, use a blowdryer to gently warm the outside of pan until the cake releases)
- Slice and enjoy!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer
