My great-grandmother used to "bake" this Icebox
Cake all the time, I'm told, and now my Aunt Rita has taken ownership of it.
Her version features chocolate Jell-O pudding, Cool Whip, and graham crackers
layered together and topped with maraschino "cherries." The layers all meld together and get soft and yummy
and yes, cake-like. No oven required!
Of course it's delicious, as anything with pudding is, but
I'm not big into Jell-O pudding or Cool Whip (or "cherries"), so I
developed my own version using homemade chocolate pudding and whipped cream.
This has become my go-to dessert when I'm entertaining,
going to someone's house, or in the mood to scarf down an entire cake. I love
it because I always have the ingredients on hand so can make it at a moment's
notice. I realize not everyone lives in a communal household of 12 like I do
and therefore does not buy graham crackers by the case, so even if you don't
have all the ingredients at the ready, they're easy enough to pick up at the
grocer. Heck, you could probably find everything you need at 7-11.
Icebox Cake
Serves 12
For the chocolate pudding:
1/4 cup cornstarch
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Pinch salt
2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
8 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped, plus extra for garnish
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 14-ounce box graham crackers
For the whipped cream:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
Whisk together cornstarch, sugar, cocoa, and a pinch of salt
in a heavy medium saucepan, then gradually whisk in milk and heavy cream. Bring
to a boil, whisking constantly, then boil, whisking, until thickened, about 2
minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in chopped chocolate, butter, and vanilla
until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
Arrange one single layer of graham crackers in a 9-by-11
baking dish. Top with 1/3 of the chocolate pudding. Repeat with remaining
graham crackers and pudding, ending with a layer of pudding. Refrigerate while
you prepare the whipped cream.
Combine heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of a
stand mixer and whip to soft peaks. Spread whipped cream in an even layer on
top of pudding. Garnish with grated chocolate (or maraschino cherries, if you
insist).
Photo: The Wandering Eater
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