a guide to the classic chocolate ice box cake

MaryJo Materazo

3 years ago

Are you familiar with ice box cake? The traditional chocolate wafer ice box cake is a nostalgic American dessert. It’s super easy to make and tastes like a giant Oreo. It’s a favorite around here.

The cake does not require baking and all you need are chocolate wafers and cream. That’s it! Like I said, super easy. The cake was created around the 1920-30s when salesmen were pitching ice boxes to housewives. Hence the name.

The Nabisco chocolate wafer package has the recipe right on the back of the box. I make a few tweaks to the recipe, which I will share with you below. I believe the cake reached popularity in the 1950s and it definitely gives me retro vibes.

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recipe for the classic chocolate ice box roll

Ingredients

9 oz. package of chocolate wafers
3 cups of heavy cream
2 Tablespoons confectioner’s sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Beat cream in electric mixer on medium-high.
As the cream mixes add sugar and vanilla extract.
Beat until soft peaks form.
Coat bottom of cake tray with a layer of the whipped cream.
Cover a chocolate wafer with whipped cream and stand on one end of platter.
Cover another chocolate wafer with whipped cream and stack next to first wafer.
Continue doing this to all the wafers forming a log down the cake tray.
Once all the wafers are lined up then cover the entire log with whipped cream.
Decorate ice box cake with chocolate shavings or curls.
Refrigerate cake overnight or for at least 4-5 hours.

tips for making a traditional ice box cake

The recipe on the box only calls for 2 cups of heavy cream, but I like to use 3 to make sure I have plenty of cream for full coverage. If you have extra whipped cream left over, I recommend using it in hot chocolates.

The recipe on the box also does not include confectioners sugar, but I prefer to sweeten the cream. I feel the sweetness pairs better with the chocolate wafers.

Make sure to not over churn the cream. Pay attention as the whipped cream starts to firm up and stiffen. If you continue to mix past the whipped cream point it will turn into butter.

Also allow plenty of time for the cake to set and refrigerate before slicing. While it chills and sets, the cream softens the wafers so it reaches a cake like texture.