One of my favorite parts about summer is casual family gatherings. I love the spontaneity of getting together with a family or two, having some casual eats and kicking back. Last week we did just that before we left for our annual summer trip to Cooperstown. My neighbors and I picked a back yard to meet in, loaded up the coolers with some drinks, and all contributed a few eats to the buffet. Since the gathering was mostly kids I decided to make an old summer favorite, a chocolate cookie icebox cake.
To make the cake I riffed on a classic icebox dessert cake but made it my own. To start with, our grocery store was out of regular wafer cookies so I used chocolate sandwich cookies instead. Then, since I knew I had to carry it, I molded our cake into a loaf pan instead of going free form. Finally, the flavor the whipped cream I added a touch of vanilla extract because I like it. Our topping of choice was classic chocolate sprinkles. As my daughter wisely pointed out, sprinkles make it look so good.
This easy summer cake was a snap to make in advance and so much fun for the kids to eat. When we reached dessert hour I simply removed it from the loaf pan, sliced it up and serve it on paper plates. The kids love the frozen whipped cream layered with cookies and even the adults adored the cool treat. It was such an easy, fun dessert for an impromptu party. For your next gathering be sure to make this treat and serve it up with fun summer dishes like homemade kabobs, and a side featuring lovely summer zucchini. I hope to be able to squeeze it in a few more times before the season is over!
(Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Kraft. The opinions, recipes, and photographs, are entirely my own. Thanks for supporting the sponsors that make The Naptime Chef possible.)
Recipe
Chocolate Cookie Icebox Cake
Ingredients
| 1 | pint heavy cream |
| ½ | cup confectioners’ sugar |
| 1 | teaspoon vanilla extract |
| 32 | chocolate sandwich cookies, or cookies of your choice |
| 1 | teaspoon chocolate sprinkles |
Instructions
1. In a large bowl whip the cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla extract by hand.
2. Line a loaf pan with plastic wrap, allowing 3-inches overhang on all sides. Then, swipe a thin layer of whipped cream on the bottom. Layer 8 cookies over it and then spread another layer of whipped cream over them so they are completely covered. Repeat this layering process until you are all the way up the sides of the pan. Sprinkle the top liberally with the chocolate sprinkles.
3. Pull the plastic wrap over the top of the cake so that it is completely covered. Then place in the freezer for at least 6 hours, or until completely frozen through. To serve, pull the cake out by the plastic wrap and place it on a platter or cutting board. Slice and serve and eat quickly before it melts!
Naptime Notes
Naptime Recipe Serving ideas
This recipe would double well, just make it in a springform pan instead!
Naptime Stopwatch
20 minutes prep time, a few hours to freeze
Naptime Reviews
This is a summer classic that never gets old!
