One cake wasn’t nearly enough for my husband Ed’s birthday. We actually had three, all with a chocolate theme. Yesterday I mentioned the fudge cake, which was an enormous success (he’s still nibbling that one). And my daughter Meredith and her husband Greg brought a store-bought chocolate-marzipan cake that was not only delicious but also gorgeous.
But I also had to try one more, and decided on a Chocolate Icebox cake. I added a few strawberries this time, but they aren’t essential to the recipe.
This is an incredibly easy cake to make and you don’t even have to bake it, so there’s no oven time. You can put it together in about 10 minutes, breaking up chocolate graham crackers and making some whipped cream. The only time issue is that it has to set in the fridge for 5 hours, so this is one you have to plan ahead.
Still, it’s not too late for Valentine’s Day tonight, if you’re reading this in the morning or at around noontime. If not, do try it the next time you need a good dessert.
Chocolate Icebox Cake with Strawberries
2 cups heavy whipping cream
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup orange flavored or coffee flavored brandy or dark rum
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
12 ounces chocolate graham crackers
1 quart strawberries, 2/3 sliced, the remainder left whole
Combine the whipping cream, mascarpone cheese, sugar, vanilla extract, brandy and cocoa powder in a bowl and beat using an electric mixer at medium speed for 2-3 minutes or until well combined and thick enough to stand in peaks. Set aside. Place 1/3 of the graham crackers on the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Break up cookies to fit into the unfilled spaces. Top with 1/3 of the whipped cream and 1/2 the sliced strawberries. Add another layer of cookies, whipped cream and the remainder of the sliced strawberries. Add a third layer of cookies, whipped cream and top with the whole berries. Refrigerate for 5 hours. Remove the sides of the springform pan and serve. Makes 8-10 servings