Icebox cake is genius. I’m pretty sure it likely came about as a way to use up stale cookies, because who would want to waste cookies?? It is so easy to make and looks pretty and is so delicious! Black forest icebox cake seemed like a great flavor variation to try.
My daughter is a huge black forest fan. She asks for the traditional German version every year for her birthday. I decided to try making an icebox cake version for my husband’s Father’s Day meal because it was hearty one and I knew we’d appreciate a lighter feeling dessert.
Black forest icebox cake has layers of chocolate wafer cookies nestled in whipped cream with a hint of cherry liqueur. It is then topped with cherry jam, fresh bing cherries, and drizzled with homemade fudge sauce (that recipe below too). I’m drooling just writing this. I used this delicious tart Michigan cherry jam in this, which my mom nicely sends me occasionally.
Icebox cake is typically made in a springform pan so that you can cut layers like a cake after it sets. I like to make mine in a glass bowl, more like a trifle, because it looks nice. You can really make it in any container you have. We just scoop it out in blobs into bowls. 🙂 Icebox cake keeps well for 2-3 days in the fridge.
Check out some of my other desserts too!
Black Forest Icebox Cake
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb cherries pitted and halved
- cherry jam as needed
- 3 cups cream
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp cherry liqueur optional
- 1 9 oz box chocolate wafer cookies
- hot fudge sauce
Instructions
- Pit and halve the cherries. In a stand mixer with the whisk, add the cream, sugar and vanilla with a pinch of salt and a dash of cherry liqueur if using and whip until nearly stiff peaks.
- In the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan, or a glass bowl, put a small amount of the whipped cream. Add a layer of chocolate cookies. Top with some of the cherry jam and some fresh cherries and drizzle with a bit of the fudge sauce. Repeat these layers until you use up your ingredients, ending with whipped cream.
- Decorate the top with a few fresh cherries, some cookie crumbs, and a drizzle of fudge, or some chocolate shavings.
- Put the icebox cake into the fridge for at least 6 hours up to overnight so that the cookies have time to soften. Then serve!
Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup Dutch processed cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 6 oz semi sweet chocolate chopped
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a sauce pan over medium heat, bring the cream, syrup, brown sugar, cocoa powder, salt and half the chocolate to a boil. Reduce to low and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Remove from heat and stir in the rest of the chocolate, the butter, and the vanilla extract and stir until smooth. Let cool and then store in the fridge. You can reheat in the microwave in 20 second intervals to warm before using.
*note – as an Amazon Affiliate, I receive a small portion of any sales made through links on this site.
3 thoughts on “Black Forest Icebox Cake + Homemade Hot Fudge Sauce”