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Mocha Icebox Cake
![Mocha Icebox Cake](https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/03/23/multimedia/ya-icebox-cake/-ya-lemon-cheesecake-tart-pwjt-articleLarge.jpg?width=1280&quality=75&auto=webp)
- Total Time
- 25 minutes, plus chilling and freezing
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- 3cups/700 milliliters heavy cream, chilled
- ½cup/50 grams confectioners’ sugar
- 4teaspoons instant espresso powder
- 1teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Pinch of fine salt
- 1(9-ounce) sleeve chocolate wafer cookies
- Cocoa powder (optional), to garnish
Preparation
- Step 1
Line a 9-by-5-inch inch loaf pan with 2 crossed strips of plastic wrap that hang generously over all 4 sides.
- Step 2
Add the heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, espresso powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt to a large bowl. Use an electric mixer to whip the mixture to soft peaks.
- Step 3
Scoop about 2 cups of the cream mixture into the loaf pan and smooth into an even layer.
- Step 4
Scoop a heaping tablespoon of cream onto one side of each wafer cookie and layer them tightly into the loaf pan from one long side of the pan to the other, creating 3 to 4 rows of about 10 cookies each. (The cookies should be standing upright on their round edges, so when you cut into the finished cake crosswise, you’ll get a nice striped pattern.) You may also have a few extra cookies.
- Step 5
Spoon the remaining cream over the top of the cookies, making sure to spread the cream all of the way to the edges of the pans. Tap the pan lightly on the counter to help the cream settle in between the cookies. If you have any cookies remaining, you can place them, flat in one layer, over the top of the cream.
- Step 6
Wrap the cake tightly in the overhanging plastic wrap, press gently and refrigerate at least overnight and up to 2 days. Freeze for 1 hour before serving for easier slicing.
- Step 7
When you are ready to serve, unwrap the top of the cake and turn it out upside-down onto a serving platter. Remove the plastic wrap and lightly drag a spoon over the cake in a decorative pattern. Dust with cocoa powder, if using. Slice crosswise and serve. Wipe the knife in between cuts for the tidiest slices. If the cake is slightly frozen, let it warm up a bit before serving. You can also scoop it from the pan with a spoon for more casual serving.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
Nabisco has, sadly, stopped making Chocolate Wafer cookies. Searching for an acceptable alternative.
You can get the wafers on line. They haven’t stopped making them.
Memories of my father preparing this delicious treat for us as children 60 years ago remain sweet and I am outraged that this iconic wafer has been discontinued. I contacted Nabisco's overlord, Modelez International, to express my profound disappointment. I urge others to do the same - 800-622-4726 or 855-535-5648. The woman I talked with insisted that calls make a difference.
We should start a campaign with Nabisco to reinstate the wafers in their current product line
I just don’t get the assembly. Instructions are not very clear.
Good news: the Nabisco Chocolate Wafers may have disappeared, but the Oreo Thins are the EXACT same cookie as the old Wafers. All you have to do is scrape the creme filling off, which you probably weren't going to eat anyway.
I love icebox cake - is so easy and cool in the summer. I’ve used pecan sandies and Lorna Doones for a yummy vanilla cake. One trick is to add a little softened cream cheese to your cream before whipping in a stand mixer - really helps the cream to have a more firm texture that won’t wilt as it sits in the fridge. I don’t worry about making a cake-like structure, but use a pretty glass bowl and just layer cookies & cream, scooping it out to serve. Sprinkles make a nice touch on the top.
I found thin ginger cookies work well for those who are not fans of chocolate.
I just did a little search: you can order Oreo wafers unfilled! I’m very pleased to discover this. I see that Goya Maria cookies come in chocolate flavor, too — I see a possible summer project coming on
Nabisco apparently no longer makes the chocolate wafers. I haven't tried them, but Goya makes chocolate wafer cookies - Wegmans has them and I bet other supermarkets do too. I'm going to make the chocolate wafer cookie recipe at King Arthur flour. They specifically mention icebox cake so I have high hopes.
I think this would be just as good without the cookies.
As an essential ingredient in my rum ball recipe, I have scanned 5 local groceries plus WalMart over the last couple of weeks: no Nabisco chocolate wafers anywhere and each store said they have been discontinued. Curse the megacorporation that bought Nabisco. Wheat Thins are probably next. :(
I loooooooooooooove icebox cakes of all kinds and am heartbroken that they've stopped making the wafers. But you really can substitute with similar effects. Tate's cookies work, as well as any thin, dry/crunchy cookie.
In principle, any type of biscuit-like cookie (chocolate or otherwise) could work in an icebox cake, depending on your taste. The goal is somewhat denser & less sponge-like than tiramisu, which uses lady fingers.
1) As others noted, Nabisco stopped making the wafers and will not make them again. You have to find a recipe and make your own. We tried two recipes that were supposed to duplicate these wafers. They were not the same in thickness or sweetness. 2) The whipped cream does not match well with the homemade wafers. The cream is way too sweet. I will never make this again but if I did I would not add cinnamon or nutmeg. Less 10X sugar.
Dewey’s chocolate wafers are almost identical to Famous chocolate wafers - available at most mass supermarkets or can order online. I went down a rabbit hole search and also made my own organic wafers but these are a perfect swap and keep the recipe simple (vs making your own wafers).
Nabisco was bought by a Swiss company. For a while you could buy the wafer cookies online or in Canada, but now they're all gone. I've tried other wafer cookies but eh--so far, not the same. Bow to your corporate overlords.
Love this to pieces! As espresso powders vary, suggest adding this to taste. Mine came out very strong, but still wonderful.
Success! Dewey’s makes a chocolate wafer every bit as good as the old Nabisco cookies. Stop and Shop carries it as well as Amazon.
Trader Joe’s chocolate cat cookies - they’re small so you couldn’t stand them up but layering them with the cream might work.
I was able to find chocolate wafer cookies at my local Sprouts Farmer’s Market store which is a chain store that sells a lot of organic and healthy foods, produce, meats and more. The brand is called Dewey’s Bakery since 1930 and the wafers are called Brownie Crisp. They also make a lemon and a ginger snap wafer. Check Deweys.com for more info. I haven’t eaten any yet but they look good!
Graham crackers may substitute for the chocolate wafers.
I would think that chocolate flavored graham crackers might work well as other ice box cakes use regular graham crackers.
King Arthur has a recipe for chocolate wafers that turn out to be like the Nabisco ones.
According to Southern Living,(7/2023) which pays a lot of attention to food and recipes, Nabisco has discontinued the infamous chocolate wafer cookie, much to the chagrin and sadness of many a home cook. Southern Living created a recipe for a facsimile which I have not tried yet. Alas much of the beauty of this cookie was its convenience; not having to bake.
Excellent. It took me until the last row to get the hang of standing the cookies so I didn't get enough of them in. Really wish I had squeezed in more -- more chocolate against the coffee flavor. Used an envelope of Starbucks instant French roast coffee. (We travel with those to bring life to hotel room coffee). Instead of turning onto a beautiful platter and slicing, I sneak in after dinner and eat a big spoonful straight out of the fridge :-D
I used Dewey’s Chocolate Brownie Crisp cookies I found at Amazon or Fresh Market; they worked perfectly. My Mom always made me an Ice Box cake for my August birthday. Pre air conditioning, no ovens allowed on! This one is easy and delicious.
PSA: Dewey's Bakery Brownie Crisp Moravian Cookies work perfectly as a substitute for Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers.
Where do you get chocolate wafers for this recipe?? The Nabisco famous wafers are no longer available!
Spectacular.
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