Easy No-Bake Black Forest Icebox Cake

Name: Easy No-Bake Black Forest Icebox Cake
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: ▢ 1 package Oreo dark chocolate flavor cream; ▢ 2 cups fresh cherries, pitted and halved; ▢ 3 cups heavy cream; ▢ 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature; ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar; ▢ 1 tsp vanilla extract; ▢1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice; ▢ 2 tbsp granulated sugar; ▢ shaved chocolate for garnish

by @uncomplicatedchef

6 servings

10 min

Summer is here and the days are hot! While I love baking, sometimes I want something that doesn't require turning on the oven. Skip heating up the kitchen with this quick Easy No-Bake Black Forest Icebox Cake.

I love the combination of chocolate with fruit, such as in my Flourless Red Wine Chocolate Cake. The combination of sweet and tart is a classic. This elegant yet fun dessert is perfect for a beautiful way to end a Sunday meal while also being just as at home at your next backyard barbecue. Shopping List

Aside from only taking a few minutes to prepare, I love the simple and easy ingredients for this dessert.

Oreos
Fresh cherries - cherries are the star of this dessert and they're served raw. For texture and flavor, you will want to use fresh cherries.
Heavy cream
Cream Cheese
Powdered sugar
Vanilla - I always recommend using a high-quality vanilla extract. The higher the quality, the more pronounced the flavor.
Lime juice - Just like the cherries, fresh is best.
Granulated sugar - This will help the cherries macerate.
Shaved Chocolate - Use your favorite kind, whether it's dark chocolate, bittersweet, or milk chocolate.

How to Make Easy No-Bake Black Forest Icebox Cake With just a few simple steps this dessert comes together in almost the amount of time it takes to whip cream. It does require at least four hours to set up in the refrigerator, so it is also a great make ahead treat. This easy dessert combines the traditional flavors of a Black Forest cake, chocolate and cherries, in a fun and easy new way.

Very Cherry Make sure your cherries are pitted and halved. Squeeze a little fresh lime juice over them and sprinkle them with granulated sugar. Allow them to sit for at least an hour. This will help break them down a little and soften them.

Whip it up! Make your whipped cream. An electric hand mixer is great for this. It also helps if everything is cold, from the bowl to the heavy cream itself. In a separate bowl whip your room temperature cream cheese with the granulated sugar until smooth. Add your heavy cream and mix until stiff peaks form.

Spread a layer of whipped cream/cream cheese mixture on the bottom of an 8" square pan or loaf pan. Top with one layer of Oreo cookies. Top with whipped cream. Use a spatula to spread evenly. Spread the macerated cherries over the whipped cream. Top with Oreo cookies, and then follow that up with a layer of the whipped cream.

Chill Time All the icebox cake to chill in the refrigerator at least 4 hours up to overnight. This will allow the flavors to meld and the Oreo cookies to soften. It will also make it easier to cut. Finishing Touch Garnish the top of your Easy No-Bake Black Forest Icebox Cake with shaved chocolate.

Easy Substitutions With so few ingredients you shouldn't have a problem finding everything, however here are a few simple substitutions in the event you can't find everything.

Oreos - Chocolate wafer cookies will also work in this dessert. You can usually find them in the ice cream section of your grocery store and they're a traditional ingredient in icebox cakes.
Fresh cherries - Fresh is always best, however it's not always cherry season. You can use frozen cherries for this confection but make sure they are fully defrosted and drained. The flavor and texture will be slightly different.

Switch it Up While chocolate and cherries are the traditional flavors of Black Forest cake, you can make small changes to create a fun and new variation.

White Chocolate - Swap out the chocolate shavings for white chocolate shavings.
Berries - Swap out the cherries for your favorite sliced berries. You can let them macerate just like you macerated the cherries.

Tools Needed for Easy No-Bake Black Forest Icebox Cake There are just a couple easy things you will need to create this luscious and decadent dessert.

Mixer or hand mixer - This will make whipping your cream fast and easy.
8" square pan or loaf pan - The 8" pan is the perfect size for the ingredients in this recipe and will give you a couple of layers. However a loaf pan will also work for this.

How to Store Easy No-Bake Black Forest Icebox Cake Just like the name implies, you need to store this cake in the refrigerator. It allows everything to set up and also makes it easy to slice into the perfect pretty squares. You will want to eat it within a couple of days as the cherries will let off liquid. Tip for Fluffy Whipped Cream Other than assembly, the only work involved in making this dessert is making the whipped cream. Having everything cold from the start helps the cream beat faster and form those pillowy clouds. Place your bowl, heavy cream, and the beaters of your mixer if you can into the freezer or refrigerator for a couple of minutes so everything is chilled. As soon as your whipped cream forms stiffed peaks you are done. It's easy to go from stiff peaks to butter.

Easy No-Bake Black Forest Icebox Cake

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Recipe details

Yield 6 servings
Time spent: Prep time: 10 Minutes Cook time: 0 Minutes Total time: 10 min

Show Nutrition Info

Per serving

% Daily value

Instructions

▢ Pit and slice your cherries in half. Add them to a bowl with the lime juice and granulated sugar. Mix to combine. Allow the cherries to sit for at least an hour.
▢ In a separate bowl whip together the cream cheese, vanilla, and granulated sugar until smooth.
▢ Add your heavy cream and mix until stiff peaks form.
▢ Spread a layer of cream cheese mixture on the bottom of the pan.
▢ Place Oreo cookies over the top.
▢ Spread whipped cream over the cookies.
▢ Continue with the cherries.
▢ Top with Oreo cookies and another layer of whipped cream.
▢ Allow the icebox cake to set up and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. This can also be made the night before.
▢ Garnish with shaved chocolate when ready to serve.

Comments

Mary Ellen on Aug 02, 2022

Thanks! This recipe is genius, & I can’t wait to try it. Another substitute for the Oreos would be chocolate graham crackers.
I plan to use allulose to reduce the sugar a little. A very decadent dessert for Black Forest fans. Can’t thank you enough!

9 Reply
- See 1 previous
- @uncomplicatedchef on Aug 02, 2022
  
  Originally that’s what I had but I couldn’t find them anymore. They were discontinued. Thank you!
  
  1
- Mary Ellen on Aug 02, 2022
  
  Not that I remember seeing them lately in the store…but I haven’t looked!
  I’ve had an icebox cake with the chocolate wafers, & they’re definitely good, too. Thanks again for the recipe & the substitution ideas. 😊
  
  1
Tonia Lewis on Sep 20, 2022

Instruction says powdered sugar but there's none listed in ingredients...which is it?

12 Reply
- See 1 previous
- Michele on Sep 21, 2022
  
  I’ve made a version of this and I believe the 1 cup granulated should be powered. Can’t believe she would not proofread, but mistakes happen. Besides that, this recipe looks amazing.
  
  2
- @uncomplicatedchef on Sep 21, 2022
  
  I'm sorry , yes granulated sugar.
  
  2