Q1: What exactly is an "icebox cake"?

An icebox cake is a classic, retro, no-bake American dessert that gets its name from the old-fashioned term for a refrigerator. The concept is simple: you layer a crisp cookie or a wafer with a creamy, whipped-cream-based filling. As the cake sits in the "icebox" (refrigerator) overnight, the cookies absorb the moisture from the cream and magically transform into soft, tender, cake-like layers.

Q2: Can I make this dessert a few days ahead of my holiday meal?

Yes, this is the perfect make-ahead dessert! The cake needs at least 12 hours to chill and set up, but it is even better if it is made a full 24 to 48 hours in advance . This gives the layers plenty of time to soften and the flavors to meld together beautifully.

Q3: My whipped cream is runny and won't form stiff peaks. What did I do wrong?

Runny whipped cream is almost always caused by the cream not being cold enough . For the best, most stable, and fluffiest whipped cream, it is crucial that your heavy cream is very cold , straight from the back of your refrigerator. It is also a great professional trick to chill your mixing bowl and the beaters from your electric mixer in the freezer for about 15 minutes before you begin.

Q4: Do I have to use pumpkin pie purée, or can I use 100% pure pumpkin?

This recipe cleverly uses pumpkin pie purée , which is a pre-sweetened and pre-spiced product, as a fantastic shortcut. If you only have 100% pure pumpkin purée , you can absolutely use it! You will just need to add your own sugar and spices to the heavy cream. To substitute, you would use 1 1/2 cups of pure pumpkin purée and you would want to increase the amount of confectioners' sugar to about 3/4 cup and add 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice to the mixture before whipping.

Q5: Can I use a different kind of nut for the coating?

Of course! While the rich flavor of walnuts is a fantastic pairing with the pumpkin, this cake would also be absolutely delicious with an equal amount of finely chopped, toasted pecans or even almonds .

The Best Easy & Stunning Pumpkin Icebox Cake

Name: The Best Easy & Stunning Pumpkin Icebox Cake
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 13 h 10 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons granulated sugar; 1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon; 1 package refrigerated 9-inch pie crusts (2 dough rounds); 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted; 2 cups walnuts; 3 1/2 cups heavy cream; 1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin pie puree; 4 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

The Best Easy & Stunning Pumpkin Icebox Cake

A festive, layered dessert, this Spiced Pumpkin Icebox Cake features crisp, cinnamon-sugar baked pie crusts alternating with a light and airy pumpkin mousse. The mousse is made by folding pumpkin pie puree into a homemade sweetened whipped cream. The cake is assembled in a plastic-lined cake pan, with layers of the pumpkin cream, baked pie crust rounds, and crumbled crust pieces. After chilling overnight, the cake is inverted, and the sides are decorated with toasted walnuts. It’s finished with a final layer of whipped cream on top.

Author: Grace
Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 13 hours 10 minutes (includes cooling and overnight chilling)
Yield: 8-12 servings 1x
Category: Dessert
Method: Baking, Layering, Chilling
Cuisine: American
Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

Scale

3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 package refrigerated 9-inch pie crusts (2 dough rounds)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 cups walnuts
3 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin pie puree
4 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, stir together the granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of the cinnamon.
Unroll the two pie dough rounds onto the baking sheets. Brush both sides of the dough with the melted butter and sprinkle the tops with the cinnamon-sugar mixture.
Bake for about 15 minutes, rotating the sheets halfway through, until the crusts are light golden brown and crunchy. Let them cool completely.
While the crusts bake, spread the walnuts on another baking sheet and toast for about 8 minutes. Let cool, then finely chop.
Make the Pumpkin Cream: In a large bowl, beat 3 cups of the heavy cream, the pumpkin pie puree, and 3 tablespoons of the confectioners’ sugar with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form (about 5 minutes).
Assemble the Cake: Use a 9-inch round cake pan as a guide to trim both baked dough rounds into 9-inch circles. Reserve the scraps and crumble them into bite-sized pieces.
Line the same cake pan with plastic wrap, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides.
Spread one-third of the pumpkin cream mixture on the bottom of the pan. Place one of the baked dough rounds on top.
Top with half of the remaining pumpkin cream, then the crumbled dough scraps.
Finish with the remaining pumpkin cream and the second baked dough round.
Cover tightly with the plastic wrap overhang and refrigerate for 12 hours or overnight.
Decorate and Serve: When ready to serve, unwrap the cake and invert it onto a platter. Remove the pan and plastic wrap. Press the chopped walnuts into the sides of the cake.
Beat the remaining 1/2 cup of heavy cream, 1 tablespoon of confectioners’ sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon until soft peaks form. Spread this mixture on top of the cake.
Cut into slices with a serrated knife to serve.

Notes

Special Equipment: A 9-inch round cake pan is required for this recipe.
This is an icebox-style cake that requires an overnight chilling period for the layers to set and the crusts to soften slightly.
The cake is assembled upside down in a plastic-lined pan, which makes it easy to unmold with clean layers.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1/12 of cake
Calories: 550-650
Sugar: 30-40 g
Sodium: 300-400 mg
Fat: 45-55 g
Saturated Fat: 20-28 g
Trans Fat: 0 g
Carbohydrates: 35-45 g
Fiber: 3-5 g
Protein: 6-8 g
Cholesterol: 90-120 mg

Find it online: https://www.eatswithsoul.com/pumpkin-icebox-cake/