When my Paris friend, Bernard Collet, told me about this cake, a favorite for over 60 years in his family, I was expecting something tall, soft, frosted and fit for candles. I expected a gâteau but got an icebox cake: four layers of cookies held together with four layers of frosting. The cake, originally a back-of-the-box recipe, was created for a French tea biscuit called Thé Brun, but I could never find them, so I used Petit Beurre cookies. Lately I can't find them either, so I use old-fashioned Nabisco Social Teas. You can use whatever cookies you'd like, but they should be plain, flat, square or rectangular. Depending on the size of your cookies, you might need fewer of them; depending on how big or small you make the cake, you might need to juggle the number of layers or the amount of frosting. It's a recipe made for improvisation.
Provided by Dorie Greenspan
Categories cakes, dessert
Time 30m
Yield 8 servings
Number Of Ingredients 7
Steps:
- Before you start assembling the cake, decide on the size you want. I make a cake that's 4 cookies wide, 4 cookies long and 4 layers high. Choose a plate to build and serve the cake.
- Make the buttercream frosting: Put the butter in a small bowl, and beat it with a flexible spatula until smooth. Add 1/2 cup sugar, and beat again with the spatula until it's thoroughly incorporated. Separate the egg, putting the yolk in a cup and the white in a small bowl. Whip the white until it holds soft peaks using a mixer or, for a short but strenuous exercise, a whisk. Give the yolk a quick whisk, just to break it up, then stir it into the white.
- Add the egg to the bowl with the butter, and using the spatula, stir and fold until blended. Scrape in the melted chocolate, then stir and fold again until the frosting is homogeneous. (It won't be perfectly smooth.) Taste the buttercream, and you'll feel grains of sugar on your tongue - that's the way it's meant to be.
- Pour the hot espresso into a wide, shallow bowl, and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.
- One by one, drop each cookie into the espresso, count 3 seconds, flip it over, count 3 seconds more, then place the espresso-soaked cookie on the serving plate. Continue until you have your first layer of cookies in place.
- Using a small offset spatula or a table knife, spread a quarter of the buttercream over the cookies, working the cream to the edges of the cookies. Build 3 more layers of dunked cookies and smoothed buttercream. Top the last layer of buttercream with grated chocolate.
- Refrigerate the cake until the frosting is set, at least 3 hours. The cake can be kept covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. (Once the frosting is set, the cake could also be wrapped airtight and frozen for up to 2 months. To serve, simply let it defrost, still wrapped, in the refrigerator for about 4 hours or at room temperature for about 1 hour.)
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Sophie Gibson
[email protected]I had trouble finding some of the ingredients for this recipe.
TheBloodwaraxe
[email protected]This cake is a bit too sweet for my taste, but I still enjoyed it.
TAKDIR SUBBA
[email protected]This cake is a bit time-consuming to make, but it's worth it. The end result is a delicious and impressive dessert.
Ashley Yeary
[email protected]I love that this cake can be made ahead of time. It's perfect for busy people.
SHERU MALIK
[email protected]This is a great recipe for a special occasion or a casual party.
anu kattel
[email protected]I've made this cake several times and it always turns out perfectly.
Clement Poloma
[email protected]This cake is so easy to make and it's always a hit with my guests.
Arian Islam
[email protected]I'm so glad I found this recipe. It's a new favorite in my house.
Treasure Love
[email protected]This is the best icebox cake I've ever had! The flavors are amazing and the texture is perfect.
Raham Zeb
[email protected]I made this cake for a potluck and it was a huge hit! Everyone raved about it.
Ab Stha
[email protected]This cake is perfect for summer parties. It's light and refreshing, and it doesn't require any baking.
Shidartha_gole
[email protected]This recipe is a keeper! I'll definitely be making it again.
noluvmali 23
[email protected]I'm not a huge fan of coffee, but I loved this cake! The chocolate and vanilla flavors really balance out the coffee flavor.
Mayela Rodriguez
[email protected]This cake is so easy to make and it's always a crowd-pleaser.
I luv oreo
[email protected]I used a different type of coffee liqueur in this recipe and it still turned out great.
Natush Ahmed
[email protected]This icebox cake was a hit at my party! Everyone loved it and asked for the recipe.
Aliana Dixon
[email protected]The combination of coffee and chocolate in this cake is divine! I highly recommend trying this recipe.
nicole oconnor
[email protected]I've made this Moka Dupont many times and it always turns out great. It's a favorite of my family and friends.
Shaila Ahmed
[email protected]This icebox cake was the perfect way to celebrate my birthday! It was easy to make, delicious, and looked impressive when I served it to my guests.