Icebox cakes are a style of cake that is perfect for summer entertaining. The cakes are assembled in layers and stored in the refrigerator or freezer until the layers of the cake meld together into one delicious dish. They need to be prepared in advance, but you won’t need to turn on the oven and heat up your kitchen to make one right before you are having friends over (you can bake in advance, if necessary), which is part of what makes this type of cake excellent for hot summer days. Icebox Cakes: Recipes for the Coolest Cakes in Town is dedicated to these delicious not-quite-baked desserts and you’re sure to find at least a few new favorites as you flip through the pages.
Most icebox cakes use wafer cookies as a base for their layers. These relatively dry cookies – which can be chocolate, vanilla or other flavors – are firm enough to allow you to assemble an icebox cake easily, yet they soften perfectly within the cake, adding not only a nicely layered look to the finished dessert, but giving a good structure to it, as well. Most icebox cakes start with storebought wafer cookies and, while those are an option here, the recipes in this book include instructions for making homemade wafers in a variety of flavors. These homemade wafers have a lot more flavor than the storebought variety and will add a lot more complexity to your finished cakes. The recipes are clearly written and easy to follow from start to finish.
The recipes include a wide range of flavors and there is something for everyone, from Mexican Chocolate Spice to Lavender Blueberry, all your flavor bases are covered. You can also use the recipes in the book as building blocks for your own flavor combinations – or take some of the creative whipped cream flavors and add them to other desserts! The recipes are illustrated with beautiful photos that will get your mouth watering, and you just might want to add this book to your “wish list” early so that you have time to practice before the summer entertaining season is here!
Allie | Baking a Moment
June 8, 2015I love icebox cakes and this book looks like so much fun! Looking forward to meeting you tomorrow in Spokane!