Icebox Cakes: 12 No-Bake Holiday Desserts You Stack Tonight and the Fridge Turns Into Cake by Morning

Icebox cakes might be the smartest holiday dessert you can make, because the oven never gets involved. You stack thin cookies with sweetened whipped cream, tuck the pan into the fridge, and by morning the cookies have softened into tender cake layers. The idea dates back to the 1920s and 1930s, when home iceboxes and then electric refrigerators changed how American families made dessert. Now the old trick is going viral again: a custard icebox cake video from Whisk Takers passed 283,000 views in two months, and a zebra version from Adam Ragusea has 497,000. When Thanksgiving and Christmas fill every rack, these sit beside our no-bake desserts that save oven space. Here are 12 icebox cakes for the holidays, from the vintage zebra log to Filipino mango float and Brazilian pave..

The Classic Zebra Icebox Cake That Started It All

The famous zebra cake began as a recipe printed on the back of a box of thin chocolate wafer cookies, and it is the reason icebox cakes became a beloved American dessert. You spread each wafer with whipped cream, stand them in a long log, then cover the whole thing in more cream. Overnight, the cookies soak up moisture and turn soft as cake. Slice it on an angle and every piece shows black and white stripes. It is the kind of easy showstopper that belongs with other vintage Christmas dinner dishes, and crushed peppermint makes it festive..

You will need: 2 cups cold heavy cream, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 package (about 9 ounces) thin chocolate wafer cookies, 1/4 cup crushed peppermint candy, chocolate curls for topping.

How to make it: 1. Whip the cream with the powdered sugar and vanilla to firm peaks. 2. Spread about 1 tablespoon of cream on each wafer and press the wafers together into stacks. 3. Lay the stacks on their sides on a platter to form one long log. 4. Cover the log with the remaining cream and chill for at least 8 hours or overnight. 5. Top with crushed peppermint and chocolate curls, then slice on a diagonal to show the stripes.

Cranberry Orange White Chocolate Icebox Cake

This one looks like a winter morning on a platter. Thin vanilla wafers are layered with white chocolate whipped cream and ribbons of tart cranberry sauce, and the orange zest on top wakes up every bite. Homemade sauce or leftover sauce from the holiday table both work, as long as it is cooled and not too runny. It is a bright change from heavy chocolate desserts and fits right in with our cranberry desserts for Thanksgiving and Christmas. Sugared cranberries on top make it look like a bakery cake.

You will need: 2 cups heavy cream, 4 ounces white chocolate melted and cooled, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 cup thick cranberry sauce, zest of 1 orange, about 60 vanilla wafer cookies, sugared cranberries for garnish.

How to make it: 1. Whip the cream and powdered sugar to soft peaks, then fold in the cooled white chocolate and half the orange zest. 2. Line a 9 by 13 inch dish with a layer of wafers. 3. Spread with cream and dot with spoonfuls of cranberry sauce, swirling lightly. 4. Repeat the layers three or four times, ending with cream. 5. Chill overnight, then top with sugared cranberries and the remaining zest.

Gingersnap Icebox Cakes With Spiced Cream for Thanksgiving

Crisp gingersnaps are perfect for icebox cakes because their deep molasses flavor softens into something close to gingerbread overnight. A little cinnamon and nutmeg in the whipped cream gives the whole cake the warm smell of a holiday kitchen, without a single pumpkin in sight. If you love gingerbread treats at Christmas, this is the easiest way to get that flavor on the Thanksgiving table. Bake nothing, stack everything the night before, and slice it straight from the fridge.

You will need: 2 cups heavy cream, 1/3 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1 teaspoon vanilla, about 50 thin gingersnap cookies, chopped candied ginger and crumbled gingersnaps for the top.

How to make it: 1. Whip the cream with the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla to firm peaks. 2. Arrange a single layer of gingersnaps in a lined 8 inch springform pan. 3. Spread a thick layer of cream over the cookies. 4. Repeat until you have five or six layers, ending with cream. 5. Chill overnight, then remove the ring and top with candied ginger and cookie crumbs.

Mocha Icebox Cake With Coffee Whipped Cream

Coffee and chocolate are a natural pair, and a mocha version is one of the most popular icebox cakes online. A mocha chocolate icebox cake video on the Food Network YouTube channel has passed 476,000 views, and it is easy to see why. Instant espresso dissolved in the cream gives a grown-up flavor, while chocolate chip cookies or chocolate wafers soften into fudgy layers. For an extra coffee kick, stir in a spoonful of one of our homemade coffee syrups. Serve it with an after-dinner cup of coffee.

You will need: 2 1/2 cups heavy cream, 1/3 cup powdered sugar, 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, about 40 crisp chocolate chip cookies or chocolate wafers, shaved chocolate.

How to make it: 1. Dissolve the espresso powder in the vanilla and a tablespoon of the cream. 2. Whip the remaining cream with the sugar, cocoa and espresso mixture to firm peaks. 3. Layer the cookies and cream in a lined 8 inch round pan, starting and ending with cream. 4. Cover and chill for at least 8 hours. 5. Unmold onto a cake stand and finish with shaved chocolate.

Chocolate Cherry Icebox Cakes, Black Forest Style

Black Forest cake usually means baking chocolate sponge layers, but this shortcut gets the same flavors with no oven at all. Chocolate wafers are layered with vanilla whipped cream and dark sweet cherries, and the juice from the cherries soaks into the cookies as the cake rests. A no-bake chocolate cherry icebox cake short on YouTube has passed 481,000 views. Finish with chocolate shavings and a few whole cherries, just like the classic Black Forest desserts served in German cafes.

You will need: 2 cups heavy cream, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1 jar (about 16 ounces) dark sweet cherries drained with juice saved, about 50 chocolate wafer cookies, dark chocolate shavings.

How to make it: 1. Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla to firm peaks. 2. Brush each layer of wafers lightly with the saved cherry juice. 3. Layer wafers, cream and halved cherries in a loaf pan lined with plastic wrap. 4. Finish with a layer of cream and chill overnight. 5. Turn out onto a plate, top with chocolate shavings and whole cherries.

Mango Float, the Filipino Icebox Cake for Christmas

In the Philippines, mango float is a must at Christmas parties, family reunions and birthdays. It is a true icebox cake: graham crackers layered with sweet cream and slices of ripe mango, then chilled until everything melts together. Many families make it the night before Noche Buena, the big Christmas Eve feast, and some even freeze it for a firmer slice. If you love tropical flavors, it sits happily beside other Filipino desserts like halo-halo and leche flan. Use the ripest mangoes you can find.

You will need: 2 cups heavy cream, 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 3 or 4 ripe mangoes thinly sliced, about 30 graham cracker sheets, crushed graham crackers for topping.

How to make it: 1. Whip the cream to soft peaks, then fold in the condensed milk and vanilla. 2. Line a square dish with graham crackers, breaking them to fit. 3. Spread with cream and cover with mango slices. 4. Repeat the layers three times, ending with cream and mango. 5. Sprinkle with crushed crackers and chill for at least 6 hours or freeze for 2 hours before slicing.

Brazilian Pave With Dulce de Leche

Pave is the Brazilian cousin of icebox cakes, and almost every family in Brazil has a version for Christmas. Simple butter biscuits are dipped in milk and layered with a silky custard cream, and the dulce de leche version shown here is a favorite. Brazilians love an old Christmas joke about it: the name sounds like a question asking whether the dessert is for looking at or for eating. It is built on the same pantry hero as our sweetened condensed milk desserts, so it costs very little to make.

You will need: 1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk, 2 cups milk plus 1/2 cup for dipping, 2 egg yolks, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 cup dulce de leche, 1 cup heavy cream, about 40 plain butter biscuits.

How to make it: 1. Cook the condensed milk, 2 cups milk, yolks and cornstarch over medium heat, stirring until thick, then cool. 2. Dip each biscuit quickly in milk and lay a layer in a square dish. 3. Spread with custard, then repeat the biscuit and custard layers. 4. Warm the dulce de leche with the cream until smooth and pour over the top. 5. Chill for at least 6 hours before cutting into squares.

Caramel Apple Icebox Cakes With Spiced Cookies

All the flavor of a caramel apple, in a dessert you can cut with a spoon. Apples are cooked just until tender with butter and cinnamon, then layered with thin spiced cookies and cinnamon whipped cream. A drizzle of caramel and a handful of toasted pecans finish it like a county fair treat. Cook the apples a day ahead so they are cold when you build the cake. It is a cozy cousin of the candy shop caramel apples everyone loves in the fall.

You will need: 4 apples peeled and thinly sliced, 2 tablespoons butter, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 2 cups heavy cream, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, about 45 thin spiced cookies, 1/2 cup caramel sauce, 1/2 cup toasted pecans.

How to make it: 1. Cook the apples with the butter, brown sugar and half the cinnamon for 6 to 8 minutes, then chill. 2. Whip the cream with the powdered sugar and remaining cinnamon. 3. Layer cookies, cream and apples in a glass loaf dish, repeating three times. 4. Chill overnight. 5. Drizzle with caramel and scatter the pecans just before serving.

Pear and Chocolate Charlotte, the French Cousin

Long before American icebox cakes, French cooks were lining molds with ladyfinger biscuits and filling them with cream to set in the cold. The charlotte is the elegant result, and pear with chocolate is one of the classic pairings. The ladyfingers soften against the mousse while the cake chills, so it slices cleanly and holds its shape. Make one large charlotte or small individual ones like the dessert in the photo. For more ideas from Paris bakeries, explore our French desserts to make at home.

You will need: About 24 ladyfingers, 1/2 cup pear syrup or juice, 6 ounces dark chocolate melted, 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, 2 tablespoons sugar, 2 ripe pears peeled and diced, cocoa powder or chocolate sauce for serving.

How to make it: 1. Brush the ladyfingers lightly with pear syrup and line the sides and base of a charlotte mold or springform pan. 2. Whip the cream with the sugar to soft peaks and fold in the cooled melted chocolate. 3. Fold the diced pears into the chocolate cream and spoon it into the mold. 4. Cover the top with more ladyfingers and chill for at least 8 hours. 5. Unmold and serve with chocolate sauce.

Chocolate Almond Icebox Cakes for a Holiday Buffet

Toasted almonds add crunch to the soft layers, which makes this one of the most satisfying icebox cakes to eat. Chocolate cookies alternate with an almond whipped cream flavored with a touch of almond extract, and the top is covered in chocolate and toasted sliced almonds. It looks like a European cafe cake, but it takes about 20 minutes of hands-on work. Fans of almond desserts from European bakeries will want a second slice. Make it in a square pan for neat bars on a buffet table.

You will need: 2 cups heavy cream, 1/3 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon almond extract, about 50 chocolate wafer cookies, 4 ounces dark chocolate melted, 1 cup toasted sliced almonds.

How to make it: 1. Whip the cream with the sugar and almond extract to firm peaks. 2. Layer cookies and cream in a lined 8 inch square pan, sprinkling a few almonds between layers. 3. Finish with cookies and chill overnight. 4. Lift out of the pan, spread the top with melted chocolate and press on the remaining almonds. 5. Chill 15 minutes more, then cut with a hot knife.

Kalter Hund, Germany’s Chocolate Biscuit Icebox Cake

In Germany, this loaf of butter biscuits and rich chocolate is a children’s party classic, and its name means cold dog. Instead of whipped cream, the biscuits are layered with a thick chocolate mixture in a loaf pan and chilled until firm. When you slice it, neat stripes of biscuit appear, a lot like the zebra cake from America. It keeps for days in the fridge, which makes it a smart make-ahead treat for a holiday cookie table. See more German and Austrian desserts for the season.

You will need: 1 cup butter or coconut oil, 2 eggs or 1/2 cup heavy cream warmed, 1 cup powdered sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 4 ounces dark chocolate chopped, about 30 plain rectangular butter biscuits.

How to make it: 1. Melt the butter and chocolate together over low heat. 2. Whisk in the powdered sugar and cocoa, then the warm cream, until smooth and glossy. 3. Line a loaf pan with parchment and spread a thin layer of chocolate on the base. 4. Add a layer of biscuits, then chocolate, repeating until the pan is full and ending with chocolate. 5. Chill for at least 6 hours, then slice thinly.

Mini Icebox Cakes in Jars for Holiday Parties

For parties, small jars are the easiest way to serve icebox cakes. Crumble chocolate wafers into clear glasses or jars, add whipped cream, repeat, and chill for a few hours until the crumbs soften. Each guest gets a neat little cake with its own spoon, and nobody has to slice anything. Top them with fresh raspberries or crushed peppermint for color. They are a perfect match for our mini Christmas desserts in cups and jars. Tip: chill at least 8 hours, overnight is best, and slice big cakes with a hot knife.

You will need: 2 cups heavy cream, 1/4 cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, about 40 chocolate wafer cookies crushed, fresh raspberries, chocolate shavings, 8 small jars or glasses.

How to make it: 1. Whip the cream with the sugar and vanilla to firm peaks. 2. Put a spoonful of cookie crumbs in each jar and press lightly. 3. Pipe or spoon in a layer of cream, then repeat crumbs and cream twice more. 4. Chill for at least 4 hours so the crumbs soften into cake. 5. Top with raspberries and chocolate shavings just before serving.