Mocha Chocolate Chip Icebox Cake
Updated
Updated
With layers of flavored mascarpone cheese and thin crisp cookies, this Mocha Chocolate Chip Icebox Cake is one of my family’s favorite no-bake desserts. It has just the right balance of chocolate and coffee flavors, thanks to coffee liqueur, instant espresso powder, and cocoa powder, and the texture is so light and creamy. And it’s SO easy to assemble without any baking!
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Very few get-togethers happen in my family without this Mocha Chocolate Chip Icebox Cake! My sister Jen made it one year for Mother’s Day and we fell in love at first bite. My daughter proclaimed it one of the best desserts she’d ever tasted and now requests it for every holiday. Not only is the taste heavenly, but it’s so easy to make without any oven or baking needed.
What Is An Icebox Cake?
An icebox cake is an old-fashioned no-bake dessert that became popular back in the 1920s when an icebox (non-mechanical refrigerator) was a popular appliance. It was traditionally made with layers of whipped cream, wafer cookies, and fruit. As the dessert chilled in the fridge, the cookies would soften into a more cake-like texture.
The classic dessert has made a comeback in recent years and there are so many more variations than just using wafer cookies and fruit, like my chocolate icebox cake, lime icebox cake, and this mocha icebox cake recipe I’m sharing today.
Helpful Tips
- You need thin, crispy packaged chocolate chip cookies. I use Tate’s brand. I’ve used other cookies and none of them have the same great results as Tate’s.
- Cold heavy whipping cream. This helps to stabilize the mascarpone layer. It needs to be very well chilled!
- Use the right size pan. I make this icebox cake in an 8-inch springform pan, but if you don’t have one, you can use a deep 8-inch square baking dish.
- Chill overnight. This mocha chocolate chip icebox cake should chill overnight (or at a minimum 8 hours) before serving. This chill time is necessary to soften the cookies and the dessert to set properly so you can cut it.
- Coffee liqueur. Kahlúa is the most popular brand but you can use any coffee liqueur. You could also use Baileys.
- Non-alcoholic option. If you don’t drink alcohol, you can replace the coffee liqueur with coffee syrup, which is a 1:1 ratio of brewed coffee to sugar, heat it until the sugar has dissolved and thickens. I would also add in a bit of vanilla extract.
Mocha Chocolate Chip Icebox Cake
Ingredients
- 16 ounces mascarpone cheese
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons Kahlúa coffee liqueur
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
- 2 packages thin, crispy, chocolate chip cookies , (see note below)
- cocoa powder, for dusting
- chocolate curls, for garnish
Instructions
- In a large bowl add mascarpone cheese, granulated sugar, instant espresso powder, unsweetened cocoa powder, Kahlúa, and vanilla extract.
- With an electric mixer, beat together the ingredients until nice and creamy. Turn the mixer down to low, and slowly beat in cold heavy whipping cream.
- Increase speed and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Coat an 8-inch springform pan with nonstick spray, then line the bottom with parchment paper (see note below if you don’t have a springform pan.)
- Arrange 7 thin crispy chocolate chip cookies in the bottom of the prepared pan, overlapping slightly or breaking one of them up into smaller pieces if necessary to fill in any gaps.
- Spread 1 cup of the mascarpone mixture over the cookies. Repeat 3 more times. (You should end up with 4 cookie layers and 4 mascarpone layers.) Smooth out the top.
- Cover tightly with plastic wrap, transfer to the fridge, and chill overnight (or at least 8 hours) to let the flavors combine, cookies soften, and layers to set so you can cut it.
- Run a dull knife between the pan sides and cake; remove the ring.
- Dust the top with unsweetened cocoa powder and garnish with chocolate curls around the parameter, slice, and serve.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information given is an automatic calculation and can vary based on the exact products you use and any changes you make to the recipe. If these numbers are very important to you, I would recommend calculating them yourself.
Did you make this? Leave a rating below!How to Make Mocha Chocolate Chip Icebox Cake Step by Step
- Combine ingredients. In a large bowl add (2) 8 ounces containers of mascarpone cheese, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder, 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, 3 tablespoons Kahlúa, and 2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
- Blend and add cold heavy whipping cream. With an electric mixer, beat together the ingredients until nice and creamy. Turn the mixer down to low, and slowly beat in 2 cups cold heavy whipping cream.
- Beat to stiff peaks. Increase speed and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Prep a springform pan. Coat an 8-inch springform pan with nonstick spray, then line the bottom with parchment paper (see note below if you don’t have a springform pan.)
- Place cookies in pan. Arrange 7 thin crispy chocolate chip cookies in the bottom of the prepared pan, overlapping slightly or breaking one of them up into smaller pieces if necessary to fill in any gaps.
- Add filling. Spread 1 cup of the mascarpone mixture over the cookies. Repeat 3 more times. (You should end up with 4 cookie layers and 4 mascarpone layers.) Smooth out the top.
- Cover and chill. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, transfer to the fridge, and chill overnight (or at least 8 hours) to let the flavors combine, cookies soften, and layers to set so you can cut it.
- Remove the springform ring. Run a dull knife between the pan sides and cake; remove the ring.
- Garnish, slice, and serve. Dust the top with unsweetened cocoa powder and garnish with chocolate curls around the parameter, slice, and serve.
Proper Storage
Store any leftovers, covered tightly, in the fridge. It will keep up to 4 days but ideally consume within 2 days – the cookies become mushy the longer the dessert sits. It still tastes delicious, but the texture isn’t as nice. I do not recommend freezing this icebox cake.
More No-Bake Lush Desserts:
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Belly Full on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube!
Love this recipe. You really do need the Tate’s cookies for this and in a springform pan. You have so many great recipes!!! Thanks much