An ultra dreamy cake that never hits the oven | Vanilla-infused, homemade lightly whipped pudding layered in between Petit Beurre biscuits topped with a thick layer of rich dark chocolate ganache
This cake. This cake brings back a lot of memories for me. My sister used to make it a lot with her high school friends in Israel, and it seems like every Israeli is in love with the homemade layered Icebox Cake (עוגת ביסקוויטים), made from pudding packets and Petit Beurre tea biscuits.
I LOVE taking this humble dessert to the next level by really quickly mixing up some homemade vanilla pudding (it’s seriously so easy), and folding it into sweetened whipped cream. But, I don’t try to get fancy with the perfectly simple “Le Petit Beurre” layering biscuits. They are light, crisp, only slightly sweet, and have adorable little scalloped edges. You can find them in the kosher section of almost any grocery store, usually OSEM or “KEDEM” brand Tea Biscuits, or in the European cookie/cracker section (if you’re lucky enough to have one).
To finish it off, I heat some cream and pour it over 1 1/4 c chopped dark chocolate (chocolate chips work too!), which creates the perfectly pourable dark chocolate ganache that seals the deal. My husband loves this cake, so I make it a lot for his birthday. That means if you want to add tons of sprinkles on top, you go for it! If you want to be fancy and add beautiful fresh berries, that’s cool too. You really cannot go wrong.
A few notes:
- Let the homemade vanilla pudding cool before folding it into the whipped cream
- Chill the cake for at least 2-3 hours before serving
- If the Petit Beurre crackers aren’t fitting in perfectly like Tetris pieces, break them so that the whole layer is covered
- Make sure that you finish with a layer of biscuits, so that you don’t “pull up” the pudding into the chocolate when you’re swooping on the ganache
- Ok, that’s enough notes, let’s get down to the recipe, mmmk?
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Vanilla Cream Icebox Cake
An ultra dreamy cake that never hits the oven | Vanilla-infused, homemade lightly whipped pudding layered in between Petit Beurre crackers, topped with a thick layer of rich dark chocolate ganache
Ingredients
Vanilla Pudding
- 3 egg yolks, large
- 1/2 c sugar
- 3 T cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 2 c whole milk
- 2 T salted butter at room temperature
- 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 16 oz Petit Beurre biscuits, 4 4 oz. packages
- 1 1/2 c milk for dunking the crackers
Whipped Cream
- 1 1/4 c cold heavy cream
- 2 T sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Chocolate Ganache
- 3/4 c heavy cream
- 1 1/2 c chopped dark chocolate, or semisweet chocolate chips
- sprinkles/berries/chopped nuts
Instructions
Make the pudding: Whisk the eggs yolks, sugar, cornstarch, and salt together in a medium size saucepan, off of the heat. Whisk in the 2 c whole milk, and place over medium heat. Whisking constantly, bring up to a full boil, and boil for about 3 minutes until the pudding thickens, and starts to pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove from heat immediately, and add the vanilla extract and 2 T salted butter to the pan, and whisk to combine thoroughly. Pour the pudding into a large bowl, and lay a sheet of plastic wrap onto the surface of the pudding (this prevents a layer of pudding skin from forming). Set aside to cool.
Make the whipped cream: Pour the cold heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract into a medium sized bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer). With the whisk attachment of the mixer, or a handheld mixer, beat the cream on medium speed for about 7-8 minutes until medium peaks form. This means that when you stop the mixer and lift the whisk out, the whipped cream creates little peaks that hold their shape.
Spoon 1/2 c of the whipped cream into the cooled vanilla pudding and fold in with a rubber spatula to loosen up the pudding. Then pour the remaining whipped cream into the lightened up pudding, and gently fold in completely.
Assembling: In a 9-inch square glass baking dish, quickly dunk each biscuit into the milk for 2 seconds, then layer the Petit Beurre biscuits in a single layer, covering the bottom of the pan. Add a layer of about a 2/3 c of the vanilla cream mixture, leveling it out flat with a spatula. Continue with the milk-dunked biscuits, pudding, etc, until all of the vanilla cream mixture is used up. End with a layer of biscuits on top. Cover with plastic wrap, and chill while you make the chocolate ganache.
Make the chocolate ganache: Chop the chocolate finely, and place in a medium sized heatproof bowl. Heat the 3/4 c heavy in a small saucepan over medium heat, until small bubbles begin to form around the edge of the pan. Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate, and let it stand for 1-2 minutes (don't whisk it yet). Then, slowly whisk the chocolate and cream together. The chocolate should melt right into the cream, creating a shiny, smooth ganache. Pour the chocolate ganache over the top layer of the cake. Use a rubber or offset spatula to create a smooth, even finish over top. Top with sprinkles, chopped roasted nuts, or fresh berries. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving. Enjoy!!!