No Bake Black Forest Icebox Cake

Updated 26th July 2024

You really can’t beat this very simple treat that requires very little effort and very few ingredients and yet looks this fun and fancy. This cherry loaded No Bake Black Forest Ice Box Cake is just that. The favours of a classic Black Forest cake but in icebox form for a chilled treat. the perfect summer dessert. Icebox cakes are layered desserts that usually involve whipped cream or pudding/custard and many times fresh fruit or a fruit purée layers sandwiched between graham crackers or wafer cookies. As they all hang out in the fridge or freezer overnight, they slowly merge into a moist, creamy cake texture. It’s just the best treat and I had to make one with cherries!

You can totally “cheat” and go store bought for all components but if I can, I usually like to whip my cream myself and also make my own cherry sauce. But it’s totally fine if you want to make this an even quicker dessert recipe than it already is, after all a good cheat dessert in the back pocket is always welcome. It was quite easy finding chocolate wafers here but if they aren’t an easy find where you live you can sub them out for graham cracker cookies. Or if you are really adventurous you can make your own like I did while living in Trinidad where I couldn’t find any and I was doing a recipe for cookbook club and needed some. I was not prepared to separate two boxes of Oreos for it so I decided to make my own. They were quite easy to make and the link for them is here. UPDATE: I recently did make this recipe with Oreo cookies and it was pretty easy to scrape out the filling and quick too and also taste great in the icebox cake - so they are great in a bind! I had lots of cherries so there was no need to use cherry pie filling from a can. If that is all you have or is all the energy you want to put into making this, that is totally acceptable. I had plenty of frozen ones from an earlier baking project and lots of fresh ones so I decided to use up all the fresh ones I had so that they wouldn’t go bad. Pitting them is always a bit of a pain but this year I actually bought a pitter which was super helpful. The filling comes together quickly once the cherries are pitted and it’s quite delicious and worth the effort if you have the time and patience.

The whip cream can also be store-bought whipped topping but it’s just as easy for me to whip up my own and with homemade you can also control how sweet it is. I actually didn’t make it too sweet along with the cherry sauce. It’s such a decadent dessert and the fruit is already nice and sweet and so are the chocolate wafers so I prefer it with a lot less sugar. If you taste either the sauce or the whip and feel it needs a bit more sugar for sweetness please adjust as needed. I usually have store bought fudge sauce in the fridge cause my hubby likes to make an occasional sundae but if you wanted to make yours from scratch a simple recipe for a DIY one is here. As you can see each component can be either store-bought or homemade. It all depends on how much time and patience you have. Whatever route you take I know you will love how luscious this ice box cake is! Once you have the basic formula down for making an icebox cake there is no turning back. You will want to make them with all sorts of combinations and seasonal fruit. Hope you enjoy this cherry and chocolate version as much as we did!

No Bake Black Forest Icebox Cake Recipe Ingredients

• CHERRIES: Feel free to use fresh cherries or frozen cherries fr this recipe. (see below for alternative for the cherry filling option) BONUS: using frozen cherries means you can easily make this all year round and saves you from pitting cherries!
• WHIPPED CREAM: I whip my own cream for this recipe so you will need heavy whipping cream that is 35% fat or more. (see below for alternative whipped cream option)
• CHOCOLATE WAFERS: Originally I used Nabisco Famous chocolate wafers which use to be super easy to find - fast forward to 2023 and they are discontinued just like that. Feel free to use ANY thin wafer cookies even graham crackers (regular or chocolate graham crackers) or digestive biscuits. You could also use Deweys Brownie Crisp Moravian Style or another good option is 365 by Whole Foods Market Brownie Thin Cookie - if they are truly thin wafers usually a 9 oz box is enough for this cake. You can also use Oreo cookies with the filling scraped out of them - I did this recently and although a bit tedious it was easy and pretty quick and Oreos seem to be an ingredient almost everyone can find and use plus they are delicious in this ice box cake - you will need approx 33-35 cookies or 66-70 halves with filling scraped out.
• SUGAR: Granulated sugar is what I use for the cherries and the whipped cream. It is not an overly sweet dessert and I would not increase the amount of sugar as the wafers are also sweet.
• VANILLA EXTRACT: Adds flavor to the cream - it really makes every dessert that much better. I recommend pure vanilla extract - almond extract is also a good idea but almond extract can be a bit potent so I would do a little blend of the two or simply use 1/4-1/2 the amount.
• CHERRY LIQUEUR: (a popular brand being Schwarzwälder Kirschwasser Black Forest Cherry Brandy) or clear cherry brandy is what Black Forest cake is infused with - it gives the cake its distinct flavour. I like to infuse the cream with it or the cherry syrup or both if you want a more pronounced flavor. It is optional so feel free to leave it out or use cherry juice in its place.
• ALTERNATE ADD INS: One of the most common add in for this recipe is cream cheese. Feel free to beat half a package of cream cheese (approx 4 oz softened cream cheese) then fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture for a more stabilized firm vanilla cream layer.
  
  

Cheat Version of This Icebox Cake

I am always down for a good cheat method for any recipe or a way to make the original recipe but with some store bought ingredients that you don’t have to prepare - especially when you might need a dessert to come together quick and easy. I know it always tastes better from scratch but I’m not above a good cheat! Here is how you can save some time and effort making this Black Forest icebox cake:

• Used canned cherry pie filling in place of the cherries, butter, sugar lemon juice and cornstarch
• Used Prepared Whipped Topping instead of the heavy whipping cream, vanilla sugar and cherry liqueur
• Use store bought pitted frozen cherries - saves you the time and effort pitting them!
  
  

How To Make Black Forest Icebox Cake

1. Prepare Cherry Filling: Simmer cherries, sugar, butter, lemon juice and cornstarch until cherries have broken down and softened and have become nice and syrupy - set aside to cool
2. Whip The Cream: Whip cream with sugar, vanilla and cherry liqueur if using until thick stiff peaks
3. Assemble Cake: Layer wafers with cream then cherry filling, repeat and end with the wafers and cream on top.
4. Chill Cake: For a soft set (scoop able serve) cover and store cake in the refrigerator for at least 6-12 hours. For a firmer set (sliceable serve) store in the freezer for 6-12 hours. Then remove collar and slice and serve. If freezing allow slices to sit at room temperature for a few minutes to soften - they will soften quickly. (in my pictures the cake set in the freezer for easy slicing)
5. Serve: Serve with drizzles of hot fudge, shaved chocolate or even crumbled chocolate wafers.
   
   

Storing Your Old Fashioned Icebox Cake

• In the Refrigerator: Covered leftovers with plastic wrap, your icebox cake will keep in the fridge for up to 2-3 days.
• In the Freezer: Your icebox cake will keep for up to 1 month in the freezer when covered with aluminum foil. Thaw for a few hours in the fridge before serving.