Chocolate Peanut Butter Icebox Cake
Paula Davis
Peanut Butter Icebox Cake
A chilled layer cake made with thin homemade chocolate wafers, peanut butter whipped cream, and a final shower of chocolate sprinkles or chopped candy.
Nutrition (per serving)
This icebox cake turns the familiar chocolate-and-peanut-butter pairing into a neat chilled dessert with true cake slices. Instead of small store-bought wafers, the cake uses six thin homemade cocoa rounds that soften overnight between layers of peanut butter whipped cream.
The wafer dough is simple, but the rolling and chilling steps matter. Rolling each round between parchment keeps the dough thin, and a short freeze makes it firm enough to trim into clean circles before baking. The baked rounds will seem crisp at first; the refrigerator does the rest of the work.
The filling is not heavy frosting. Peanut butter is loosened gradually with cold cream, then whipped until it holds soft peaks, giving the cake a creamy texture without losing the unmistakable peanut butter flavor.
Plan to assemble the cake a day before serving. After 12 to 24 hours in the refrigerator, the wafer layers become tender, the cream sets enough to slice, and a warm knife will glide cleanly through the chilled cake.
Ingredients
- All-Purpose Flour:1 1/2 cups
- Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder:1/4 cup
- Black Cocoa Powder, or additional Dutch-process cocoa powder:1/4 cup
- Granulated Sugar:1 cup
- Fine Sea Salt:1/2 teaspoon
- Baking Powder:1/2 teaspoon
- Unsalted Butter, cut into pieces:1/2 cup
- Large Egg:1
- Vanilla Extract, divided:1 3/4 teaspoons
- Smooth Peanut Butter:3 tablespoons
- Granulated Sugar, for the cream:1 1/2 tablespoons
- Fine Sea Salt, for the cream:2 pinches
- Cold Heavy Cream:1 1/2 cups
- Chocolate Sprinkles, chocolate shavings, or chopped chocolate-peanut butter candies:as needed
Instructions
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Make the wafer dough in a food processor by pulsing the flour, both cocoa powders, 1 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and baking powder until combined.
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Add the butter and process until the mixture looks powdery and evenly dark, then add the egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla and process until the dough begins to gather into clumps.
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Heat the oven to 350°F and divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Roll one piece between two sheets of parchment until very thin and just larger than a 7-inch circle.
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Slide the parchment-wrapped dough onto a board and freeze for about 10 minutes, until firm enough to handle. Peel off the top parchment and trim the dough with a 7-inch bowl or stencil.
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Transfer the trimmed round, still on its lower parchment sheet, to a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes, then slide the wafer and parchment onto a rack to cool completely. Repeat with the remaining dough, rolling one round while another chills or bakes.
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For the filling, beat the peanut butter, remaining 3/4 teaspoon vanilla, 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, and 2 pinches salt in a large bowl until smooth.
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With the mixer running, add the cold cream a splash at a time until the peanut butter mixture loosens. Add the rest of the cream and whip carefully to soft peaks.
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Place one cooled wafer on a cake stand or plate, using a small dab of cream underneath if it slides. Spread about 1/2 cup peanut butter cream over the wafer all the way to the edge.
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Repeat with the remaining wafers and cream, finishing with a swirled layer of cream on top. Scatter chocolate sprinkles, shavings, or chopped candies over the cake.
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Refrigerate the cake for at least 12 hours, and preferably close to 24 hours, until the wafers have softened into sliceable layers. Cut with a knife dipped in warm water and wiped dry.
Tips & Notes
- Black cocoa gives the wafers a deeper packaged-cookie flavor and color, but the cake still works with all Dutch-process cocoa.
- Do not rush the freezer step; firm dough is much easier to trim into clean circles.
- Watch the whipped cream closely once it starts thickening because peanut butter cream can go from soft peaks to overbeaten quickly.
- For a larger celebration cake, double the recipe and roll the wafers to 10-inch circles.
