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No Bake Black Forest Icebox Cake

written by Ashley Fehr

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4.93 from 13 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 12 servings

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Last updated on April 8, 2024

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This No Bake Black Forest Icebox Cake is an easy no bake dessert that is perfect for summer! Just FOUR ingredients + video!

black forest icebox cake whole with whipped cream swirls and cherry pie filling

An icebox cake is absolutely a cheater cake, but when a cheater cake looks this good, does anyone care?

I feel like at this point in all of our lives, we can use some easy and delicious baking and no-baking projects. Anyone else feel the same?

Icebox cakes are great for any occasion, and this Black Forest version really is a showstopper!

This No Bake Funfetti Icebox Cake, this No Bake Pumpkin Pie Icebox Cake, and this No Bake Lemon Raspberry Icebox Cake are other versions I know you’ll love as well!

black forest icebox cake slice on white plate

This Black Forest Icebox Cake is just 4 ingredients — 3 if you skip the homemade whipped cream and use frozen whipped topping, which is great for storing for longer periods of time if you’re not making grocery runs often!

For this reason, it’s perfect when you have just 10 minutes to spare but feel like you might need a slice of cake later to get you through the day.

It’s also a really fun baking project to do with the kids, because there’s no cutting, no baking, no heat of any kind, which means that they can just have fun whipping and layering and spreading and you reap all the benefits later.

Tips for making the best Icebox Cake:

  • If you’re making your own whipped cream, be sure to whip it until you have very stiff peaks. It should be very thick!
  • Whipped cream doesn’t hold up for days on end. If using fresh whipped cream, I recommend serving as soon as possible after it has set. After that, you may get another day before your whipped cream starts to droop. If you want to store it for longer or make it further in advance, it’s a good idea to stabilize your whipped cream. You can do this by adding unflavored gelatin that has been dissolved in warm water according to the package directions. I would use 1/2-1 package of unflavored gelatin for this recipe.
  • The chill is important. If you don’t allow adequate time for chilling, the cookies won’t soften, and your cake won’t set.
  • You can make this icebox cake in almost any pan. I used a round 9″ Springform pan, but you could use an 8-9″ round pan, or an 8-9″ square pan or a deep dish pie plate. I chose to use a springform pan so I could remove the sides and display all those glorious layers! Using a springform pan also makes it easier to slice and serve.
black forest slice on plate with whole cake in the background
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Variations on this Black Forest Icebox Cake:

  • Use different flavors of pie filling in place of the cherry
  • Use vanilla wafer cookies or graham crackers in place of the chocolate
  • Add a half package of room temperature cream cheese to your whipped cream — beat the cream cheese first in the bowl, then add the cream and beat until thickened, and add the sugar and beat to stiff peaks.
  • You could add a spoonful of cocoa powder to the whipped cream for chocolate whipped cream

*This post has been updated and republished since the original in January 2016.

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No Bake Black Forest Icebox Cake

written by Ashley Fehr

4.93 from 13 votes
This No Bake Black Forest Icebox Cake is an easy no bake dessert that is perfect for summer! Just FOUR ingredients + video!
black forest icebox cake whole
Review
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Cuisine American
Course Dessert
Servings 12 servings
Calories 213cal

Ingredients

  • 2 packages chocolate wafer cookies or chocolate graham crackers (about 300g)
  • 1 can cherry pie filling (540ml or 2 cups)
  • 2 cups heavy whipped cream (or substitute frozen whipped topping, thawed, and omit sugar)
  • 1/2 cup powdered icing sugar
US Customary – Metric

Instructions

  • In a large bowl, beat cream and powdered sugar on high speed until stiff peaks form. *See my notes above for stabilizing whipped cream if keeping for longer periods of time*
  • Place one layer of chocolate wafer cookies in a 9" Springform pan, breaking to fit or overlapping somewhat is fine. Top with about ⅓ of whipped cream and ⅓ of the cherry pie filling.
  • Repeat layers two more times for 3 layers total.
  • Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight. Garnish with additional whipped cream if desired, slice and serve.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 213cal | Carbohydrates: 20g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 54mg | Sodium: 24mg | Potassium: 82mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 684IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 31mg | Iron: 1mg
Keywords icebox cake

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Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

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Comments

  3. Denay DeGuzman says

    I love this quick, simple, icebox cake recipe! It’s the perfect dessert for backyard BBQs, and warm-weather days!

    Reply

  12. Danielle says

    My grandma used to make us black forest cakes for our birthday, this brings back memories! I love how easy it is too, sometimes easy recipe are just the best 🙂

    Reply

  13. Amanda | The Cinnamon Scrolls says

    I actually really like this idea! But I’d have to wait until summer to make it because I’d need fresh cherries. Tinned cherries, cherry pie filling, and maraschino cherries are not my thing, haha. But I imagine (since it’s no bake) that it would work really well in the summer! And I totally get what you’re saying about needing an easy “not-really-a-recipe” recipe after having a bit of a letdown one. I definitely did that a few times this week! Photos look great!

    Reply

  18. Kelly says

    I think this icebox cake looks delicious, totally not ugly! 🙂 Love the black forest flavors too and only 3 ingredients? Yes please! Thanks so much for the link love too 🙂

    Reply

  19. ColleenB.~Texas says

    My husband would love this.
    I was thinking; why couldn’t a person use a ready made chocolate store bought pie crust and then use crushed oreo crumbs for middle layer. I just may have to try using a pie crust in place of square pan.

    Reply

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