Chocolate chip cookie icebox cake (with homemade cookies)

I may very well have defeated the purpose of an icebox cake by making the cookies myself.  After all, the appeal of the icebox cake is its simplicity and the fact that it requires no baking.  Well, what can I say...baking is what we do here.

My 6-inch icebox cake: Five individual layers of chocolate chip cookies and cocoa whipped cream-mascarpone filling

This is my first icebox cake.  It's the first time I'm making and eating one.  This 6-inch icebox cake of mine is a bit of a mashup between Ina Garten's mocha chocolate icebox cake and Martha Stewart's chocolate chip icebox cake.  A few years ago, a friend told me how good Ina's recipe was and ever since then, I've thought about trying it.  Ina uses Tate's chocolate chip cookies - those shatteringly crisp cookies are terrific (my son is a big fan) but I had a hankering to make my own and that's where Martha comes in.  

Homemade chocolate chip cookies - thin and baked until crisp, ideal for icebox cakes

I rarely make thin and crisp chocolate chip cookies (thin and chewy ones, yes) but this was a nice experiment.  I found the crispiness a nice change.  And the handy thing about it is you can simply bake the cookies a couple of minutes less and end up with a softer, chewy cookie instead.  For the icebox cake, you do want to make sure and use crispy cookies since it will do its thing and soften with the layers of cream in between it.  

For the creamy filling, I decided to go with cocoa-flavored whipped cream instead of mocha and I tweaked Ina's recipe by using a little less mascarpone cheese, reducing the amount of sugar, and skipping the liqueur.  Since the little guy would be digging into this cake with us, I omitted the liqueur but I think it would be a safe bet to say that it'd be delicious with it. 

I divided the recipes I used in half to make my scaled-down version.  Unless you're feeding a crowd, it may be wise because we're talking layers of chocolate chip cookies, with a rich (though deceptively light-tasting) whipped cream and mascarpone filling.  I find this is the kind of cake that you put on a plate and you polish off whatever's on that plate, so a small slice may be the way to go when it comes to enjoying this.

Most icebox cakes are freeform and I like that casual simplicity but I think I prefer Ina's way of making it in a cake pan.  You need a springform pan, or as in my case, a 6-inch cheesecake pan (one with a removable bottom).  I think it makes for a neat presentation.  Plus, it's super easy and convenient to assemble that way.

I think my first icebox cake gets a thumb's up.  Like I said, once you take a bite, it's hard to stop eating.  Funny thing...when my son tasted this, he told me "mmm, it's really good!  I thought I would hate it, but it's really good!"  That gave me a good laugh!  I think the sound of "cheese" (i.e., mascarpone cheese) threw him off a bit but the taste won him over.  I always know something is good when he asks me how much of it is left...needless to say, he wanted dibs on the last piece though he was willing to share.


Thin, crisp chocolate chip cookies

The simple recipe that follows makes approximately 32 of these cookies.  I use a small ice cream scoop, about 1-tablespoon of batter for each cookie and they bake up roughly 2 1/2 inches in diameter.  For the icebox cake, bake them until browned and set in the middle, 14 to 16 minutes, to ensure they are nice and crisp.  

I used about 4 cookies per cake layer.  With 5 layers, that means about 20 cookies are needed in total.  I'd bake up a couple of extra just in case but for the remaining ten or so, you could adjust the bake time if you'd like a different texture.  For softer cookies (that are very pleasantly chewy in the center), bake for about 2 minutes less; they were very tasty that way.

Assembling the icebox cake

For the cocoa whipped cream with mascarpone filling, I start with 1 cup of cold cream and I used 5 ounces of mascarpone cheese.  I took it straight from the fridge, cold.  All the ingredients get placed in the stand mixer and the filling whips up very quickly.  To assemble is just a matter of placing the chocolate chip cookies down into the bottom of your cake pan (either springform with removable sides or a cheesecake pan like I use with a removable bottom that simply slides out).  

Lay down as many cookies as you can so it sits flat against the cake pan.  You can probably fit just three that way. Then, break up another cookie to fill in some of the bigger empty spaces.  Divide the cream filling into fifth and place one portion over the top of the cookies.  

* Here's something of a tip:  I found that even after an overnight sitting in the fridge, the bottom-most layer of cookies was a little hard to slice through.  It's not a big deal but if you want the bottom layer to be softer, I'd recommend spreading a thin layer of the cream filling onto the bottom of the pan before placing the first layer of cookies on top.

Then, just repeat to make a total of 5 layers of chocolate chip cookies and cream filling, each.  End with a final layer of cream and smooth the top.

Cover your assembled cake with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.  You really need the overnight sit in the fridge for the cookie layers to soften properly.  Also, the creamy filling has a chance to mellow and meld with everything and just tastes better the longer it "rests" in the fridge.

I made mine one day ahead and we cut into our first slice the following evening.  We had leftovers for the next 2 nights and I can tell you the cake held up very well, the cookies were nice and soft without being overly soft or mushy (as I feared).  

If you're in the mood to indulge in an icebox cake, consider this one.  And if you want to save some time and use some store-bought cookies, I'm all for it.


Recipe:

Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Box Cake
Adapted from Ina Garten and Martha Stewart's icebox cake recipes 
(cream filling and assembly adapted from Ina Garten; chocolate chip cookie recipe from Martha Stewart)

- Makes one 6-inch round cake -

For chocolate chip cookies (makes approximately 32; you will need 20-22 cookies for the cake):
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
6 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 scant cup semisweet chocolate chips

For cocoa whipped cream and mascarpone filling:
1 cup cold heavy cream
5 ounces mascarpone cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For garnish: Shaved semisweet chocolate

Make cookies: Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks placed in the upper and lower thirds.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or silicon mats.  In a bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together.  In a stand mixer, beat butter and sugars on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.  On low-speed, add egg and mix until combined.  Scrape bowl and add flour mixture in 3 batches.  Beat in vanilla and fold in the chocolate chips.

Use a small ice cream scoop (1-tablespoon measure) and scoop dough onto lined baking sheets, placed about 2 inches apart.  Bake, rotating pans halfway through the bake time, until edges are golden brown and centers are set, about 14 to 16 minutes.  Note: you want thin, crisp cookies for the icebox cake.  (If desired, you could set some cookie dough aside and bake soft, chewy cookies by reducing the bake time by about 2 minutes.  You will need 20-22 cookies for the cake, leaving you with about 10 extra to bake as you like.)  Let cookies cool completely on wire racks.

Make cream filling: Place heavy cream, mascarpone, sugar, cocoa, and vanilla into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  Start on low speed, then gradually increase to medium high and whip until cream forms firm peaks. 

Assemble cake:  To make the icebox cake, arrange a flat layer of chocolate chip cookies on to the bottom of a 6-inch round springform or cheesecake pan (either with removable sides or bottom). Break off some chocolate chip cookies to fill in empty spaces in between.  You will likely only be able to fit 3 whole cookies and break off pieces from a fourth to fill in spaces for each layer.

Divide cream roughly into fifths and place one portion over the cookies.  Spread evenly and all the way to the edge of the cake pan.  Repeat with another layer of cookies, then cream, until you have 5 layers of each, ending with a layer of cream.  

[Note: The bottom layer of cookies will remain a bit hard even after refrigerating overnight.  If you would like the base layer of cookies to soften more, spread a thin layer of cream across the bottom of the cake pan before placing the first layer of cookies on top.  Then, roughly divide remaining cream into fifths and continue as above.]

Cover the cake pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.  This will allow cookies to soften into cake layers and the flavors to meld.  

Before serving, run a knife around the edge of the cake pan and remove the sides of the pan.  Set onto a serving place, garnish the top of the cake with shaved chocolate and serve cold.  Leftovers can be wrapped and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.