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Chocolate Icebox Cake is a chocolate lovers dream dessert – with layers of chocolate graham cracker, chocolate whipped cream and shaved chocolate in milk chocolate and white chocolate. The best part is that it’s an easy no bake dessert with a quick prep time.

For more icebox cake recipes be sure and try my Strawberry Icebox Cake, Oreo Icebox Cake, Chocolate Eclair Icebox Cake, and Banana Split Icebox Cake – there are so many different varieties of the classic icebox cake.

Inside of the icebox cake in the baking pan

No Bake Chocolate Icebox Cake

This delicious dessert is loaded with rich chocolate flavor! With layers of graham crackers, chocolate whip cream, and finished off with chocolate curls in chocolate + white chocolate. With only a few minute of prep time needed, this icebox cake is ready for it’s chill time in a matter of minutes.

Icebox cakes are great make-ahead desserts because they need lots of fridge time for the chocolate grahams to soften slightly and for the chocolate whipped cream to thicken and the flavors to intensify.

I love no bake recipes! Make them the day before and they’re ready to go after some chill time in the fridge overnight. This No Bake Black Forest Pie is a family favorite with layers of chocolate and vanilla cheesecake. Or try these layered lush desserts that are completely no bake – like this Oreo Lush, White Chocolate Lush, or Butterscotch Lush.

Slice of the chocolate cake with a fork on a white plate.

Simple Ingredients & Substitutions

Powdered Sugar
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
Vanilla Extract
Salt : Use sea salt, kosher salt, or iodized table salt.
Heavy Whipping Cream : No substitutes for this one!
Chocolate Graham Crackers : The recipe needs 27 whole graham crackers. Take care to make sure they are not broken. If you can’t find the chocolate graham crackers try using Oreos instead. Leave the Oreo whole or break it apart, remove the white filling, and do a single later of just the cookie part. Oreo thins or chocolate Oreos are other good options.
Chocolate Bar & White Chocolate Bar : I use the Lindt brand or Ghiradelli brand for the chocolate curls. To get easy chocolate curls simply use a vegetable peeler and ‘peel’ along the long side of the chocolate bar. You could also use dark chocolate, cookies and cream, or a semi-sweet chocolate bar instead. Or try using two different types of chocolate bars instead of the white and milk chocolate.

How To Make Easy Chocolate Icebox Cake (Printable Recipe Card)

In a large bowl, add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and salt. Use an electric hand mixer, on medium speed, and beat until stiff peaks form. Increase the speed to high as it starts to thicken. You can also use the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment to make the chocolate whipped cream.

In a 9×13 baking dish or cake pan, lay out a single layer of chocolate graham crackers to cover the bottom of the dish, breaking some apart if needed to cover the entire base.

Evenly spread 1/3 of the chocolate whipped cream mixture over top the graham crackers. Add another layer of chocolate graham crackers. Cover with 1/3 of the chocolate whipped cream. Add another layer of chocolate graham crackers and end with the remaining chocolate whipped cream as the top layer.

Cover the dessert with plastic wrap or a lid and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, but overnight is best. When ready to serve, top it off with the chocolate and white chocolate curls. Serve the dessert chilled from the fridge.

Topping & Garnish Ideas For A Chocolate Old-Fashioned Icebox Cake

I love the look of the white chocolate and chocolate curls on top – but there are lots of other options, here a few to get you started.

Chocolate Sauce : Hot fudge sauce, ice cream sundae sauce, or chocolate syrup are all great sauce toppings for the icebox cake. I would recommend adding a chocolate drizzle to each square with sauce, rather than the entire pan, as it w
on’t store well as leftovers.
Chopped Oreos : Crumble up some Oreo cookies and use those as a garnish for the icebox cake.
Mini Chocolate Chips
Cookies & Cream Chocolate Bar : Use a cookies and cream chocolate bar to make the chocolate curls with.
Powdered Sugar or Cocoa Powder Dusting
Fresh Berries : Top each serving with fresh berries like raspberries, blueberries, and/or strawberries. Fresh fruit + chocolate curls are always a good match for dessert.

A serving spatula holding up a slice to see the layers.

Storage Instructions For Icebox Cakes

Cover the dessert with plastic wrap, or a lid, and store in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. The graham crackers will start to get too soggy after a few days. The icebox cake is best served within 8-12 hours of making it. So either the minimum chill time or refrigerate overnight before serving it the following day.

I don’t recommend freezing this desert because once frozen and thawed the whipped cream will separate and take on a weird texture.

Pan of chocolate layered classic icebox cake

Icebox Cake Recipe Tips

Offset Spatula : Use an offset spatula to evenly spread the whipped cream layers into the pan. Try to evenly spread each layer to create even layers in the icebox cake.
Cold Heavy Cream : Make sure that the heavy whipping cream is cold, and used straight from the fridge, when you add it into the mixing bowl. This will help it whip up faster and form stiff peaks.
Chill Time : If you prefer the graham crackers to have more texture to them, then only refrigerate the icebox cake for the minimum 4-6 hours before serving. If you want the flavors to meld together more, the whipped cream to thicken up more, and for the graham crackers to soften a bit, then chill the icebox cake for 6-8 hours or up to overnight. I don’t recommend refrigerating the cake for longer than 12-18 hours (overnight) before serving as the graham crackers will get too soft.

Close up of the side if the slice of cake

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