Mocha Chocolate Chip Icebox Cake

Along with having apple pie, baseball, hotdogs, and the Statue of Liberty being considered some of quintessential elements of our American heritage, we need to add having a homemade birthday cake to commemorate one's birthday to the list. As beautiful and delicious as a cake brought home from the bakery might be (nothing against all the great bakeries out there) but a homemade birthday cake has an elusive quality not found in something store bought. No matter how rustic or fancy it may look, a homemade 'with love' confection of your choosing to mark the anniversary of one's arrival in the world makes one feel even more extraordinarily special. And isn't what birthdays are really all about? Whether it's a rich, over the top, decadent cake or something lighter and simpler, the tradition of a homemade birthday cake creates memories lasting a lifetime. We might not remember what the bakery or store bought cake we had for our birthdays in our youth, teens or even into adulthood (without peeking at photos on social media or going through stacks of old family photos) but we never seem to forget the homemade ones. No matter how old we get.

After recently learning two of my running friends shared the same birthday (albeit they are a few years apart in age but not in energy or endurance), I thought I would make them a 'shared' homemade cake. Something more on the rich, decadent side seemed to be in order, considering so many calories have been burned on our long and short-hard runs this summer. Although secretly I believe most birthday cakes should be slightly over the top confections regardless if there are any pre- or post cake eating calorie burning activities planned. Remember the mantra: life is short. I had been wanting to make this Mocha Chocolate Chip Icebox Cake for awhile now. Ironically, it is a homemade cake with a twist.

Descending from Renaissance-era Trifles, Colonial Era Charlottes, and 19th century ice cream cakes, the modern version of Ice Box cakes gained popularity in the 1920s and 1930s. While no one person has been credited with its' conception, many cookie manufacturers began printing "back of the box" recipes for ice box cakes on their packages. Viewed as a kind of commercial shortcut dessert, the icebox cake was simply made with layers of packaged, store bought cookies and whipped cream (or custard). After resting in the ice box (or refrigerator) overnight, the cookies transform into sponge-like layers after absorbing the moisture of the cream. The result is a cold, rich, creamy confection. A cookbook author in the early 20s described it as "....the dessert is so extremely rich that it should be served only in small quantities in a meal containing very little fat." Ida Bailey Allen's Modern Cookbook (1924) 

The inspiration for this cake came from none other than the culinary goddess Ina Garten. Because who else makes the 'gift' of food as important as the food itself? If there were ever a cake to make the family and friends in your life feel special and important to you, this Mocha Chocolate Chip Icebox Cake would be it. Seriously, this should be added to list of universal truths.

Other than needing at least 24 hours and a 9" (or 8") springform pan, the list of ingredients is relatively simple. Whipping cream, mascarpone cream (slightly softened), sugar, vanilla, unsweetened cocoa, espresso powder, some Kahlua, small pinch of kosher salt, and store bought packages of thin crispy chocolate chip cookies are all you need for this cake. Chocolate covered espresso beans, shaved/curled milk or semi-sweet chocolate and, of course, birthday candles are some of the finishing touch options.

Mascarpone cheese is the buttery-rich double-cream to triple-cream cow's milk cheese hailing from Italy. Although it is technically not considered a 'real' cheese, but rather a curdled cream because of the addition of citric or acetic acids. Often described as the lighter version of American cream cheese, Tiramisu may single-handedly be the one dessert responsible for familiarizing many of us with the creamy deliciousness qualities of mascarpone cheese. What I learned in the making of this Mocha Chocolate Chip Icebox Cake is to allow it soften slightly before mixing up the ingredients for the 'whipped' cream portion of the cake. In the event that you take all of your ingredients out of the refrigerator and pantry and immediately start whipping them together, be prepared to splatter your kitchen walls, counter top and floor.

A standing mixer with a whisk attachment whips up the most beautiful 'mocha whipped cream'. With the mixer beginning at slow speed and then increased to high speed, the mixture is beaten until stiff peaks form. I didn't watch the clock for time but it took less than 5 minutes for the cream to become perfectly whipped.

I used Kahlua, but you could easily swap out Bailey's Irish Cream or even Tia Maria in this cake. Just please don't omit the espresso powder as when combined with the unsweetened cocoa, adds to the chocolatey richness of this cake.

Now for the chocolate chip cookies. Of course you can bake your own thin crispy chocolate chip cookies (especially if you enjoy baking on a 90 degree plus day), or you can buy three packages of Tate's Chocolate Chip Cookies. It's hard not to trust the recommendation of Ina Garten even if she is friends with the maker of these cookies. If you would like to use another store bought thin, crisp chocolate cookie, well I can't stop you. Other than sending you a piece of this cake made with the Tate's Chocolate Chip Cookies or making this cake for you if you enter my circle of friends, I don't know how else to tell you that a cookie swap in this cake might not be one of your best decisions of the decade.

Using a 9" springform pan, the bottom is lined with cookies. Spaces between the cookies are filled with broken cookie pieces. Not to worry, there are enough cookies in three 7 ounce packages to create five cookie layers in this cake. And you might end up with one extra cookie (a reward for your hardwork). Visually divide the whipped cream into fifths, spreading one fifth of it over the first layer of cookies. The cake is make with alternate layers of cookies and mocha whipped cream, beginning with cookies and ending with cream. Easy peasy, right?

Once assembled the cake is covered tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerated for 24 hours. That's when the magic happens!

To remove the cake from the springform pan, insert a sharp knife along the edge of the pan. Once the side of the pan is released, dip an offset spatula or butter knife into a cup of hot water and smooth the sides of the cake.

The top of this cake was decorated with some shards and curls of shaved milk and dark chocolate along with some chocolate covered espresso beans. I melted some chocolate to create the shards/curls, but you can easily use a peeler to create curls from a thick bar of chocolate. This cake needs to be served cold! And a sliver goes along way. Seems Ida Bailey Allen knew what she was talking about way back in 1924.

We celebrated the birthdays of my running friends on a very warm (actually hot) night after one of our mid-week 'hard' runs. This cake fooled even their most sophisticated palates as no one initially guessed it wasn't a 'baked sponge' cake. Maybe I shouldn't have told them. just in case I lost some points for not making a homemade-homemade birthday cake from scratch. But I will let you decide what to tell your family and friends when you make and serve this cake for a special occasion. They may or may not remember what you tell them (or what you don't), but they will never forget the taste of this cake. If there was ever a cake to bring back or begin the tradition of homemade birthday cakes (especially for those in the heat of the summer birthdays), this Mocha Chocolate Chip Icebox Cake would be the one. Another universal truth? Maybe. Or maybe a hundred years from now someone will say I knew what I was talking about.

Recipe
Mocha Chocolate Chip Icebox Cake (a slight adaptation to Ina Garten's Mocha Chocolate Icebox Cake recipe)
Serves 8-12, depending on how you slice it

Ingredients
2 cups heavy whipping cream
12 ounces mascarpone cheese, slightly softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup Kahlua (or Bailiey's Irish Cream)
2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa (recommend Ghiradelli Unsweetened Cocoa)
1 teaspoon instant espresso
Small pinch of kosher salt
3 (7 or 8 ounce) packages of Tate's Chocolate Chip Cookies
Semi-sweet or dark chocolate, shaved or curled for garnish
Espresso beans, optional garnish

Directions
1. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, lightly whip the mascarpone cheese (approximately 1 minute).
2. Add the heavy cream, sugar, Kahlua, cocoa, kosher salt, and instant espresso. Starting on low speed, mix to combine. Gradually increase speed to high and whip until stiff peaks form.
3. In a 9" (or 8") springform pan, line bottom of pan with a layer of cookies. Fill in spaces with pieces of cookies. 
4. Spread approximately 1/5 of the mocha whipped cream evenly over the cookies. 
5. Place another layer of cookies over the icing, pressing down very lightly. Again fill in spaces with pieces of cookies. Repeat until there are five layers of each, finishing with a layer of the mocha whipped cream. Smooth the top. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
6. To unmold, run a sharp (slightly warmed) knife around the edge of the cake. Remove the sides of the pan and place cake on a cake plate or round platter.
7. Dip an offset spatula or knife in hot water and smooth sides of cake.
8. Top cake with shards, shavings or curls of chocolate. Arrange chocolate covered espresso beans along edge of cake (if using).
9. Cut with a sharp knife and serve cold. Store any leftover cake covered in the refrigerator.

Notes: (1) You can buy Tate's Chocolate Chip Cookies at Whole Foods as well as at several other grocery stores or markets. They also make a gluten-free version of their cookies. (2) If you don't want to buy pre-packaged cookies, there are a variety of thin, crispy versions of chocolate chip cookies recipes out on the web. (3) I used a 9 inch springform pan and was able to get five layers of cookies and mocha whipped cream. If you don't want to serve the cake on a stand or platter with the bake of the springform pan, line the bottom with parchment paper and trim the edges before placing on a cake stand or platter.

Images of iconic rides from a summer festival fairgrounds.