Creamy Berry Icebox Cookie Cake

Sometimes us bakers just need to chill the freak out.

Sometimes a “no bake” recipe just works. Sometimes it’s just too hot to preheat the oven, let alone have it raging at 375º for several hours (because if you’re anything like me, you don’t just bake one dessert at a time… you bake like two or three so the oven is on for the better part of a Sunday day).

And sometimes, actually oftentimes, desserts that call for you to whip cream cheese AND whipped cream AND fresh berries together to make a creamy mess of goodness is just right. Especially when this mess is layered between Madeleine cookies, which are tasty enough to be eaten on their own yet willing to be totally enhanced by the fruit and creamy wondiferousness.

Yes, this dessert has summer written all over it. (Truth be told- the best part was that I didn’t even make the Madeleines [which you know we’ve enjoyed together before, in this lovely recipe]… nope- in true chill-out, kick-back summer fashion, I put the yummy cookies sent from the generous folks at Sugar Bowl Bakery to the test in this “I refuse to use the oven” recipe. Wow. Now I know why people cut corners when preparing dessert. As a lazy baker, I just might embrace the wonderful world of semi-prepared sweets.

Anyhoo, enjoy this one. I’m pretty excited about it, so therefore you need to be as well. :)

Adapted from Food magazine’s recipe…

3 cups chopped strawberries (about 1 pound)

3 cups mixed berries (raspberries, blueberries and/or blackberries)

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

1 8-oz package cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3 cups cold heavy whipping cream

1 package of Madeleine cookies (18 in total) or any other cookie*
1. In a medium bowl, toss 1 cup of the chopped strawberries and 1 cup of mixed berries with 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and the juice of 1/2 lemon; set aside to macerate (for about 30 minutes).
2. Puree 1 cup mixed berries in a blender until smooth. Refrigerate the remaining strawberries and mixed berries for topping.
3. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and lemon zest until fluffy, about 3 – 5 minutes. Add the whipping cream and beat until slightly stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes (you might need to drape a kitchen towel over the mixer to prevent splatters…). Transfer half of the whipped cream mixture to a separate bowl and fold in the berry puree.
4. Line a 9 x 5″ loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving an overhang on all sides. Spread 1 cup of the plain whipped cream mixture in the pan (refrigerate the rest to spread over cake before serving). Cover cream layer with a single layer of cookies. Spread 1 cup of the berry whipped cream over the cookies, then top with half of the macerated berries and another 1 cup of berry whipped cream. Repeat with another layer of cookies, berry whipped cream and the remaining macerated berries and berry whipped cream. Top with another layer of cookies. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight.
5. Before serving, toss the remaining strawberries and mixed berries with the remaining 1 tablespoon granulated sugar and juice of 1/2 lemon in a large bowl; set aside to macerate for about 30 minutes.
6. Uncover the cake and invert onto a platter; remove the plastic. Cover with the reserved plain whipped cream. Drain the macerated berries well and arrange on top of cake. Slice and serve!
Tips:
- *Cookie options? Go ahead and buy two 6-oz packages or lemon or vanilla cookies, or whatever kind you want, really…
- Chilling overnight is a good move. The cookies will have a better chance of absorbing the creamy goodness and so will soften… something I didn’t really do an excellent job of, as made evident by the photo above that shows the cake spreading out rather hideously as I tried to cut it. It still tasted excellent but I’d have preferred the cookies a bit soggier, which would have happened if I made the cake the day before. Live and learn, live and learn.
- You will have a lot of whipped cream, which is fantastic because you can stand in your kitchen just licking it off your spatula after you’re done assembling the cake.
- Feeling frisky? Why not add a splash of Grand Marnier into the cream mixture? Or Frangelico, and then top the cake with hazelnuts?
- Don’t even think of freezing this dessert. Whipped cream doesn’t like to be frozen. Not at all.
- Happy summer!
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July 16th, 2014 | More Sweets Please | No Comments | Tags: Cookies, cream cheese, Fruit