Happy summer everyone!
For Mother’s Day (yep that was a few weeks ago – does it
feel like it?), Travis made me a card which read “Mothers of teens know why
some animals eat their young” and attributed it to “Albert Einstein or someone
like that”. There has been a lot of togetherness
over the past few months. It has been a
gift to slow down and not rush from one activity to the next and it’s been a
test of patience – on everyone’s part – to “appreciate” all of this glorious
opportunity. This cake is something your
family will appreciate and you do have to make it the day before so the filling
softens the crisp cookies so what a great opportunity to practice your honed
skills to the max.
When the temps heat up, the last thing you want to do it
heat up your oven. How about this icebox
cake from Barefoot Contessa? We made
some modifications given a lack of interest in espresso powder and kahlua but
either way, it’s a winner!
Ingredients
- 2 cups cold heavy cream
- 12 ounces Italian mascarpone cheese
- ½ cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 (8-ounce) packages Tate’s Bake Shop chocolate chip cookies
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk
attachment, combine the heavy cream, mascarpone, sugar, cocoa powder, and
vanilla. Mix on low speed to combine and then slowly raise the speed, until it
forms firm peaks.
To assemble the cake, arrange chocolate chip cookies flat
in an 8-inch springform pan, covering the bottom as much as possible. It should
be 8 cookies per layer (count how many are in each package – multiple by 3 – divide
by 5 and that’s how many should be in each layer). You should have a few extra so you can break some
cookies to fill in the spaces. Spread a fifth of the mocha whipped cream evenly
over the cookies. Place another layer of cookies on top, lying flat and
touching, followed by another fifth of the cream. Continue layering cookies and
cream until there are 5 layers of each, ending with a layer of cream. Smooth
the top, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
Run a small sharp knife around the outside of the cake
and remove the sides of the pan. If you are feeling fancy, sprinkle the top
with shaved semi-sweet chocolate, cut in wedges, and serve cold.