When summer is hot (it does happen from time to time here in Berlin), it’s nice to be able to »bake« something without having to turn on the oven. No-bake cakes are simply perfect on hot days. This Ice Box Cake with Damson Plums & Biscoff Cookies is the perfect candidate and the answer to all your sweet summer dreams. No baking required, only a few simple ingredients, and a real eye-catcher – without doing much in the kitchen. ;)

Maybe not everyone will be familiar with the term »ice box cake«. We also thought it had something to do with the freezer, at first… But you don’t need subzero temperatures for cakes like this one here. The term »ice box« is simply an old term for a fridge. In the US, where this type of cake first saw the light of day, refrigerators were originally called »ice boxes«. Why? Well, because they were simply boxes with ice inside that kept food cool back in the day. Electric fridges came much later and probably took over the name »Ice Box« for a while…
Judging by the number of recipes available online, ice box cakes are quite popular in the US. Alright, not just in the US, pretty much everywhere. ;P But that’s understandable – the cakes are super easy to make and taste great (when done right). You don’t need much baking knowledge, a fridge and a little patience are absolutely sufficient.

Ice box cakes, aka. Kühlschrankkuchen (as we call them in Germany) like this one, can be made with different types of cookies and fruits. We opted for Biscoff cookies and plums here. It brings a little autumnal feeling to the table. ;)
Biscoff cookies are quite similar to Speculoos cookies – caramel-y, cinnamon-y, and delicious. In cafés, they often come along with your coffee order. Nowadays, they are available in pretty much every supermarket. If you can’t find them anywhere, you could theoretically substitute them with Speculoos cookies. Even though those cookies are considered cookies for Christmas, you can find them in German supermarkets as early as mid-August. ;P Whether you use Biscoff or Speculoos cookies, both go perfectly with any type of plum.

Even though you don’t need an oven to prepare this cake, some heat is still necessary. The plums need to be cooked briefly and then puréed. It’s not much to do, but needed, to get the purée/sauce you need. Well, and the rest is done by your fridge. Layer your cookies, cream, and purée nicely, chill everything thoroughly and that’s pretty much it. Decorate the result as desired, and your ice box cake is ready to be enjoyed.
If no-bake cakes sound good to you, but this one here isn’t quite right for you, how about a No-Bake Tiramisu Cheesecake? It’s layered as well and then chilled. Similar to a real tiramisu, only as a cake and a little bigger. ;P
If you want to use a real »ice box« aka. freezer instead of a fridge, we have a delicious Ice Cream Birthday Cake you could make. Cookies are used as the base, and then ready-made ice cream and brownies are layered to create a nice cake. This ice cream cake is simply perfect for a midsummer celebration!
INGREDIENTS / ZUTATEN
(6 persons)
For the damson plum purée:
14 oz. (400g) damson plums, pitted
2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla bean paste*
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
For the icebox cake:
17.6 oz. (500g) heavy cream (cold)
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste*
1 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
2 tsp. cream stiffener*
1 tbsp. of the plum purée
about 10.6 oz. (300g) Biscoff cookies*
2-3 damson plums in slices for decoration
some crumbled Biscoff biscuits (optional)
(6 Personen)
Für das Zwetschgenpüree:
400g Zwetschgen, entsteint
2 EL Zucker
1/2 TL Vanillepaste*
1/4 TL Zimt
Für den Kuchen:
500g Schlagsahne (kalt)
1 TL Vanillepaste*
1 EL Puderzucker
2 TL Sahnesteif*
1 EL vom Zwetschgenpüree
etwa 300g Biscoff Kekse*
2-3 Zwetschgen in Spalten für die Dekoration
einige Biscoff Kekse zerbröselt (optional)


Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. Can I substitute other cookies for the Biscoff cookies?
Yes, of course! Butter cookies, Oreos, or even ladyfingers work fine here.
2. How long does an ice box cake keep in the fridge?
If you wrap the cake well, it will easily keep for 2-3 days.
3. Can I freeze the cake?
Not ideal. Freezing will affect the consistency of the cream. You don’t want that.
4. Do I really need to purée the plums?
If you don’t have a blender or mixer handy, you can simply simmer the plums a little longer to allow them to break down completely. To remove any harder skins, you can strain the compote through a sieve. However, you will lose some volume in the process.
5. Is the cake suitable for children?
Absolutely! The plum purée and cream don’t contain much sugar, and no alcohol is used either… so the cake should be perfectly fine for small kids.
DIRECTIONS / ZUBEREITUNG
1. Wash and dry the damson plums, then remove the stones. Cut them into small pieces and add them together with sugar, vanilla bean paste, and ground cinnamon to a small saucepan. Heat up on the stove and let the plums simmer for about 10-15 minutes while stirring regularly. The plums should have broken down and the liquid in the saucepan should have thickened nicely. Remove from the stove and let cool down for some time, then purée with an immersion blender. Let cool down completely. You can prepare the damson plum purée some time ahead and store it in the fridge.
2. Add the cold heavy cream and vanilla bean paste to a tall container and mix until the cream is somewhat fluffy (but not stiff). Combine confectioners’ sugar and cream stiffener and add gradually to the cream while continuing mixing. Mix/whisk until stiff peaks form. Add about a tablespoon of the damson plum purée and stir in. Set aside (in the fridge) about 1/3 of the remaining plum purée for the decoration, the rest will be used for the cake layers along with the heavy cream mixture.
3. Line a loaf tin* (approx. 23x11cm) with plastic wrap film. You want the plastic wrap to overlap a lot so you can later on cover the cake layers inside the tin with the plastic wrap.
4. Spread a thin layer of the cream inside the loaf tin, then place a first layer of Biscoff cookies on top (press them lightly into the cream). The cookies should be close together and cover the entire base of the tin. Some cookies may need to be cut to size with a sharp, serrated knife to fit. Next, spread some of the damson plum purée on top. The layer of plum purée should be quite thin and only cover the biscuits. Try not to touch the sides of the tin with it. Next, spread more cream on the cookies coated with the plum purée. I recommend adding the cream along the sides of the tin first and then spread this towards the center. Make sure the plum purée and cream do not mix (a lot) to create nice layers. Repeat this process with cookies, plum purée, and cream until the tin is full. The last layer should be cream. Pull the plastic wrap over the cake to cover everything and seal the cake (airtight). Place the cake in the fridge for at least 12 hours.
5. Before serving, remove the plastic wrap from the upper part of the cake, place a serving plate on top and flip both, plate and loaf tin together, upside down. The cake inside the loaf tin should come out easily, still wrapped in the plastic wrap. Remove the plastic wrap and decorate the cake with leftover plum purée, fresh damson plums and some crushed Biscoff cookies (optional).
1. Die Zwetschgen für das Püree waschen, trocknen, entsteinen und in kleinere Stücke schneiden. Zusammen mit dem Zucker, der Vanillepaste und dem Zimt in einen kleinen Topf geben und erhitzen. Die Zwetschgen etwa 10-15 Minuten köcheln lassen, dabei immer wieder umrühren, bis die Zwetschgen zerfallen sind und die Flüssigkeit im Topf etwas angedickt hat. Den Topf vom Herd ziehen und die eingekochten Zwetschgen einige Minuten zur Seite stellen, dann mit einem Stabmixer pürieren. Komplett abkühlen lassen. Das Püree kann man einige Zeit vorab zubereiten und dann im Kühlschrank lagern.
2. Die kalte Sahne und Vanillepaste in ein hohes Gefäß geben und aufschlagen, bis die Sahne leicht schaumig ist. Puderzucker und Sahnesteif vermischen und langsam in die Sahne einrieseln lassen, während man die Sahne weiter aufschlägt, bis sie steif ist. Einen Esslöffel Zwetschgenpüree dazugeben und unterrühren. Etwa 1/3 des verbliebenen Zwetschgenpürees für die Dekoration zur Seite stellen (in den Kühlschrank), der Rest wird dann gleich zusammen mit der Sahnecreme für den Kuchen verwendet.
3. Eine Kastenform* (etwa 23x11cm) mit Klarsichtfolie auslegen – die Folie sollte so viel überstehen, dass man sie später über den Kuchen in der Form einschlagen kann, um alles abzudecken.
4. Als Erstes eine dünne Schicht Sahnecreme auf dem Boden der Kastenform verstreichen, dann eine erste Schicht Biscoff Kekse auflegen und leicht in die Creme drücken. Die Kekse sollten dicht an dicht liegen und den kompletten Boden bedecken. Einige Kekse muss man ggf. mit einem scharfen Sägemesser zurechtschneiden. Als Nächstes ein wenig Zwetschgenpüree auf den Keksen verteilen – die Schicht aus Zwetschgenpüree sollte recht dünn sein und nur die Kekse bedecken, nicht bis an den Rand gehen. Auf die Kekse mit dem Püree kommt als Nächstes wieder Sahnecreme. Hier sollte man erst rundum am Rand der Backform Creme verteilen und diese dann zur Mitte hin verstreichen. Es sollte vermieden werden, dass sich Püree und Creme vermischen. Diesen Vorgang mit Keksen, Püree und Sahnecreme wiederholen, bis die Form voll ist – die letzte Schicht sollte Sahnecreme sein. Die Folie über den Kuchen einschlagen, damit alles luftdicht eingepackt ist. Die Form mit dem Kuchen für mindestens 12 Stunden in den Kühlschrank stellen.
5. Vor dem Servieren die Folie auf dem Kuchen wieder aufschlagen, eine Servierplatte auflegen und Platte samt Kastenform umdrehen. Der Kuchen in der Kastenform sollte sich jetzt mitsamt der Folie leicht lösen. Die Klarsichtfolie komplett entfernen und den Kuchen dann mit dem zurückbehaltenen Zwetschgenpüree, frischen Zwetschgen und ggf. noch ein paar zerbröckelten Biscoff Keksen dekorieren (optional).

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Here is a version of the recipe you can print easily.
Print
Icebox Cake with Damson Plums & Biscoff Cookies
- Prep Time: 00:30
- Cook Time: 12:00
- Total Time: 14:00
- Yield: 1
- Category: Cakes
- Cuisine: international
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
Ice box cakes are super easy to prepare – so is this delicious Icebox Cake with Damson Plums & Biscoff Cookies. The perfect fall dessert!
Ingredients
For the damson plum purée:
14 oz. (400g) damson plums, pitted
2 tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla bean paste*
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
For the icebox cake:
17.6 oz. (500g) heavy cream (cold)
1 tsp. vanilla bean paste*
1 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
2 tsp. cream stiffener*
1 tbsp. of the plum purée
about 10.6 oz. (300g) Biscoff cookies*
2-3 damson plums in slices for decoration
some crumbled Biscoff biscuits (optional)
Instructions
1. Wash and dry the damson plums, then remove the stones. Cut them into small pieces and add them together with sugar, vanilla bean paste, and ground cinnamon to a small saucepan. Heat up on the stove and let the plums simmer for about 10-15 minutes while stirring regularly. The plums should have broken down and the liquid in the saucepan should have thickened nicely. Remove from the stove and let cool down for some time, then purée with an immersion blender. Let cool down completely. You can prepare the damson plum purée some time ahead and store it in the fridge.
2. Add the cold heavy cream and vanilla bean paste to a tall container and mix until the cream is somewhat fluffy (but not stiff). Combine confectioners’ sugar and cream stiffener and add gradually to the cream while continuing mixing. Mix/whisk until stiff peaks form. Add about a tablespoon of the damson plum purée and stir in. Set aside (in the fridge) about 1/3 of the remaining plum purée for the decoration, the rest will be used for the cake layers along with the heavy cream mixture.
3. Line a loaf tin* (approx. 23x11cm) with plastic wrap film. You want the plastic wrap to overlap a lot so you can later on cover the cake layers inside the tin with the plastic wrap.
4. Spread a thin layer of the cream inside the loaf tin, then place a first layer of Biscoff cookies on top (press them lightly into the cream). The cookies should be close together and cover the entire base of the tin. Some cookies may need to be cut to size with a sharp, serrated knife to fit. Next, spread some of the damson plum purée on top. The layer of plum purée should be quite thin and only cover the biscuits. Try not to touch the sides of the tin with it. Next, spread more cream on the cookies coated with the plum purée. I recommend adding the cream along the sides of the tin first and then spread this towards the center. Make sure the plum purée and cream do not mix (a lot) to create nice layers. Repeat this process with cookies, plum purée, and cream until the tin is full. The last layer should be cream. Pull the plastic wrap over the cake to cover everything and seal the cake (airtight). Place the cake in the fridge for at least 12 hours.
5. Before serving, remove the plastic wrap from the upper part of the cake, place a serving plate on top and flip both, plate and loaf tin together, upside down. The cake inside the loaf tin should come out easily, still wrapped in the plastic wrap. Remove the plastic wrap and decorate the cake with leftover plum purée, fresh damson plums and some crushed Biscoff cookies (optional).
Notes
It’s time to whip up something delicious!
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