No-Bake Ice Box Cake
Ice box cake is a delicious no-bake dessert made with layers of smooth vanilla custard between tea biscuits (or wafers).
This no-bake ice box cake is perfect for making ahead, and I always bring this cake along for potlucks, dinner parties, and gatherings, and everyone LOVES it. They don't even know it only takes less than 30 minutes to make because it looks so fancy.
Homemade Custard
I always like to make my own custard from scratch, which is what I'll be breaking down for you step-by-step. It's ridiculously simple and only needs minimal ingredients that you probably already have lying around at home. If you prefer to use ready-made or powdered custard, just prepare it according to the instructions on the box.
Tea Biscuits
Tea Biscuits: Any tea biscuits will do. In Kuwait, where I grew up, we used to call them Marie biscuits. They're typically plain and slightly sweet butter cookies, but if you can't find Marie or any tea biscuits anywhere, you can also use something similar, like digestive biscuits instead.
How To Make Custard Cake
Mix the custard ingredients in the pot before you put it on the stove. Cornstarch doesn't dissolve in anything hot, so make sure you whisk it in with the milk, sugar, vanilla, and eggs before you put it on the stove. Otherwise, it'll clump up, and you'll get a lumpy custard.
On the stove, bring the custard to a boil, then lower the heat until it thickens. Whisk the custard continuously. In order for your custard to stay silky-smooth, make sure you whisk it almost continuously while it's on the stove. You want the eggs to cook evenly and not turn into scrambled eggs in milk.
Arrange the biscuits evenly. Top with the homemade custard. Work while the custard is still hot. In order to be able to spread the custard in even layers, you want to work quickly while it's hot. It will start to thicken as it cools, which might make it a bit harder to spread. Repeat for a total of three layers.
Crush the instant coffee with the cocoa powder. If you decide to use instant coffee, I like to crush it into the cocoa powder with the back of a spoon before sprinkling the mixture on top. Sprinkle the cocoa powder and coffee on top.
Let the custard cake set before serving. This custard cake needs at least 3 hours to set properly.
Dip your knife in hot water. If you want to get clean-cut slices, this trick will make sure your knife slices through the cake perfectly.
No-Bake Layered Desserts
- Tiramisu is a creamy layered dessert made with mascarpone and ladyfingers.
- Biscoff banana pudding is a creamy banana pudding sandwiched between Biscoff cookies.
📋 Recipe
No-Bake Ice Box Cake
Ingredients
- 1-2 packs tea biscuits
- 4 cups milk
- 2 eggs
- ⅓ cup sugar
- 3 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon instant coffee optional
Instructions
- Make the custard. Whisk the cornstarch, eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla in a pot until fully incorporated. On the stove, bring the mixture to a boil while whisking continuously. As soon as it bubbles, lower the heat and keep whisking until the mixture thickens.
- Arrange the biscuits in a single layer 9"x13" serving dish, then spread a layer of custard on top. Just enough to form a layer on top of the biscuits. Repeat this process two more times, the last layer being custard.
- Crush the instant coffee with the cocoa powder and sprinkle or sift on top of the cake.
- Let the custard cool then let set for 3 hours in the fridge. Slice into squares and enjoy.
Notes
- The number of biscuits you use will depend on the size of your pan and the size of the biscuits.
- You want to end up with 3 layers of biscuits and custard.
- Storage: Custard cake can be kept in the fridge for up to 3-4 days, which makes it the perfect dessert to make ahead of time. I actually think it tastes better the second day because the biscuits really have time to soak up the custard.
I think it's tiramisu, not custard
It looks like tiramisu, but it tastes different! This custard cake uses tea biscuits (rather than ladyfingers) and the custard doesn't contain mascarpone like tiramisu. If you like tiramisu, you will love this similar no bake custard cake!