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Black Forest Icebox Cake

Black Forest icebox cake with chocolate wafer layers, billowy whipped cream, and glossy cherry pie filling—no oven required. Chill until the cookies soften into cake-like layers for clean, ruby-red slices.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
chill 8 hours
Total Time 8 hours 25 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chocolate wafer cookies (such as Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers)
  • 18 oz chocolate wafer cookies Use 2 packages total.
Cherry pie filling
  • 42 oz cherry pie filling Use 2 cans total.
Heavy whipping cream
  • 3 cup heavy whipping cream Keep cold for best stiff peaks.
Powdered sugar
  • 3 tbsp powdered sugar Sweetens and stabilizes the cream.
Vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Dark chocolate shavings or curls
  • 0.5 cup dark chocolate shavings or curls
Fresh dark cherries (pitted)
  • 0.5 cup fresh dark cherries (pitted) Use extra for garnish if you like.
Maraschino cherry juice (optional)
  • 2 tbsp maraschino cherry juice Optional drizzle for shine.

Equipment

  • 1 hand mixer

Method
 

Make the whipped cream
  1. In a large chilled bowl, beat cold heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and pure vanilla extract with a hand mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 3–4 minutes, with the mixture holding tall peaks when you lift the beaters.
Assemble the icebox cake
  1. Spread a thin layer of whipped cream on the bottom of a 9×13-inch baking dish to anchor the first cookie layer.
  2. Arrange a single layer of chocolate wafer cookies side by side across the bottom of the dish, breaking cookies as needed to fit.
  3. Spoon and spread a generous layer of whipped cream evenly over the cookies, covering them completely.
  4. Spoon a layer of cherry pie filling over the whipped cream, spreading it to the edges but leaving a small border of white cream visible.
  5. Repeat the layers—cookies, whipped cream, cherry pie filling—until all ingredients are used, finishing with a final layer of whipped cream on top.
Chill and serve
  1. Smooth the top layer of whipped cream with an offset spatula so it looks even and level.
  2. Scatter dark chocolate shavings generously over the top and arrange fresh pitted dark cherries decoratively across the surface.
  3. Drizzle lightly with maraschino cherry juice if desired for a glossy finish.
  4. Cover the dish loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight, until the cookies soften into cake-like layers and the filling sets thick and sliceable.
  5. Slice into squares to reveal dark-and-white layers, and serve cold directly from the dish.

Notes

For the cleanest slices, chill overnight and cut with a sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts. Store covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days; the assembled cake is not recommended for freezing because the whipped cream can weep when thawed. For a lighter option, you can use a reduced-fat cream and expect a slightly softer texture (stiff peaks may not hold as long).