Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Box Cake

Nothing beats a summer ice box cake and this Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Box Cake is a crowd favorite! You only need a handful of ingredients, a loaf pan and a few hours of chilling time and dessert is served!

Whether it’s cake, cookies, brownies, whatever…I just can’t resist!

This ice box cake is a combination of layers of a rich, smooth and creamy peanut butter mixture, chopped salty peanuts and chocolate wafer cookies all topped with a decadent chocolate ganache.

The ganache topping is made from three ingredients and the cake itself from just seven ingredients.

You’ll simple whisk together your cream cheese and peanut butter together until nice and smooth. Then you’ll add your granulated sugar, vanilla and your heavy cream in a slow steady stream and whisk on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.

You will need to double line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap before adding your layers. I line mine with two layers of plastic wrap so when it’s time to remove the loaf from the pan the double layer is easier to grab on to.

First, you’ll add a layer of the creamy peanut butter mixture, a layer of the chocolate wafer cookies and then a sprinkle of the chopped nuts. You’ll repeat these layers two more times and then end with some remaining peanut butter mixture before smoothing with a rubber spatula and covering with plastic wrap.

I freeze the cake for at least 5-6 hours or overnight. I then remove the cake from the freezer to the refrigerator for an hour or so to soften a bit before inverting onto a serving platter and topping with the ganache, as well as some extra chopped peanuts and serving.

This not only a winner of a summer dessert, but delicious all year long. Hope you give it a go. It would be perfect for the Labor Day weekend ahead!

Please let me know if you give the recipe a try. And if you have any questions about the recipe, just drop a comment below. Enjoy!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Box Cake

Author: MaryAnn Dwyer

Servings: 10 servings

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Nothing beats a summer ice box cake and this Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Box Cake is a crowd favorite! You only need a handful of ingredients, a loaf pan and a few hours of chilling time and dessert is served!

Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Chilling Time 6 hours hrs

Total Time 6 hours hrs 30 minutes mins

Ingredients  

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Box Cake

• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups cold heavy cream
• 3/4 cup salted or unsalted peanuts, roughly chopped plus some extra for topping the ganache, if desired
• 36 chocolate wafer cookies

Chocolate Ganache Topping

• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
• 1 Tbsp. corn syrup

Instructions 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Box Cake

• Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with a double layer of plastic wrap. Make sure enough of the plastic wrap hangs from the sides for easy removal of the cake. Set aside.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment, add the cream cheese and peanut butter until smooth. Add the granulated sugar and vanilla extract and whip at medium speed until smooth, about 2 minutes. Slowly add the heavy whipping cream in a steady stream and continue to whip raising speed to medium-high speed until still peaks begin to form.
• Spread a generous layer of the peanut butter cream cheese whipped cream evenly in the bottom of the loaf pan. Add a layer of 12 of the chocolate wafer cookies and some of the chopped peanuts. Continue to layer the whipped peanut butter cream cheese mixture, the wafers and the peanuts until you reach the top of the loaf pan. I had 3 layers total. End with a thin layer of the whipped peanut butter cream cheese mixture.
• Cover the cake with plastic wrap and freeze 6 hours or overnight. Remove from the freezer an hour before serving and place in refrigerator to soften a bit. Uncover the loaf pan. Place a serving platter over the cake and invert the cake onto the platter. Peel away the plastic wrap. Pour the cooled chocolate ganache over the cake on the platter. Top with additional chopped peanuts, if desired. Cut into slices and serve immediately.

Chocolate Ganache Topping

• Add the chocolate chips and butter to a medium bowl and microwave in 20 second intervals until the chips and butter are melted. Mix with a rubber spatula until smooth. Add the corn syrup and mix until well combined. Set aside to cool.

Notes

You can use any thin chocolate wafer cookie, store-bought or homemade. Nabisco's Famous Chocolate Wafers will work, as well as Dewey's Brownie Crisp Cookies.

I used salted peanuts for this recipe. You can use salted or salt free. I enjoy the salty/sweet combination.

Make sure to line your loaf pan with enough of a plastic wrap overhang, so you can remove it easily from the pan.

I like to freeze my ice box cake, so it’s easier to cut. I freeze and then about an hour or so before serving I place it in the fridge to thaw a bit before cutting and serving.

Keyword: chocolate wafer cookies, ice box cake, peanut butter, peanuts

Cuisine: American

Course: Dessert