Food Recipes Desserts Cake S’mores Icebox Cake 5.0 (1) 1 Review This crowd-pleasing, no-bake dessert takes all the best elements of s’mores and layers them into a creamy frozen cake that can be made in advance. By Paige Grandjean Paige Grandjean Paige Grandjean is a food editor, recipe developer, and food stylist with over seven years of experience in food media. Her work has appeared in more than 15 nationally distributed publications, award-winning cookbooks, and digital platforms. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on August 6, 2024 Tested by Tricia Manzanero Stuedeman Tested by Tricia Manzanero Stuedeman Tricia is a recipe developer and tester for Dotdash Meredith with a focus on baking and pastry as well as a passion for all things food-related. She has developed over 1,200 recipes, which have appeared both in magazines, online, and in cookbooks alike. She is a former Baking and Pastry Editor with experience in food styling, video production, and crafting culinary curriculum for more than a dozen culinary and lifestyle brands. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Margaret Monroe Dickey / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen Active Time: 35 mins Freeze Time: 8 hrs Total Time: 9 hrs Servings: 8 What’s better than s’mores — gooey toasted marshmallows, cinnamon-spiced graham crackers, and melty chocolate sandwiched together around the campfire? We found the answer in this S’mores Icebox Cake, which takes that same beloved trio and morphs it into a frozen dessert for a crowd. Vanilla ice cream is swirled with toasted marshmallows and layered with graham crackers and homemade hot fudge in this irresistible summer treat. The chocolaty fudge comes together in five minutes and leans on sweetened condensed milk for its silky consistency. The assembled cake is then popped into the freezer for a few hours to firm up before it’s topped with swoops of fluffy whipped cream, curls of chocolate, and even more marshmallows and graham crackers. Unlike traditional s’mores sandwiches, which are best eaten minutes after building, this creamy, crowd-pleasing cake can be made in advance and stored in the freezer to slice and serve whenever a craving hits — no campfire required. Use an ice cream with a fluffy texture, such as Tillamook, for a cake that will melt slower, which will make slicing and serving easier. The broiler makes it easy to toast a large batch of marshmallows at once, but be sure to keep a close eye on them, as a few seconds can be the difference between golden and blackened. Frequently Asked Questions How do I store leftover icebox cake? Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for up to five days. If there are whole toasted marshmallows on top of the cake, remove them before freezing leftovers. Can I use another ice cream flavor instead of vanilla? If you want to double down on the chocolate flavor, consider swapping the vanilla ice cream with chocolate chip or chocolate. Note from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Chill your serving platter in the freezer before turning your icebox cake out onto it. This will help keep your icebox cake from melting too quickly. Make ahead The cake can be made through step 4 up to three days in advance and stored in the freezer. Hot fudge can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. Ingredients Cooking spray 12-14 graham cracker sheets, divided 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 cups marshmallows (about 4 ounces) 3 cups vanilla bean ice cream (preferably Tillamook) Whipped cream, chocolate chunks and curls, toasted marshmallows, and graham cracker pieces, for garnish Directions Line bottom and sides of an 8 1/2- x 4 1/2-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving a 3-inch overhang on long sides; coat plastic wrap with cooking spray. Arrange 2 to 3 graham cracker sheets in a single layer in bottom of pan, trimming crackers as needed to fit. Set aside. Combine sweetened condensed milk, chocolate chips, and salt in a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low, stirring often, until chocolate is melted and smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla extract. Spread about 1/3 cup hot fudge evenly over graham crackers in loaf pan. Freeze, uncovered, while preparing ice cream. Preheat oven to broil with rack 5 inches from heat. Arrange marshmallows standing upright on an aluminum foil–lined baking sheet. Broil marshmallows until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes, flipping halfway though cook time. Remove from oven. Immediately stir together ice cream and hot marshmallows in a large bowl until just combined and ice cream is slightly softened, but not melted. (Do not let ice cream melt completely.) Spread one-third of ice cream mixture (about 1 cup) in an even layer over hot fudge in pan. Freeze pan and remaining ice cream mixture in bowl, uncovered, until firm, 15 to 25 minutes. Repeat layering process with graham crackers, hot fudge, and ice cream mixture 2 more times, freezing pan and ice cream mixture between layers as needed to prevent cake from becoming too soft. (Rewarm hot fudge over low heat, stirring often, until just melted if it becomes too thick to spread when layering.) Top with a layer of graham crackers. Fold plastic wrap overhang over cake. Freeze until cake is firm, about 8 hours. Reserve remaining hot fudge for another use. Uncover cake; invert onto a rimmed platter. Remove and discard plastic wrap. Garnish as desired. Slice and serve immediately. Originally appeared in Food & Wine magazine, August 2024 Rate It Print