No-Bake Pumpkin Icebox Cake
There's nothing better than a cake that doesn't need to be baked. This pumpkin icebox cake combines together layers of luscious pumpkin whipped cream with gingersnap cookies. After assembling, it sits in the refrigerator and is ready to eat! That sounds like a great, easy dessert for fall!
Servings 8 servings
Calories 542kcal
Ingredients
- 15 oz pumpkin purée
- ⅓ cup light brown sugar
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 16 oz gingersnap cookies (total oz needed will vary by brand of cookie)
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, combine the pumpkin purée, light brown sugar, salt, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir and set the mixture over medium-low heat. Bring to a simmer and continue to stir until the mixture darkens and becomes dry on the bottom of the saucepan, 3-5 minutes. Remove the mixture from the heat and allow it to cool to room temperature.
- In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, heavy whipping cream, and vanilla extract. Whip the mixture until the mixture holds a stiff peak, 5-7 minutes.
- Once whipped, fold in ⅓ of the cooled pumpkin mixture. Beat until combined. Add the remaining pumpkin mixture and gently fold until combined with no streaks.
- On a serving plate, spread 2 tbsp of the cream mixture in an 8-inch circle. Lay cookies in an even layer over the cream base. Add ½ cup on top of the layer of cookies. Spread evenly, leaving the edge of the cookies exposed. Continue with the cookie and cream layers, ending with the final cream layer on top. Once finished, cover and store in the refrigerator for 6-8 hours or until a knife easily pierces through the cookies. Once the cookies are soft, slice and serve.
Notes
- When folding together the whipped cream mixture and the pumpkin mixture, start with about ⅓ of the pumpkin mixture. Combining the whipped cream with this small amount of pumpkin will prevent the whipped cream mixture from deflating and ensure that the mixture stays light and voluminous.
- To fold the whipped cream and pumpkin mixture together, use a spatula to “slice” the mixture in half from top to bottom. When the spatula is at the bottom, turn it and draw a half circle around the edge of the bowl while also turning the bowl slightly. Repeat this motion until the mixture is evenly combined and has a nice, light brown color.
- When preparing each layer of cookies, some cookies may need to be broken to fill in any large gaps or irregular spaces. This is completely fine. Once the cake is assembled, the pumpkin whipped cream will fill and cover any unseemly shards of cookies.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 542kcal
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