BOSTON CREAM ICE BOX CAKE

Boston Cream Ice Box Cake - scrumptious layers of creamy custard and crispy cookies/biscuits, topped with a luscious and fudgy chocolate icing; a perfect no-bake, egg-free, make-ahead dessert!

Who doesn’t love desserts, a sweet and divine ending to any meal? I love to indulge in something sweet after my meal; it could be a simple store bought ice cream, a bite of store bought or homemade cookie, an Indian burfi or even some fruit, always on the counter for a healthy all-day munch!

My passion to bake cakes and cookies is unrelenting and I am always ready to challenge myself on making a showstopper dessert like Chocolate Nutella Tart or a stunning Ice Cream Cake I made for my mother's birthday!

I know, there are many of you out there who are still wary of baking but are craving for something sumptuous, delicious and stunning to look at too without too much effort!

What if I tell you, you can make one without having any baking skills and which does not need any beater or any other special baking equipment or ingredient.

Lo and behold the easy, no bake, eggless and kid friendly Boston Cream Ice box Cake! Even kids could help you to make this!

WHAT IS AN ICE BOX CAKE?

Ice box cakes are an American version of biscuit pudding. Their version has layers of sweetened whipped cream sandwiched between layers of graham crackers (a sweet cinnamon flavored cracker or biscuit made of graham flour; a form of wheat flour) and topped with any icing or just another layer of whipped cream.

Biscuit puddings have layers of any cookie/biscuit and a pudding like chocolate pudding, vanilla pudding or custard, chilled and served like a cake. This sumptuous and crowd pleasing dessert originated from England and when the British left India, this was one of those dessert memories they left behind and no one could be happier!

BOSTON CREAM ICE BOX CAKE:

My family (both sons and daughters in law) are living in the Boston area in USA and right now I am staying with them. Boston is known for its every popular Boston Cream Pie.

Now, what is a Boston cream pie? It is nothing but 2 layers of yellow cake sandwiched with some vanilla custard and topped or glazed with a luscious chocolate icing/glaze. So it is actually a cake rather than a pie. Apparently, in the good old days, a pie pan was used to make cakes as well as pies, hence the name! Fascinating!

Ever since we moved here, I have always wanted to make this stunning yet simple dessert.

My blog is completing 4 years and being in Boston, I could not think of anything more appropriate than this divine and easy to make dessert to celebrate, albeit with a slight twist to honor my Indian palate where custard puddings (sometimes just some fresh fruits served with creamy vanilla custard) are the ultimate in after dinner treats.

Now, Ice box cake is another dessert I have always wanted to make. One of my favorites is this creamy fruit and custard pudding which has fruits, cake as well as biscuits/cookies.

So, for a fusion of both these, I decided to make a BOSTON CREAM ICE BOX CAKE with layers of graham crackers, homemade eggless custard and a luscious layer of chocolate icing on top!

Once chilled/frozen, each bite has the heavenly taste of creamy pudding with a divine fudgy bite of those biscuits/cookies softened to a lovely cake-like bite. Chocolate glaze is literally the “icing on the cake”!

KEY INGREDIENTS FOR BOSTON CREAM ICE BOX CAKE:

First of course you will need a sturdy and crispy cracker/biscuit/cookie that can hold itself when soaked in layers of custard. I have used Honey Maid graham crackers for a traditional flavor but if you cannot find these, use any biscuit or cookie like Marie biscuits, oreo, glucose or Parle biscuits etc. You will need to completely cover the base of the pan with these, breaking them as needed to fit the pan.

Next is the creamy filling. I have made an easy homemade eggless vanilla custard which I used to make my fruit pudding. Just make it slightly thick (no runny custard here that seeps in between layers). You could use any flavor of custard, depending upon the cookie you use. If sweetened whipped cream is your thing, feel free to use it instead of custard!

The final layer is a chocolaty glaze. I have followed this recipe for the glaze with chocolate chips, butter and milk. You can use any chocolate glaze you like or even a chocolate ganache like the one I have used here.

Just layer the pudding and biscuits alternatively, glaze with the chocolate icing, cover with foil or plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 to 6 hours; easy peasy isn’t it? Freezing this makes for easy slicing and my family can vouch that it tastes amazing when frozen rather than just chilled!

If you prefer chilled dessert, then keep at room temperature for about 10 to 15 minutes, not more than that, lest it becomes too soggy to enjoy.

Savor this easy, no bake, eggless and mouthwatering Boston Cream Ice Box cake with your friends and family at your next party, barbecue, get together or any special occasion!

Achieving a big milestone and still continuing my passion of food blogging with the same zest and vigor as the first day even after 4 years does call for this super decadent and luscious dessert don't you think?

Make these in your kitchen and be prepared for the joyous smiles on the faces of your family and friends!

Store leftovers, tightly covered in the freezer and slice up a piece using a sharp and sturdy knife whenever needed.

ENJOY AND HAPPY COOKING!

MORE NO-BAKE DESSERTS TO MAKE AND ENJOY AT HOME:

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BOSTON CREAM ICE BOX CAKE

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 14 minutes

Yield: One 13x9 inch pan

Boston Cream Ice Box Cake with scrumptious layers of creamy custard, crispy cookies/biscuits, topped with a luscious and fudgy chocolate icing; a perfect make-ahead dessert!

Ingredients

FOR THE VANILLA CUSTARD:

3 ½ to 4 cups milk
8 to 10 tsp custard powder (or more if needed)
½ to ¾ cup sugar
1 large box of Honey Maid Graham Crackers (or any other biscuit/cookie you like)

FOR THE CHOCOLATE ICING/GLAZE:

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, divided
½ cup unsalted butter
½ cup sugar
¼ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla essence/extract

Instructions

Line a 13 x 9 inch pan with foil; leave an overhang on two sides for easy lifting of cake. Make sure the foil covers the bottom as well as the sides of the pan.
Cover the bottom of the pan with a layer of crackers/biscuits, breaking them to fit the bottom completely.
Pour half of the custard over this and spread evenly over the crackers using an offset spatula or spoon.
Add another layer of the crackers and top with the remaining pudding mixture, spreading to cover evenly.
Gently place the final layer of crackers over the custard.
Meanwhile, make the chocolate glaze or icing.
Melt butter, sugar, ½ cup chocolate chips and milk in a small saucepan, stirring often on low heat to form a smooth mixture. Add a dash of vanilla (1 teaspoon) and mix to combine and form a smooth icing.
Pour this chocolate glaze over the last layer of crackers and spread to cover all over.
Cover the whole pan tightly with aluminum foil and freeze at least 4 hours or best overnight.
Just before serving, let stay at room temperature for about 5 minutes for easy slicing.
Using a sharp, heavy and sturdy knife, cut into squares and dig in!
Store leftover cake in the freezer.
Enjoy!

Notes

Use enough custard thickened to form a lovely layer on the crackers.

Adjust the amount of sugar according to personal taste.

You can use any kind of cookie/biscuit instead of graham crackers. Just make sure it is sturdy enough to hold the custard topping and does not dissolve into the dessert!

Enjoy frozen or slightly thawed to a slight, soft texture.

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