| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 12 hr 20 min |
| Prep: | 20 min |
| Inactive: | 12 hr |
| Yield: | 8 servings |
Ingredients
- 2 cups cold heavy cream
- 12 ounces Italian mascarpone cheese
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup coffee liqueur, such as Kahlua
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, such as Pernigotti
- 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 3 (8-ounce) packages chocolate chip cookies, such as Tate’s Bake Shop
- Shaved semisweet chocolate, for garnish
Instructions
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the heavy cream, mascarpone, sugar, coffee liqueur, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and vanilla. Mix on low speed to combine and then slowly raise the speed, until it forms firm peaks.
- To assemble the cake, arrange chocolate chip cookies flat in an 8-inch springform pan, covering the bottom as much as possible. (I break some cookies to fill in the spaces.) Spread a fifth of the mocha whipped cream evenly over the cookies. Place another layer of cookies on top, lying flat and touching, followed by another fifth of the cream. Continue layering cookies and cream until there are 5 layers of each, ending with a layer of cream. Smooth the top, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.
- Run a small sharp knife around the outside of the cake and remove the sides of the pan. Sprinkle the top with the chocolate, cut in wedges, and serve cold.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 8 servings |
| Calories | 848 |
| Total Fat | 60 g |
| Saturated Fat | 34 g |
| Carbohydrates | 71 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 0 g |
| Sugar | 19 g |
| Protein | 9 g |
| Cholesterol | 170 mg |
| Sodium | 441 mg |
Reviews
Well. My 85-year-old aunt said this is the best dessert she ever ate. My sister described it as “fabulous” and restaurant-quality. My son asked for this to be his birthday cake. Not having a teaspoon of instant espresso, I substituted a tablespoon of instant regular coffee. Because I used the whole 16 oz. container of mascarpone, I upped the Kahlua to 1/3 cup; the final result was not too “boozy”. I also used 2 and 1/3 cups heavy cream. I was most pleased with this cake! It’s decadent and indulgent and was perfect for our Easter dinner. My Tate’s cookies were pleasantly yielding but not soggy in the final result. The cake was fridged for 30 hours and separated cleanly from the springform pan. Afterwards I appreciated that it retained nice structure.
A heartfelt hint would be this: for the cream layer, plop gobs of it in the center and, with pristine fingers, very gently tease it outward so as not to dislodge the cookie layer. Thank you Ina!
A heartfelt hint would be this: for the cream layer, plop gobs of it in the center and, with pristine fingers, very gently tease it outward so as not to dislodge the cookie layer. Thank you Ina!
I made this using chocolate chip teddy bear-shaped graham cookies. I also added one layer of mini chocolate chips, because I thought the cookies didn’t have as much chocolate as I’d like. It turned out great! And, much more affordable, so I can make it more often!
This is an easy desert that is very good..have made it several times and everyone loves it.
Instead of making a cake with this recipe, I used a Pyrex 2 qt. round, sculpted side, clear glass baking dish, 3 in. high and 8.75 wide plus the small handles to make this dessert. Any attractive 2 qt baking dish could be used with the same measurements. I used 1 1/2 packages of Tate’s Crispy Chocolate Chip Cookies to make 3 layers high with 3 layers of the filling. I used 8 oz. Mascarpone Cheese and 1/2 of an 8 oz package of Philadelphia Cream cheese at room temperature and 2 tsp. instant coffee instead of the espresso powder. It has a mousse texture and is very sweet, so I will cut the 1/2 sugar to 1/4 cup next time I make it. I will also reduce the 2 tsp. instant coffee to 1 tsp. so the chocolate flavor from the 2 tsp. Droste cocoa powder is more prominent. With this type of serving dish, the dessert scooped out easily and everyone loved it. Easy to clean up and no messing around with spraying a serving knife with Pam if people make a cake.
super easy and great flavor. I could see opting for this over tiramisu.
I have made this cake 7 times so far. It is my go-to cake for dinner invitations. I vary it a bit. Sometimes I use graham crackers or sprinkle a layer or two of semi-sweet chocolate morsels or add a layer or two of canned cherry pie filling. I top with chocolate covered espresso beans. I layer it in two 6″ spring forms, freeze them, and then place one on top of the other for a really high and impressive
presentation.
presentation.
Love this! I hadn’t made it for a few years and made it last week. Used Dewey’s brownie crisp cookies for the base and it was great. Unfortunately I had forgotten to bring mascarpone to room temp so I had small lumps of cheese in the filling but it still tasted great. I use microplane to zest some of a dark chocolate bar on the top. Yum
I’m going to sum this up in three words: NOT WORTH IT. This is really not a cake. It’s like a bad version of Tiramisu. I can only assume people think they like it because Ina Garten’s name is attached to it. The cookies turn to mush and the overall cake is ridiculously sweet and there’s no relief from the one-note sweetness. It also will look a mess when you serve it, so your guests are not going to be wowed by presentation. And did I mention that buying the ingredients is going to cost you more than buying a cake from your finest bakery. You’ve been warned in advance.
Can this be frozen? I have it all made for an event thst just canceled.
I made this for the holiday weekend and I was so excited, but both the texture and flavor was disappointing. Followed the recipe exactly as written with Tates cookies. Used a 9” pan and it only made 3 layers. The filling texture was greasy and the cookies lost their flavor after amongst the filling. Very expensive for a dessert that isn’t a “wow” no one else in the house liked it either. The filling was very close to a tiramisu. Tiramisu is more flavorful in my opinion. Love icebox cakes, but won’t make this again