Splash This Boozy Last-Minute Addition Into Your Icebox Cakes For A Martha Stewart-Style Dessert

An icebox cake is a no-bake dessert that typically includes layers of lady fingers, wafers, or cookies that are stacked on top of each other and filled with whipped cream or custard. Martha Stewart's iconic chocolate cookie icebox cake is made from stacks of thin, crispy homemade chocolate cookies with a mascarpone and whipped cream icing. However, one of Stewart's best tips for baking cakes is to splash a bit of booze into the frosting to elevate its flavor and give your dessert a surprising kick.

When using Stewart's trick to turn chocolate cookies into an easy icebox cake, follow her suggestion to add a splash of whiskey into the mascarpone frosting. After whisking or whipping the 3 cups of cream and 8 ounces of soft mascarpone to form a soft whipped cream frosting, incorporate your sugar and about a tablespoon of whiskey. You'll then spread this mixture between each delightfully crunchy layer of chocolate chip cookies to make your icebox cake, finishing it off with a garnish of chocolate shavings on top.

Whiskey or bourbon can amplify the flavor of your frosting by balancing its intense sweetness with more complex caramel, vanilla, and oaky flavors. Because chocolate chip cookies also contain notes of vanilla and caramel, whiskey is the perfect addition to this cake. The alcohol will also bind with the fat and water in the heavy cream and mascarpone, intensifying its natural flavors while also adding more depth and complexity. Alcohol can even make your whipped frosting smoother and lighter and help it retain that texture for longer.

Martha Stewart's icebox cake recipe is fairly simple, and even suggests that you use store-bought chocolate chip cookies to further cut down on your prep time. Beyond adding some whiskey to the frosting, there are a few other ways you can upgrade this cake even further. In the spring, consider adding some lemon or lime juice and zest to the frosting to give it more of a tangy kick. Instead of adding whiskey, add a splash of citrus vodka or even whipped cream vodka for the perfect boozy dessert topping.

Adding seasonal summer fruits to the whipped cream frosting can create the perfect summer dessert. After spreading the cream atop each cookie layer, spoon some fruit compote or jam on top. Choose summer fruits like strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, or raspberries. If you're making this recipe in the fall, adding a pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg or pumpkin pie spice to the frosting, in addition to the whiskey, can give it a delightful seasonal flavor profile. You can elevate the dessert further by swapping out the chocolate chip cookies for oatmeal raisin, ginger snaps, or maple cookies. Then make a salted caramel bourbon sauce to drizzle on top for a show-stopping treat.

In the winter, adapt Stewart's recipe to make a s'mores icebox cake. Along with the whipped cream topping, drizzle chocolate syrup on top and garnish the cake with toasted mini marshmallows and crushed graham crackers. You can even replace the chocolate chip cookies with graham crackers or chocolate Teddy Grahams cookies.