Peanut Butter, Banana and Chocolate Icebox Cake

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This easy, no-bake dessert, Peanut Butter and Chocolate Icebox Cake, is rich and all held together by chocolate cookies.

Prep Time40

Chilling Time8

Total Time40

Course: Cake, Chilled Dessert, Chocolate, Dessert, Summer Dessert

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 537kcal

Place the bowl and whisk attachment for your stand mixer in the freezer to chill 30 minutes. Have ready a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan ready, 1.5 quart size. Line the pan with parchment or plastic wrap, to be able to lift out the cake once chilled.
Once the bowl is chilled, assemble it and the whisk on your stand mixer. Pour the whipping cream into the bowl and turn the mixer on high. Whip the cream for about 2 minutes, then pause it to add in the vanilla or vanilla bean paste and ¼ cup of the confectioner's sugar.
Continue to beat the cream on high for another 3 to 5 minutes or so—watch it carefully it the last few minutes. Beat the cream until it forms and holds stiff peaks, but do not overbeat it.
Transfer the cream to a bowl, and wash the mixer bowl. Stash the whipped cream in the fridge until you need it later in the recipe.

Pour the cold milk into a medium-sized bowl. Pour the banana cream pudding mix over the milk. Whisk them together for 1-2 minutes until the pudding is smooth and thickening. Set the bowl aside.

Beat together the peanut butter, the remaining ½ cup of confectioner's sugar, and the softened cream cheese until the mixture is well-combined.

Break four of the cookies into pieces and fit them into the bottom of the prepared pan. There will be a few gaps but it does not have to cover the bottom perfectly. Lightly press the pieces into place.
Spoon half of banana pudding over cookies in bottom, and spread it into an even layer.
Spoon half of the peanut butter filling over the pudding and carefully spread it.
Spoon a half-cup of the whipped cream over the peanut butter filling and spread it evenly.
Repeat the layering steps, with another layer of broken cookies, followed by the pudding, then the peanut butter filling, and then the remaining whipped cream. Crumble the reserved cookie over the top of the cream.

Cover the top of the icebox cake loosely with plastic wrap. Very gently press the top of the cake down, just to compress the layers a little. (But don't squish out the fillings!) Place the pan in the fridge, and allow the cake to set overnight.

When you are ready to serve, remove the cake from the fridge. Use the edges of the parchment or plastic wrap to help unmold the cake.
Cut slices of the cake, and serve them immediately, topped with sliced, fresh bananas.
Makes about 8 servings. Leftover cake can be covered tightly with plastic wrap and stored in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Note: this icebox cake needs time to chill in the fridge overnight before serving, so plan for this step! Also, allow time for your mixing bowl to chill in the freezer for 30 minutes before starting this recipe. (See step 1.)
Be sure that the banana cream pudding mix you choose is instant... sometimes the packages of instant and cook-and-serve puddings look very much alike!