Zebra Cake

This gorgeous make-ahead dessert is also known as an “Icebox Cake” because you can very quickly prepare, chill and serve it. There are many types of Icebox Cakes: This one’s my favorite!

How the Zebra Cake got its stripes, below!

Some people press mini-marshmallows onto the cream topping, or pour on a little Chocolate Sauce (see the Index under Sauces), but I enjoy this easy cake exactly as the recipe directs. I also like this cake because you can make it as large or small as you wish. I used half a package of wafer cookies when Ron and I recently had a single dinner guest. In theory, the full package of cream-frosted cookies serves 8, but I’ve never seen that happen, because everyone wants seconds and even thirds!

Zebra Cake:

7-oz. (200 g) pkg. thin chocolate wafer cookies
1-½ c. whipping cream (heavy cream)
1-½ tbsp. icing sugar (confectioners or powdered sugar)

Carefully remove wafers from package, reserving broken ones. Using an electric mixer, beat cream until soft peaks form. Add sugar, beating until moderately stiff. 

Frost one side of cookies with cream, making five or six stacks of five or six cookies. Lightly press stacks together, frosting top and sides with remaining cream (see Note). Using a heavy rolling pin, finely crush a broken wafer in a small plastic bag, sprinkling the crumbs over the top of the cake. 

Chill at least three hours before serving, cutting slices on a sharp angle to produce a dramatic “layered” effect of zebra “stripes.”

Note: Chilling beaters and bowl will increase the volume of whipped cream on hot-weather days. Alternately, use fewer wafer cookies or a little more cream.

Frost each wafer with about 2 tsp. whipped cream.

Press stacked wafers together before frosting top and sides.

Trust me on this: A sample is not ample!