Banoffee Icebox Cake

This Banoffee Icebox Cake brings together the classic flavours of banana, cream and caramel with the ease of a no-bake dessert. Layered in individual glasses and served with gratings of dark chocolate on top, this is recipe is a show-stopper! Prepare it the night before, chill in the fridge and you have a delectable dessert that your guests will love.

The concept of a no-bake dessert is one that is appealing for so many reasons, least of all the fact that it implies efficiency. No-bake means that assembly is as about as difficult as it gets! Then your sweet treat gets to chill out in the fridge or freezer for a set amount of time only to be brought out right before serving. Perfect!

A Brief History of Banoffee

The term banoffee is a portmanteau of banana and toffee. Its roots can be traced back to the late 20th century in England. Banoffee Pie was first crafted at The Hungry Monk restaurant in East Sussex in the early 1970s. Chef Nigel Mackenzie, and owner Ian Dowding, brainstormed a dessert that would showcase the combination of bananas and toffee. The result was a luscious pie with a buttery biscuit base, sliced bananas, creamy toffee filling, and a generous dollop of whipped cream.

The banoffee craze quickly spread across the globe, earning its place as a beloved dessert. Fast forward to today, and banoffee has evolved beyond the pie format, rather as a delicious flavour combination.

The Magic of the Icebox Cake

An icebox cake is a no-bake dessert marvel that relies on the magic of chilling time. The concept dates back to the early 20th century when refrigerators were often referred to as iceboxes. Clever home cooks realised that layering cookies or graham crackers with creamy fillings and allowing the dessert to set in the icebox produced a cake-like treat with little preparation.

The appeal of icebox cakes lies in its simplicity and versatility. The chilling process allows the flavours to meld and intensify, resulting in a dessert that's both refreshing and satisfying. With minimal effort and no need to turn on the oven, icebox cakes became the perfect solution for those hot summer days when the last thing you want to do is heat up the kitchen.

The Banoffee Icebox Cake takes this concept to a whole new level by incorporating the loved flavours of banoffee. Layers of spiced cookies, sweet banana slices and rich dulce de leche surrounded by sweetened cream. After it's chill time, the biscuits soften to an almost cake-like texture to be enjoyed with a spoon.

Ingredients

• Heavy cream
• Icing sugar
• Dulce de leche
• Bananas
• Biscoff cookies
• Dark chocolate

See recipe card below for quantities.

Tips and Variations

• Cookies: I used Biscoff cookies for this recipe, as the flavour and spices add an extra layer of complexity to the dessert. You can use any cookie, however. Graham crackers are traditional to banoffee pie, or I love oat cookies as well.
• Dulce de leche: I used store bought caramel, for ease. If you'd like to make your own, go right ahead!
• Serving: I made Banoffee Icebox Cake into individual serves, but you can layer this in a baking dish or cake tin to make one larger cake. Cut into slices to serve.

Equipment

• Bowl
• Hand mixer, stand mixer or whisk
• Chopping board
• Knife
• Piping bags
• Serving glasses (I used these ones)
• Microplane

Watch the video here. If you make this one, don't forget to tag me on TikTok or Instagram. I love to see it!