Vegan Chocolate Pudding Icebox Cake

Happy national chocolate pudding day! Although I love pudding all on its own, this is an easy way to make a spectacular looking cake that will impress everyone with its many layers, soft texture and delicious whipped cream frosting. There are many versions of ice box cakes but this is one I’ve been making forever and it’s a winner. Basically, the warm pudding softens the layers of cookies forming a cake like texture. That’s the secret. Ta dah! It basically “bakes” in the icebox (refrigerator to all you millennials). I’ve seen these type of cakes made with chocolate chip cookies and chocolate wafer cookies, amongst others but we enjoy using the humble plain graham cracker. Just make sure you get one without honey so it’s completely vegan.

This is our go to chocolate pudding recipe and it has two hits from cocoa powder and then bittersweet or semisweet chocolate. If you have your own favorite recipe or want to use one from a box, feel free just make sure it’s a cook and serve variety as the pudding needs to be warm when assembling the cake.

You’re going to ladle warm pudding over the graham crackers layer by layer. You could make this squatter and taller or longer, it’s your choice. I usually use a 4×4 stack. 4 layers side by side of crackers then 4 layers high.

If you have an offset spatula it makes spreading the pudding so much easier. You can get them online or at a kitchenware store. I like a small one for jobs like this or frosting cupcakes and then a larger one for layer cakes.

Try to get the pudding as close to the edge as possible. This will eliminate dry corners in the cake. You also want to cover the warm cake with plastic wrap before refrigerating as that helps soften the cake as well.

Once cooled for a few hours, you’re ready to frost with whipped cream. I like using a tub but you could use the kind from a can. I actually placed the contents of the tub into a plastic bag fitted with a star tip to be extra fancy but it’s not necessary. You can just frost as you would a sheet cake.

I sprinkled a little cocoa over it all as a finishing touch but you could use sprinkles or even mini chocolate chips. Refrigerate the cake another hour at least for everything to soften.

Vegan Chocolate Pudding Icebox Cake

Recipe by Kreg

0.0 from 0 votes

Cuisine: Dessert, cake

Servings

12

servings

Prep time

30

minutes

A delicious and easy cake made with warm chocolate pudding and graham crackers covered in vegan whipped cream!

Ingredients

• Chocolate pudding

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch

• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (see notes)

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup vegan cane sugar

• 2 1/2 cups vegan milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 8 oz chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (see notes)

• 2 teaspoons vegan butter

• Cake

• 3 sleeves vegan graham crackers

• 1 tub vegan whipped topping

Directions

• In a saucepan, combine the cornstarch, cocoa powder, salt and sugar and whisk to combine.
• Slowly add the alternative milk whisking constantly til combined.
• On medium heat, cook pudding until boiling whisking constantly so it does not burn. Once boiled it will be thick. Turn off the heat.
• Off heat, add the chocolate and stir until melted. Add the vanilla and vegan butter and whisk until thick and glossy.
• Assembling cake
• On a tray or cookie sheet, layer graham crackers in a row and spoon or ladle warm pudding in an even layer over them all. You want a decent layer but not too thick. Repeat with another layer of cookies and pudding in as many layers as you’d like ending with a layer of cookies.
• Wrap cake and refrigerate for at least an hour until cool.
• Frost the entire cake with whipped topping and then refrigerate again for at least an hour until the cake is completely softened. Cut into slices and serve. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Notes

• I like to use Dutch processed cocoa. It has a richer flavor, but regular unsweetened cocoa powder is fine.
  
• For the chocolate, you can use chips or a block or bars in either semisweet or bittersweet. Sometimes I use a combo of both.

Did you make this?

Tag @bigboxveganeats on Instagram and hashtag it #bigboxvegan

Pin this recipe!

Follow @bigboxvegan on Pinterest

Like Big Box Vegan on Facebook!

Follow us on Facebook