Pumpkin Icebox Cake

An easy Autumn dessert, this Pumpkin Icebox Cake features layers of no-bake pumpkin cream, marshmallow cream, and graham crackers. Top it all off with maple whipped cream and chopped pecans for a dessert that doesn't require you to turn on the oven!

No Bake Pumpkin Cake

Imagine a dessert that is one part cake, one part Meringue topped Pumpkin Pie and one part cheesecake and you can figure out what this No-Bake Pumpkin Cake tastes like. This simple fall treat is a mouth-watering mash-up of all those flavors made into an easy-to-make dessert that can be made ahead of time.

But first, what is an icebox cake?

An icebox cake is a no-bake dessert made from a few simple ingredients. Often times, icebox cakes have graham crackers or some other cookie element that is layered with cream and other ingredients. The dessert rests in the freezer or the refrigerator for a period of time, which allows the graham crackers to soften as they soak up the sweet cream. It truly makes this dessert taste and feel like a cake, thanks to the texture and feel of the ingredients perfectly coming together.

Ingredients Needed

Here is an overview of the ingredients needed for this recipe. The full recipe is listed below in greater detail.

• graham crackers
• marshmallow fluff
• pumpkin puree
• heavy cream
• cream cheese
• granulated sugar
• brown sugar
• vanilla extract
• cinnamon + nutmeg
• pecans
• maple syrup

Tools Needed

Here is a list of some of the primary tools I use in this recipe. You won't necessarily choose to use them all, but they are exactly what I used. Any links may contain affiliate links.

• electric mixer
• off-set spatula
• 9″ square straight-sided cake pan
• baking basics: bowls, whisk and spatulas

Type of Pan Needed to Make an Icebox Cake

Let’s take a minute to talk about the type of pan used to create this cake. Icebox cake really doesn’t need to have any special type of shape, but I really love the idea of having a long and tall cake for this dessert. It makes it look spectacular and turns this simple dish into something that looks extravagant.

To achieve this shape, I made the cake in a square container, and then cut the dessert in half and stacked the two halves on top of one other. This allowed for less time spent layering the dessert while still accomplishing the towering outcome. I have a special no-bake square pan that has collapsible sides to make this, but just a standard square pan will work just fine if you line it with parchment to easily remove the stacked cake.

If you don’t have a square baking tin, you can also make this dessert in a loaf pan! Or, simply leave it as a flat cake. Either way, it’s going to be super delicious. Don’t spend too much time thinking about what vessel you’ll assemble the cake in, and just use what you have.

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How to Make It

Traditionally, these cakes don’t involve much more than assembling the ingredients. For this no-bake pumpkin version, the recipe calls for making a no-bake pumpkin cheesecake filling and a no-bake marshmallow filling, and then assembling. This recipe is pretty simple to make, but you will have to dirty a few dishes. You'll need to use in total three bowls to make the two fillings, plus a bowl the next day for the maple whipped cream.

Here are the layers of the cake:

1. graham crackers
2. pumpkin filling
3. marshmallow filling
4. graham crackers
5. pumpkin filling
6. marshmallow filling
7. half graham cracker layer (because it will be sliced and stacked after chilling)
8. finally, slice in half and stack for a 13 layer cake

Here are some tips for making it:

• Don’t overwhip or under whip the cream! You want the cream to be just right: stiff enough that it’s going to lighten the cream cheese and fluff mixture, but not so stiff that it starts to curdle. You’ll still be able to taste that slightly curdled cream in the final dish, so pay attention during the whipping of the cream. Want more information on whipping cream? Check out this post all about Whipping Cream.
• For extra distinct layers, you can freeze the dessert between the spreading of the marshmallow and pumpkin mixtures, though this isn’t necessary.
• Make sure to tightly layer in the graham crackers, leaving little to no space between each cracker. The graham crackers are what makes this recipe cake-like, so don’t skimp out on them. Use a knife to slice them cleanly to fit into all the space of your container.
• Don’t skip the chilling time! Chilling the cake in the refrigerator overnight is what transforms this dish from a crunch graham cracker layer dessert to an icebox cake!
• Similarly, don’t skip out on the freezing time before serving. Slightly freezing this cake directly before serving makes it easier to handle when you are removing the icebox cake from the tin, and when you are going in to cut it and decorate it.

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The Most Important Step: Chilling

This recipe initially calls for chilling the icebox cake in the refrigerator, preferably overnight, and then briefly chilling the cake in the freezer before serving. While a little bit fussy, this step is important, and should not be skipped, as it will compromise the texture of the dessert.

Letting the cake chill in the refrigerator transforms this dessert from a crunchy graham cracker layered dessert to a cake, as the crackers soak up the cream and soften. If you immediately transfer the icebox cake the freezer, instead of soaking up the cream, it freezes, and so when you defrost it, it will still be a bit crunchy.

The reason this recipe calls for a quick chill in the freezer before serving is because having the cake chilled makes it sturdier to cut in half, stack, and garnish. This step is optional, as you don’t even have to stack them if you don’t want to, but this is a trick that makes it easier to handle the dessert.

How to Garnish It

This recipe is "frosted" with a simple maple whipped cream and garnished with chopped pecans! The pecans add a nice crunch to the dessert. That maple whipped cream is added to the icebox cake right before serving.

How to Serve and Store It

The icebox cake is best served within 1-2 days. Simply slice, serve, and enjoy.

However, this cake freezes exceptionally well. Once it has softened, you can freeze this entire cake. However, I recommend waiting to add the outside whipped cream until right before serving.

To defrost the frozen cake, simply leave at room temperature for about 30 minutes, or let it sit overnight in the refrigerator.

Frequently Asked Questions

More No-Bake Recipes:

• No Bake Oreo Pie
• No Bake Pumpkin Pie
• S’mores Icebox Cake
• Banana Cream Pie

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Full Recipe