Description
Delightful chocolate graham cracker icebox cake marries layers of creamy richness with sweet caramel notes. Rich ingredients meld together effortlessly, creating a luxurious dessert that chills perfectly for summer celebrations you’ll savor completely.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1.5 sleeves (48 crackers) Ritz crackers
- 2 packages (8 oz / 226 g) cream cheese, softened
- 1 cup (240 mL) heavy cream
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (240 mL) salted caramel sauce (store-bought or homemade)
- 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla extract
Instructions
- Whip Mixture: Blend cream cheese, heavy cream, granulated sugar, and vanilla extract using an electric mixer until achieving a luxurious, velvety smooth texture with zero lumps.
- Prepare Dish: Lightly coat an 8×8 inch baking dish with cooking spray or butter to ensure effortless release.
- First Layer Construction: Create a precise foundation by laying Ritz crackers edge-to-edge across the bottom of the prepared dish, guaranteeing complete base coverage.
- Cream Cheese Application: Generously spread one-third of the cream cheese mixture over crackers, creating an even, seamless blanket that completely obscures the underlying crackers.
- Caramel Infusion: Artfully distribute one-third of the salted caramel sauce across the cream cheese layer, ensuring uniform coverage using a spoon or squeeze bottle.
- Layering Technique: Repeat the strategic layering process twice more – crackers, cream cheese mixture, and caramel sauce – building architectural depth and flavor complexity.
- Chill and Set: Hermetically seal the dish with plastic wrap, then refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours, preferably overnight, allowing flavors to harmonize and crackers to achieve a sublime, cake-like consistency.
- Final Flourish: Prior to serving, enhance the dessert with optional garnishes like additional caramel drizzle, freshly whipped cream, or crushed Ritz crackers for textural intrigue.
- Serve and Enjoy: Slice into elegant squares and present thoroughly chilled for maximum gustatory pleasure.
Notes
- Chill for Perfection: Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, to allow crackers to soften and flavors to meld beautifully.
- Smooth Mixing Technique: Whip cream cheese mixture until completely smooth, eliminating any lumps for a silky, luxurious texture.
- Layer with Precision: Create even, consistent layers to ensure each bite has a perfect balance of crackers, cream, and caramel.
- Garnish for Wow Factor: Top with extra caramel drizzle or crushed crackers just before serving to add a delightful crunch and visual appeal.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: None
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 10
- Calories: 466
- Sugar: 35 g
- Sodium: 300 mg
- Fat: 29 g
- Saturated Fat: 17 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 51 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg