Chocolate, Banana, and Graham Cracker Icebox Cake

Rating: 3.65 stars
167 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 44
  • 4 star values: 48
  • 3 star values: 50
  • 2 star values: 22
  • 1 star values: 3

An overnight stint in the fridge softens the graham crackers and firms up the pudding to create a sliceable dessert in this icebox cake recipe.

Martha Stewart Living, August 2010

Gallery

Read the full recipe after the video.

Recipe Summary

prep:
40 mins
Servings:
10
Yield:
Makes one 5-by-10-inch cake
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Ingredients

Directions

  • Line a 5-by-10-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap. Place chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Place yolks and a pinch of salt in another heatproof bowl.

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  • Bring cream to a simmer in a medium saucepan. Slowly pour cream into bowl with yolks, whisking constantly; return mixture to saucepan set over low heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 8 minutes (mixture should not come to a boil). Immediately strain through a fine sieve set over chocolate; stir until chocolate melts and is smooth. Refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 4 hours.

  • Spread 1 cup chocolate mixture evenly into bottom of loaf pan. Top with a layer of 4 graham crackers, trimmed to fit. Spread 1/2 cup chocolate over tops, and cover with some bananas. Spread 1/2 cup chocolate over bananas, and top with a layer of 4 trimmed graham crackers. Repeat with remaining chocolate, bananas, and graham crackers until you reach the top of the pan; finish with graham crackers.

  • Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. Uncover, and turn out onto a serving platter. Remove plastic wrap. Garnish with whipped cream, and cut into slices.

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Reviews (8)

167 Ratings
  • 5 star values: 44
  • 4 star values: 48
  • 3 star values: 50
  • 2 star values: 22
  • 1 star values: 3
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
04/06/2013
this recipe sounds delicious. i will definitely make it 1 of these days. it's super hot here in the Philippines these days that cold & delicious desserts like this are heaven-sent to have. i plan to use other delicious tropical fruits besides bananas. TO THOSE WHO had problems regarding the the pudding NOT thickening enough, I WOULD suggest you use a GLASS mold or baking pan & just serve the dessert in there. i always serve my icebox cakes this way & they always look good :) NEVER have to worry
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
09/08/2012
Delicious and no problems with the consistency on my first try. In the intense summer heat of Palm Springs of all places! Now, I did not follow directions and my cream came to a boil, resulting in a curdled mess. Used my old friend the stick blender to smooth it and turned out great. I am going to pipe the chocolate mixture this time as I thought it came out a bit too thick in places. Also, I used dark chocolate for deeper flavor. Yum but very very rich.
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
08/28/2012
Has anyone made this without the bananas? I am wondering if it will still turn out as good. Also, any suggestions on how to make sure the pudding turns out thick?
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Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
09/01/2010
Tried this for my hubby's birthday! We loved it! Its so easy to make!
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
08/14/2010
I made this recently and had the same problems as germgina. The 'pudding' never thickened enough. I followed the recipe to the letter, except i reduced the cream to 2.5 cups to try to reduce sloppiness. It tasted good, but looked terrible. I was disappointed.
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
08/14/2010
I made this recently and had the same problems as germgina. The 'pudding' never thickened enough. I followed the recipe to the letter, except i reduced the cream to 2.5 cups to try to reduce sloppiness. It tasted good, but looked terrible. I was disappointed.
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Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
08/08/2010
Made this and it was delicious, but the pudding was nowhere near as thick as shown in the picture - it was a sloppy mess. Is there supposed to be some cornstarch (as with another chocolate pudding icebox cake recipe on this site)? Do all 3 cups of cream go into the pudding, or is some supposed to be for the garnish? What did I do wrong?
Anonymous
Rating: Unrated
07/27/2010
I've been making this icebox cake for years; except I use packaged chocolate pudding mix and don't always use bananas ~~ sometimes I use just one layer of fresh or frozen raspberries. Or, just eliminate the fruit altogether. And the whipped cream is a wonderful addition; but, again, not necessary. I'm going to try this version for sure!
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