Hellooooo summer!
Icebox cakes are the perfect dessert to whip up on a whim.
A refreshing treat, they also free up the rest of your weekend afternoon to run around outside or splash in a pool (yes, I am talking about us adults over here!)
My love for speculoos cookies is well-documented and they make for the perfect sturdy base for this cake.
If you don’t have speculoos (Biscoff/Lotus or some other kind), you can substitute ginger snaps.
Tips: And speaking of adults, lemon verbena gives this a subtle herbaceous quality that would pair very well against a g&t.
Lemon verbena and speculoos icebox cake
You’ll need:
- about 40 speculoos cookies
- 1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
- the zest of one lemon
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 2 big T sour cream
- 3 T honey
- 2 T fresh lemon verbena, chopped
- fresh lemon slices, for topping
1. Whip cream with the lemon verbena and most of the lemon zest. (Reserve a couple of tablespoons for serving)
2. In a separate bowl, whisk together sour cream, lemon juice and honey. Fold in half of the mixture – gently! – into the whipped cream and reserve the rest.
3. On a cake platter (you can add a piece of plastic wrap on the bottom for ease), arrange cookies in layers of about 10 at a time.
4. Drizzle each cookie layer with sour cream mixture, then top with whipped cream. Repeat, finishing off with a final layer of whipped cream.
5. Top with thin lemon slices and refrigerate for 3-4 hours.
Before serving, top with a little more whipped cream, lemon zest, and lemon verbena (and its flowers!)
How gorgeous is that?
And it will cut smooth like butter.
Wow, this sounds so refreshing and delightful. I never thought of the lemon + speculoos flavor combination, but I’m sure it’s delicious.
Thank you, Allison! I think the tartness of the lemon is really great with the subtle ginger spice of speculoos. Too bad we finished that cake off yesterday… 🙂 I want another piece!
This sounds delectably good and perfect for a summer dessert.
Thank you, Karen! I must say, it’s my new favorite thing du jour:)
I’ve heard of speculoos and how amazing they are! I’ve even heard of people making a biscuity butter with them. Sigh! Love lemon verbena & definitely piqued my interest when I saw this one on your IG feed too!
You can buy the butter and let me tell you, it is a dangerous thing to have around (you can catch me with a spoon in the jar!) haha
Thanks, Alice!
This looks a delicious combination. Dumb English-person question though: what does the T stand for in measurement terms in the recipe? Thanks in advance 🙂
Large T is tablespoon, little t is teaspoon – sorry not to clarify better!
that’s perfect timing! a day in advance is great 🙂 hope you enjoy!
Perfect, many thanks for getting back! I’m about to get cracking on it in time for a party tomorrow – excited to taste it! I hope 24hrs ahead isn’t too long…I can’t find any info online about how far in advance you can make them (I’m an icebox cake novice!) 🙂