Mountain Mama Icebox Cake
Mountain Mama Icebox Cake is a lush-style dessert with a pecan shortbread crust with layers of cream cheese, chocolate pudding, vanilla pudding and Cool Whip.
When it comes to recipe inspiration, we LOVE cookbooks and food magazines, but there’s something we love even more – recipes that come from our family, friends, and YOU! It is a standby when someone loves a recipe enough to want to share it, and we are thrilled each and every time one of you takes the time to send us a recipe. If it’s been served at your grandma’s Thanksgiving table for the last 30 years, odds are it’s an amazingly good recipe!
This mountain mama icebox cake is one such recipe, sent to us by a reader, Nancy. She said that the recipe hails from a church cookbook (are those not a standby kind?!) from St. Michael Parish in Louisiana, which was given to her by a friend from Louisiana.
While it’s called icebox cake, it’s reminiscent of the many “lush” desserts that we've come to recognize over the years – a nutty crust with layers of cream cheese, different puddings, and whipped topping. This one appears to be the absolutely ultimate with a whopping SIX layers! It is absolutely divine.
Let’s dissect these layers, shall we?
On the bottom is a pecan-shortbread crust that’s baked in the oven to get it nice and firm. That’s the only time we need to use the oven, so it’s a great recipe to have on hand when it’s sweltering outside.
On top of the crust is a sweetened cream cheese layer, then a layer of Cool Whip, then chocolate pudding, then French vanilla pudding, and finally another layer of Cool Whip. Whew! That’s a whopper of an icebox cake and IT.IS.PHENOMENAL.
Truthfully, those bottom two layers – the crust and the cream cheese – totally make this dessert and make it stand out from any other icebox cake we have ever eaten. It’s totally sublime.
If you love icebox cake, lush desserts, pudding desserts, no bake desserts, or anything in between, then this is going to be a go-to summer dessert for you!
It’s refreshing and reliable after a day spent in the sun.
- Grandma’s Icebox Cake
- Peanut Butter Cup Icebox Cake
- Ice Cream Sandwich Sundae Icebox Cake
- No Bake Oreo Layer Dessert
One year ago: Frozen Pupcakes
Two years ago: Soft-centered Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Glaze
Six years ago: Zucchini Cornbread
Mountain Mama Icebox Cake
Yield: 12 to 16 servings Mountain Mama Icebox Cake is a lush dessert with a pecan shortbread crust with layers of cream cheese, chocolate pudding, vanilla pudding and Cool Whip.Layer 1 (Crust)
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup (99 g) finely chopped pecans
- ½ cup (113.5 g) salted butter, melted
Layer 2
- 8 ounces (226.8 g) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup (120 g) powdered sugar
Layer 3
- 8 oz (226.8 ml) container Cool Whip
Layer 4
- 2 cups milk
- 6.8 oz (192.78 g) instant chocolate pudding, (two packages)
Layer 5
- 2 cups (488 ml) milk
- 6.8 oz (192.78 g) instant French vanilla pudding, (two packages)
Layer 6
- 8 oz (226.8 ml) container Cool Whip
- Make Layer 1 (the Crust): Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, pecans and butter until the mixture is evenly moistened. Press evenly into the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan. Cook for 20 minutes, then allow to cool completely.
- Make Layer 2: Using an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth and blended. Spread in an even layer over the cooled crust.
- Make Layer 3: Spread the Cool Whip over the cream cheese layer.
- Make Layer 4: In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk and the packages of chocolate pudding mix for 2 minutes, until thick and smooth. Spread in an even layer over the Cool Whip. (It may mix a little with the Cool Whip, that's okay!)
- Make Layer 5: In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk and the packages of French vanilla pudding mix for 2 minutes, until thick and smooth. Spread in an even layer over the chocolate pudding layer.
- Make Layer 6: Spread the container of Cool Whip evenly over the top of the French vanilla pudding layer. Garnish with mini chocolate chips and chopped pecans, if desired.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Leftover cake can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Notes
Nutritional values are based on one serving
- Yield: 12 to 16 servings
- Prep: 1 hour
- Cook: 20 minutes
- Total: 2 hours
Ingredients
Layer 1 (Crust)
- 1 cup ( 125 g ) all-purpose flour
- 1 cup ( 99 g ) finely chopped pecans
- ½ cup ( 113.5 g ) salted butter, melted
Layer 2
- 8 ounces ( 226.8 g ) cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1 cup ( 120 g ) powdered sugar
Layer 3
- 8 oz ( 226.8 ml ) container Cool Whip
Layer 4
- 2 cups milk
- 6.8 oz ( 192.78 g ) instant chocolate pudding, (two packages)
Layer 5
- 2 cups ( 488 ml ) milk
- 6.8 oz ( 192.78 g ) instant French vanilla pudding, (two packages)
Layer 6
- 8 oz ( 226.8 ml ) container Cool Whip
Method
- Make Layer 1 (the Crust): Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, pecans and butter until the mixture is evenly moistened. Press evenly into the bottom of a 9x13-inch pan. Cook for 20 minutes, then allow to cool completely.
- Make Layer 2: Using an electric mixer, beat together the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth and blended. Spread in an even layer over the cooled crust.
- Make Layer 3: Spread the Cool Whip over the cream cheese layer.
- Make Layer 4: In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk and the packages of chocolate pudding mix for 2 minutes, until thick and smooth. Spread in an even layer over the Cool Whip. (It may mix a little with the Cool Whip, that's okay!)
- Make Layer 5: In a medium bowl, whisk together the milk and the packages of French vanilla pudding mix for 2 minutes, until thick and smooth. Spread in an even layer over the chocolate pudding layer.
- Make Layer 6: Spread the container of Cool Whip evenly over the top of the French vanilla pudding layer. Garnish with mini chocolate chips and chopped pecans, if desired.
- Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving. Leftover cake can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
