I had a lovely ladies lunch of pulled pork pizza with my dear friend Lyndsay yesterday. It was a gorgeously sunny day and afterwards we wandered over to a newly opened ice cream place for swirls of soft serve with cornflakes, matcha, red beans, and sweetened condensed milk for dessert. It was a really, really nice day for Vancouver, but it didn’t last. While we were heading home we saw some crazy haze over the city. It didn’t look right and we both thought it was a little intense.
It was a crazy chemical fire! In case it turned out to be the coming of the apocalypse and the city was destined to be attacked by chemical mutants, I decided to go out with what I imagine my ideal last meal in civilization would be: taco Tuesday Wednesday.
I’m not talking about homemade carne asada or al pastor street tacos either. Nope, Mike and I had straight up old school crunchy Old El Paso tacos with ground meat, shredded cheese, iceberg lettuce and tomatoes. They tasted like childhood: warm, friendly, and safe. And for dessert, these matcha ice box mini cakes I made the day before.
They’re a super straight-forward dessert. Chocolate wafers, deliciously dark and crisp, paired with un-sweetened matcha whipped cream. It’s a classic ice-box cake with a twist. If you’ve had ice-box cake, you know the dreamy texture of softened wafers, the way your fork slides through the layers with just the hint of resistance. Maybe you’ve even had chocolate and matcha together. They pair surprisingly well: matcha with its natural bittersweetness is a lovely foil to dark chocolate. Cookies and cream, what could be better?
Oh, and for the record, I don’t know if my last meal would be tacos. It might have to be pizza. Or noodles. Or something with potatoes…
Mini Matcha Chocolate No-Bake Ice Box Cake Recipe
makes 3 mini cakes, scale as needed
- 1/2 cup cold whipping cream*
- 1-2 teaspoons matcha powder, or to taste
- 12 chocolate wafers*
With a hand mixer, beat the cream until soft peaks form. Add in the matcha and whip until mixed. On a plate, lay down 3 wafers. Top each wafer with about 2 teaspoons of matcha whipped cream. Add a wafer on top and press down slightly. Repeat until each mini cake has 4 layers. If desired, ice the mini cake all the way around. Place in the fridge overnight – this is when the magic happens. The wafers rehydrate and become cake-like. The next day, enjoy!
Note: You can sweeten your whipping cream with a bit of sugar if desired. I kept it simple and on the unsweetened side and didn’t add any extra sugar. If you’d like your cream a little sweeter, add the sugar in when you whip, starting with a teaspoon and going from there.
Note: The wafers are classic chocolate Nabisco wafers.
Matcha whipped cream is really dangerous and my self-control just can’t handle it. And if you freeze it, it makes a really yummy (and melty) ice cream.
These look completely delicious! I have never had an icebox cake before but your description makes me want one very much! Beautiful!
I need to get on the matcha bandwagon… This looks simple yet delicious!
hi,
I am a French culinary blogger ( so excuse my English a little awkward ) and I came to see What did our friends across the Atlantic .
I am delighted by your blog , beautiful pictures and beautiful recipes.
OMG STEPH THIS CAKE.
also… a chemical fire? say what???
Gosh, these are pretty. I love your photos!
Ahhh these little cakes are so insanely gorgeous, Stephanie! I adore your photos, and that pretty green color!! Love!
As for last meals…. hmm, I think I would have to go with 100% desserts. Like, a cupcake appetizer, ice cream main course, and pie for dessert? But potatoes are definitely also a good choice… :)
ice box cakes are the best! i usually make one at least once each summer! love how mini and cute these are, steph!
sounds delicious! What type of chocolate wafers do you use? Can’t wait to try this.
they’re the classic nabisco wafers :)