This pumpkin gingersnap icebox cake with dulce de leche is one of my favorite no bake pumpkin desserts for the fall season. This pumpkin freezer cake is layers of dulce de leche filled gingersnaps, pumpkin cream, and whipped cream, giving it a pumpkin mousse texture.
Easy Pumpkin Whipped Cream Cake
If you’re unfamiliar with an icebox cake, let’s break down what it is and why it’s one of the dreamiest desserts you might ever run into in your life.
An icebox cake is typically a whipped cream based cake layered with wafer cookies. As the cake sits in the freezer, the whipped cream soaks into the cookies, making them soft and almost cake-like.
Think tiramisu—the crunchy ladyfingers in tiramisu soak up the espresso and mascarpone to create a soft, cake-like texture. An icebox cake is very similar, but requires even less preparation and time. Or, think about banana pudding (like this pumpkin banana pudding). The pudding softens the cookies to make it a creamy dessert.
This Dulce de Leche Pumpkin Icebox Cake is every bit as dreamy as a traditional icebox cake, but it has irresistible fall flavors of ginger, cinnamon, and pumpkin. It’s an easy no bake pumpkin dessert that looks beautiful but takes minimal effort to prepare. Plus, since it’s a pumpkin icebox cake dessert, it means there’s more room in the oven at Thanksgiving.
My Favorite Things About This Icebox Pumpkin Mousse Cake:
- Gingersnaps: Gingersnap cookies are packed with a punch of sweetness and spice. This one simple store-bought ingredient takes this dessert to a 10. If you’d like to make homemade gingersnaps, you can use them in place of the store-bought cookies. Just make sure the homemade gingersnaps are on the crunchy side otherwise this fall icebox cake will be soggy.
- Dulce de Leche: I love dulce de leche. It’s this incredibly rich, caramel-like confection. It’s a caramelized milk (it’s often made from sweetened condensed milk) and it’s a flavor that I love during the fall season. It pairs well with all things pumpkin and spice.
- No Bake: I’ve mentioned it multiple times, but it bears repeating because this pumpkin freezer cake is a no bake recipe. During Thanksgiving, the oven space is limited (and maybe this makes me a little obsessive, but we even have an oven schedule) so anything I can make that doesn’t require the oven and/or can be made ahead of time quickly becomes a fan favorite.
- Texture: This is the best pumpkin icebox cake because it’s a pumpkin mousse cake essentially. The whipped cream and pumpkin turn into this dreamy mousse consistency that pairs so well with the dulce de leche and gingersnap cookies.
Other Easy Pumpkin Desserts For Thanksgiving: This easy Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting (made in one bowl!), this Pumpkin Earthquake Cake (made with cake mix!), and these melt-in-your-mouth Soft Pumpkin Cookies!
Ingredients:
The ingredients for this Pumpkin Icebox Cake are fairly simple, and you should be able to find them at any regular grocery store.
- Pumpkin Puree
- Heavy Whipping Cream
- Powdered Sugar
- Gingersnaps
- Dulce de Leche: You can use any dulce de leche you like—homemade or store-bought.
- Vanilla Extract
- Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Cloves & Allspice: I prefer to use my own mix of pumpkin pie spice, but you can substitute with pumpkin pie spice if you’d prefer. I put the substitution amount in the notes section of the recipe down below.
How To Make A Pumpkin Gingersnap Icebox Cake:
This is a brief overview of how to make this pumpkin dulce de leche cake. The full recipe and details are in a printable recipe card below.
- Cookies: Spread a little dulce de leche on half of the gingersnap cookies, about 1 tsp each. Then, sandwich the cookies together with the remaining half. Set aside.
- Pumpkin Filling: With a standing mixer or electric hand mixer, whip heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add in the powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and spices, and whip until combined. Remove 1 1/2 cups of the whipped cream (for the topping) and place in the fridge. Next, add in pumpkin puree (to the whipped cream still in the bowl) and whip until thick and combined.
- Assembly: Place a layer of cookies in the bottom of a springform pan. There will be some space between the cookies, and that’s okay. The pumpkin cream filling will fill that space. Spread half of the pumpkin whipped cream on top of the dulce de leche gingersnaps and spread in an even layer. Top with the remaining gingersnap cookie sandwiches, and then top with the remaining pumpkin cream.
- Chill: Press plastic wrap on top of the pumpkin cream and place the icebox cake in the freezer for at least 4 hours.
- Serving: Once the cake has chilled and you’re ready to serve top with the reserved whipped cream. Then, sprinkle crushed gingersnaps on top. Cut into slices and serve. Freeze remaining leftovers.
How To Store This Pumpkin Icebox Cake:
This is a freezer pumpkin cake, which means it needs to stay in the freezer. The pumpkin cake chills in the freezer, and if there are any leftovers, they need to go in the freezer. Cover with plastic wrap, and press the plastic wrap on top of the cream to prevent ice crystals from forming.
How To Serve Icebox Cake:
I like to serve this pumpkin icebox cake with extra whipped cream and gingersnaps. You could drizzle more dulce de leche on top, if you’d like! You could also top with chopped nuts or mini chocolate chips too.
Pro Tip: Let the cake sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Then warm your knife in hot water before slicing into the cake. It’ll cut a lot easier, since the cake is frozen.
How Long Do I Need To Chill?
This cake needs, at the very least, 4 hours in the freezer. This gives the pumpkin cream filling time to soak into the gingersnaps so they soften a bit.
I prefer to make this the night before and let it chill overnight, but 4 hours will do if you’re in a pinch.
Final Quick and Easy Icebox Pumpkin Cake Tips:
- Whipped Cream: This is a pumpkin whipped cream cake so you must use heavy whipping cream. There is no other substitute.
- Cake Pan: I like to use a 9” springform cake pan, but you can use an 8” springform cake pan. If you don’t have a springform pan, you can use a loaf cake pan (I’d line the pan with plastic wrap to make it easier to remove from the pan). If you use a loaf cake pan, this recipe will probably yield two 8×4” loaf cakes.
- Gingersnaps: I use store-bought gingersnaps, but you can use a homemade version. You will want the gingersnaps to be on the crunchy side, however. If the homemade cookies are too soft, they will get soggy in the cake. The crunchy gingersnaps just soften with the pumpkin cream rather than getting soggy.
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 2 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp ground cloves
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2-1 cup dulce de leche
- 60 gingersnaps, about one (1lb. box of gingersnap cookies)
- Spread 1-2 tsp of dulce de leche on 30 gingersnaps (it’s up to you how much dulce de leche you want to use; I used 2 tsp). Top with remaining gingersnaps so they make 30 sandwich cookies. Set aside.
- In a large bowl (you can also use a standing mixer) whip heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add in powdered sugar, all spices*, and vanilla extract and whip until stiff peaks form.
- Reserve 1 1/2 cups of whipped cream and set aside in the fridge for the topping.**
- Next, fold the pumpkin puree into the remaining whipped cream until completely combined.
- Place a layer of dulce de leche gingersnaps (about 15 of them) in an 8” or 9” springform pan (there will be space between the cookies, which the cream will fill).
- Top with half of the pumpkin cream filling.
- Add the remaining gingersnaps on top of the cream, and then add the last of the pumpkin cream on top.
- Gently cover the pumpkin icebox cake with plastic wrap, making sure to press the plastic wrap on top of the pumpkin filling (this will help keep ice crystals from forming while it freezes).
- Freeze for at least 4 hours, or overnight.
- When ready to serve, top with the 1 1/2 cups of whipped cream you reserved. Sprinkle with crushed gingersnaps, if desired.
- Allow the icebox cake to sit 5-10 minutes before slicing, and to slice easier, dip your knife in warm water.
- Store any leftovers in the freezer.
*Pumpkin Pie Spice: If you prefer to use pumpkin pie spice, use 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon + 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice.
**You can add the reserved whipped cream on top of the icebox cake before freezing it for at least 4 hours if you prefer. I like to add it before serving, because I like the texture of the soft whipped cream with the thick pumpkin cream. However, if it’s easier, you can add it before freezing.
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