Earl Grey and Blueberry Icebox Cake Recipe

 

Take a respite from the heat with this deliciously delicate dessert, featuring fragrant earl grey tea and paired with sweet blueberries and cream. Icebox cake made its first debut in the 1920’s and 1930’s with the rollout of domestic refrigerators, or “ice boxes.” The traditional dessert calls for layers of thin chocolate cookies doused in whipped cream, but we’ve opted for a mild and sweet British digestive biscuit to make harmony with the fragrant tea-steeped cream. Enjoy it anytime, but it’s particularly delicious on a hot summer evening, such as we’ve been having.

 

Ingredients for the whipped cream:

2 cups heavy whipping cream

5 earl grey tea bags

3 tbsp powdered sugar

1 tbsp vanilla extract

For the blueberry compote:

1-pint blueberries (save ⅓ for garnish)

1 tsp lemon juice

¼ cup sugar

1 tsp cornstarch

Ingredients for construction:

1 box McVities® Digestive Biscuits

A few squares of ruby chocolate (for garnish)

Blueberries

Instructions:

24 hours before you plan to make this icebox cake, you need to steep your tea bags in your heavy cream. I recommend using a jar with a good seal that can hold a little over 2 cups of liquid. Pour your heavy cream into the jar and add 5 earl grey tea bags into it. I favor leaving the strings on and letting them hang outside the jar, so it’s easier to remove them once it’s done steeping. 

When you are ready to make your blueberry icebox cake, begin by making the blueberry compote.

Add your blueberries, lemon juice, sugar, and cornstarch to a small saucepan. Put it on medium heat and stir well. 

Squash the blueberries with the back of a spoon to help break them down and release their juices. 

Simmer on medium-high heat for 5 to 7 minutes, then remove from heat. 

Transfer it to another bowl and set it in the refrigerator to cool.

Next, you can begin making your earl grey whipped cream. Take your cream out of the refrigerator and remove the tea bags. Make sure to squeeze them out in the cream, to bring out any extra tea flavor you can. Earl grey tea has very delicate flavor that won’t come across if you don’t use enough of it. 

Add your powdered sugar, cream, and vanilla extract to a large mixing bowl. Whip with a hand mixer until it reaches stiff peaks. 

Gather your biscuits, whipped cream, blueberry compote, blueberries and ruby chocolate to begin assembly. 

In a pan of your choice, set down one layer of biscuits. Leave them whole, and use any broken ones to fill in gaps. 

Next, spoon half of your whipped cream on top of the biscuits. Spread it into an even layer. Pour your blueberry compote on top of the whipped cream and spread it in an even layer. Spread another layer of whipped cream on top of the blueberry compote, using up the last of it. Smooth out the top to create an even surface.  Sprinkle blueberries on top and shave a generous portion of ruby chocolate on top using a grater or zester.

Refrigerate overnight and enjoy!