Ambrosia Icebox Cake Recipes

AMBROSIA ICEBOX CAKES

Steps:

• 1. Bring pineapple juice to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium heat. Whisk eggs, yolks, sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Slowly pour hot juice into egg mixture, while whisking constantly. Return mixture to pan and cook, stirring constantly, until it boils and coats back of a spoon. Continue cooking about 1 more minute. Remove from heat, stir in butter, lemon juice, and salt. Strain mixture into a small bowl set over ice. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto surface of curd and set aside to cool. 2. Finely grate zest from 1 orange and reserve. Trim and discard peel from remaining orange and cut out segments. Chop and toss with zest. Whip cream and confectioners' sugar together until soft peaks form and fold into chopped orange.
• 3. Juice zested orange into a bowl and stir in sherry. Lightly brush ladyfingers with this liquid and press into bottom and along sides of 6 ramekins. Evenly divide pineapple curd among ramekins. Top each with orange-whipped cream and toasted coconut. Refrigerate until set, at least 2 hours or overnight. Release cakes from ramekins to serve.

TROPICAL ICEBOX CAKE

Steps:

• Combine the heavy cream and cream of coconut in a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Fold in the lime zest.
• Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform cake pan with a single layer of cookies, breaking up some of them to fill in any gaps. Spread half of the coconut-lime cream on top of the cookies, then sprinkle with half of the coconut flakes and half the mango. Repeat this layer 1 more time with the remaining cookies, cream, coconut flakes and mango. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 12.
• Once completely chilled, remove the plastic wrap and run a thin paring knife along the edge of the cake. Remove the outer ring of the pan. Sprinkle the cake with the macadamia nuts.

ICEBOX CAKE (MAGNOLIA ADAPTATION)

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat cream, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer on high speed until soft peaks form.
• On a flat serving plate, arrange 7 cookies side by side in a circle, keeping 1 cookie in the center.
• Spread with 1/2 cup whipped cream, making a 7-inch circle.
• Repeat with remaining cookies and cream, making 11 layers of cookies and ending with a layer of cream (there will be a few cookies left over). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• To serve, dust top lightly with cocoa powder or chocolate shavings.

AMBROSIA DESSERT

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the marshmallows, pineapple and nuts; fold in whipped topping. Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter; spoon a third of the mixture into a foil-lined 5-3/4x3x2-in. loaf pan. Top with half of the marshmallow mixture; repeat layers. Top with remaining crumb mixture. Cover and refrigerate for 2-3 hours or until set. , Remove dessert from pan; peel off and discard foil. Cut into four pieces; serve immediately.

AMBROSIA CAKE FROM BETTY'S KITCHEN®

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease (or lightly spray with cooking spray) bottoms only of two 8- or 9- inch round pans
• Beat cake mix, water, oil and egg whites in large bowl on low speed 30 seconds; beat on medium speed 2 minutes (or stir 3 minutes with wire whisk). Pour into pans.
• Bake 8-inch pans 27 to 32 minutes, 9-inch pans 23 to 28 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. (Decrease bake time by 2 to 3 minutes if using dark or nonstick pans.) Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
• Fill layers with Orange-Coconut Filling. Frost side and top of cake with frosting. Sprinkle coconut over top. Store loosely covered.
• Orange-Coconut Filling: Mix sugar and cornstarch in small microwavable bowl. Gradually stir in water. Stir in orange peel and orange juice. Microwave uncovered on High about 1 minute or until mixture thickens and boils; stir. Microwave 30 seconds longer, stirring every 15 seconds. Stir in coconut; cool.

AMBROSIA LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Make cake:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour cake pans, knocking out excess flour.
• Sift together flour (2 3/4 cups), baking powder, and salt into a bowl.
• Beat together butter and sugar with an electric mixer (fitted with paddle attachment if using a stand mixer) at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, then beat in zest and vanilla and continue beating 5 minutes more. Reduce speed to low, then add flour mixture and milk alternately in 4 batches, beginning with flour mixture and mixing until batter is just smooth. Divide between cake pans, spreading evenly.
• Bake cake layers until they begin to pull away from sides of pans and a wooden pick or skewer comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool 5 minutes in pans on racks, then invert cake layers onto racks and cool completely. (Leave oven on for toasting coconut.)
• Make filling while layers bake:
• Whisk together eggs in a heatproof bowl until combined well.
• With clean dry whisk, stir together sugar, cornstarch, and a pinch of salt in a 1 1/2- to 2-quart heavy saucepan, then whisk in water and juices until smooth. Bring to a boil over moderate heat, whisking, then reduce heat and cook at a bare simmer, whisking constantly, 2 minutes (mixture will be thick).
• Add half of hot juice mixture to eggs in a slow stream, whisking, then whisk egg mixture into juices in saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, whisking, just until it reaches a boil. Remove pan from heat, then add butter and zest, whisking until butter is melted. Chill filling, its surface covered with a buttered round of wax paper (buttered side down), until cold, about 30 minutes.
• Make frosting:
• Spread coconut in a shallow baking pan and toast in oven, stirring occasionally, until golden, 12 to 15 minutes.
• Beat together egg whites, sugar, water, corn syrup, and a pinch of salt in a large metal bowl with a handheld electric mixer (clean beaters if necessary) until combined. Set bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and beat mixture at high speed until it holds stiff, glossy peaks, 5 to 7 minutes. (Humid weather may necessitate additional beating time.) Remove bowl from heat, then add vanilla and lemon juice and continue beating until frosting is cooled and very thick, 6 to 10 minutes.
• Assemble cake:
• Halve each cake horizontally with a long serrated knife. Put 1 layer on a cake stand or large plate and spread with about 3/4 cup filling. Stack remaining cake layers using about 3/4 cup filling between each layer. Spread top and side of cake with frosting and coat cake with coconut, gently pressing to help it adhere.

AMBROSIA ICEBOX CAKE

Steps:

• Toast the coconut: Preheat oven 375°F Spread coconut in a thin layer in baking sheet. Bake for about 10 to 15 minutes until coconut is lightly toasted. Halfway through, remove sheet from oven and toss coconut to mix using a spatula. This is to ensure even toasting. Watch very carefully as coconut can toast quickly towards the end. Set aside to cool.
• Make the pineapple curd: Bring 1 cup pineapple juice to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Whisk the eggs, egg yolks and sugar together in a medium bowl. Sprinkle in the cornstarch and mix well. Very slowly, a few tablespoons at a time, pour hot juice into egg mixture whisking constantly. Do not go too fast or the eggs will scramble. Return mixture to pan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until it boils and coats back of a spoon. Continue cooking about 1 more minute. Remove from heat, stir in butter, lemon juice, salt and the remaining ½ cup pineapple juice. Place mixture into a small bowl set over ice to cool, stirring often, or place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto surface of curd and refrigerate to cool to room temperature.
• Make the orange cream: While pineapple curd is cooling, open the cans of mandarin oranges and reserve 6 tablespoons of the juice or syrup. Chop the segments from one full can plus half of the other can, or use your hands to break them into thirds. Set aside. Reserve remaining orange segments for another use.
• If using fresh oranges, finely grate the zest from 1 orange and reserve. Juice the rest of the oranges and set the juice aside.
• Whip cream, 1 teaspoon of orange extract, vanilla extract and confectioners' sugar together until stiff peaks form. Fold chopped mandarin oranges into cream.
• In a small bowl, combine orange juice, orange zest, reserved liquid from mandarin oranges, ½ teaspoon orange extract and sherry.
• Close up a 9 inch springform pan which should be at least 2 inches high (preferably 3 inches, or you can use a 10 inch springform). Arrange ladyfingers around the bottom of the pan so that there is a full even layer. Break the ladyfingers if necessary to plug any holes. Using a pastry brush, lightly brush ladyfingers with the sherry mixture. Place a little less than 1/3 of the pineapple mixture in the pan and use an offset spatula to make an even layer. Place a little less than 1/3 of the orange cream in the pan and use an offset spatula to make an even layer. Sprinkle about 1/3 of the toasted coconut on top of the orange cream layer. Arrange another layer of ladyfingers and brush lightly with sherry mixture. Continue layering in order given, ending with toasted coconut. Depending on the height of your springform you might have some extra curd and cream. Cover springform with plastic wrap, then with aluminum foil and refrigerate at least 8 hours, preferably overnight.
• To serve, carefully run a thin knife around the edge of the springform and release the ring. Cut into slices.