For those warmer days between late spring and early summer, this is a fresher adaptation of a classic dessert that highlights one of the season's fruits - the cherry.

Anyone researching for recipes has certainly seen some American desserts known as icebox cakes, which are no more than a "cousin" of our portuguese Bolo de bolacha, usually made to serve on hotter days.

In essence, they are just semifreddos formed by layers of cookies, whipped cream-based cream, and sometimes also fruit, or chocolate cream, lemon curd, or even jams.

In this icebox cake, the concept of the well-known Black Forest cake was simply recreated, using the 3 main components: chocolate, cream, and cherries.

If you wish, you can also decorate this semifreddo with chocolate shavings, plus some whipped cream and cherries. In this presentation of mine, I preferred not to add anything else, especially because I used all the cherries and cream I had available at home in the recipe.

In the images, you can see that the layers of cookies and cream are in equivalent proportions, but if you want bigger layers of cream, just double the amounts of cream cheese, cream, and sugar.

The Ingredients

• Cream - is the main element of the cream of this semifreddo, and as always, I prefer fresh cream that doesn't contain additives (mainly carrageenan), unlike those that don't need to be in the refrigerator.
• Cream cheese - the cheese to be used here is of Philadelphia® type and not another such as mascarpone or quark, and will give a slight acidity to the dessert and also some consistency to the cream.
• Powdered sugar - when using powdered sugar, it will dissolve better and will give more lightness to the cream to be prepared.
• Cherries - this recipe is ideal for serving in late spring when fresh nationally produced cherries appear; however it can also be made with frozen or preserved cherries.
• Chocolate cookies - since the Black Forest cake is based on a chocolate cake dough, here the wafers to be used must also be chocolate. In this recipe, I used Maria chocolate/cocoa cookies, but we can use shortcake cookies or even Oreo® cookies.

How to make

• You start by placing the cream in the freezer for a few minutes (10 or 15) so that they become very cold and thus beat faster and become firmer.
• Choose the container where the dessert will be assembled - in this case, it was in a square brownie pan (22x22cm) - and lined with cling film; there are many who make this type of semifreddo directly in the container, however this way it cannot be unmolded and it is served directly from there.
• Meanwhile in a bowl with some capacity, beat the cream cheese with powdered sugar with a mixer.
• In another bowl, whip the cream until stiff (but be careful not to beat too much, otherwise the solids will separate and turn into butter).
• Gradually, the cream is involved in the cream cheese and sugar preparation.
• The next step is to distribute the 1st layer of cookies on the bottom; in this case, I used 9 cookies per layer.
• On top of these, about 1/3 of the cream is spread, smoothing with the help of a spatula or spoon.
• Then, the cherry bits (about half the quantity) are distributed over the cream.
• The order of the layers is then repeated: 1st-cookies, 2nd-cream, 3rd-cherries.
• It ends with another layer of cookies, which are then covered with the last portion of cream.
• Take it to the fridge for at least 4 hours, so that the cream gains firmness and the cookies moisten and develop a cake texture.
• Before serving, and to make it easier to divide the portions, you can place at least 1 hour in the freezer (it doesn't freeze).
• Whoever wants to transform this semifreddo into a frozen dessert, can place it directly after everything assembled in the freezer for 4 hours (or more) and remove it for about 15 minutes before serving.

Black Forest icebox cake recipe

1. Beat the cream cheese with the powdered sugar.
2. Apart, whip the cream.
3. Carefully wrap the cream into the cream cheese and sugar mixture.
4. Line a square/rectangular or round pan with cling film (this step is optional, you can assemble the cake directly in the container to be used).
5. Some cookies are arranged at the bottom of the pan.
6. Spread about 1/3 of the cream over the cookies.
7. About half of the cherries are spread over the cream.
8. Cookies are added again, then 1/3 more of the cream, and the remaining cherries.
9. Finally, finish with another layer of cookies and the remaining cream.
10. Cover with cling film and take it to the refrigerator for a few hours (at least 4 hours).
11. Before serving it can be placed 1 or 2 hours in the freezer to be cooler and also easier to slice.