Almond Icebox Cake (The Lost Nashville Tea Room Dessert)
A cool, creamy, no-bake almond icebox cake inspired by a dessert Nashville’s Satsuma Tea Room served for seventy years. The original recipe got lost when the restaurant closed, and this is the closest version anybody’s been able to put back together.
Nine simple ingredients, no oven, and you make it the day before, so it’s perfect for taking to a gathering. Ours came home almost empty. If you like almond flavoring at all, I think you’re going to love this one.
This post contains affiliate links. If you buy through one of them, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. We only share products we actually use in our own kitchen.
The Dessert You Had to Know to Ask For
Darren and I recently made a little trip to Nashville. We were only there for a couple of days, but we took a backstage tour of the Grand Ole Opry, and there is just so much history in that place. It got me in the mood for a good story.
Not long before that, I had read about a restaurant I’d never heard of called the Satsuma Tea Room. Two home economics teachers opened it in downtown Nashville back in 1918, and it stayed open for 87 years. It was the kind of place where dignitaries would have important lunches at one table, and a group of ladies would be having a nice lunch together at the next one.
One of the desserts people still talk about is this almond icebox cake, which some folks called almond icebox pudding. It was on the menu at least as far back as 1935. Later on it came off the printed menu, but you could still get it. You just had to know to ask.
Here’s the sad part. When the restaurant closed in 2005, the original recipe got lost. Nobody seems to have it written down.
The version we’re making today comes from a lady named Lynne Tolley from Lynchburg, Tennessee. She remembers riding to Nashville with her mother for a day of shopping, and they would eat lunch at the Satsuma Tea Room. She remembers this dessert, and this recipe is the closest she’s been able to get to how it tasted back then. Southern Living shared her recipe along with the whole history of the tea room, and you can read their story here.
I’m going to be honest with you. I never got to eat at the Satsuma Tea Room, so I can’t tell you whether this tastes exactly like the real thing. But I can tell you we took it to a gathering, and there was just a little bit left over in one corner of the pan when we got home. I’m so glad somebody took the time to preserve a little piece of that history.
Almond Icebox Cake
Prep time: 30 minutes Chill time: 6 hours, or overnight Servings: about 12 (one 9×13 dish)
Ingredients
- 2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
- 8 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 packages butter biscuits (I used Leibniz butter biscuits)
- 1/4 cup whole milk or half and half
- 1/2 to 1 cup sliced almonds, toasted
Instructions
- Chill your bowl. Before you start, put your mixing bowl in the refrigerator for a little while. A cold bowl and cold cream are exactly what you want when you’re whipping heavy cream.
- Whip the cream. Pour the 2 cups of heavy cream into the cold bowl and get the mixer going. Add the vanilla, the almond extract, and the powdered sugar, then turn the speed up. You can use your whisk attachment, but it will whip up just fine with the paddle too. When it looks close but still a little soft, let it go just a touch longer. Mine only needed another 30 to 40 seconds from that point. Watch it closely here, because if you over-whip it, it will start to separate. You want it to hold its shape.
- Set the whipped cream aside. Scoop it into another bowl and put it in the fridge so it stays chilled and keeps its shape. You don’t need to wash the mixer bowl. We’re going to use it again.
- Beat the cream cheese and sugar. Put the softened cream cheese and the granulated sugar in the mixer bowl and beat until it’s smooth and creamy. Stop and scrape the bowl down once along the way. Make sure your cream cheese really is room temperature, or you’ll be fighting lumps.
- Fold it all together. Add the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture and fold, going under and over, turning your bowl as you go. The cream cheese is much heavier than the cream, so it helps to run your spatula down through the middle and bring it around. Keep folding until you don’t see any streaks or globs of cream cheese and it all looks like one mixture. Then stop. We want it to stay as light and fluffy as possible.
- Lay down the first layer of cookies. Cover the bottom of a 9×13 dish with a single layer of cookies. It doesn’t matter one bit if some are broken. In fact, you’ll need a few broken pieces to fill in the gaps at the end of the row. Nobody will ever know.
- Brush with milk. Lightly brush the tops of the cookies with the milk or half and half. This just helps them soften a little more quickly. You don’t need to soak them.
- Add one third of the filling. I like to drop spoonfuls around in different spots and then spread it with a small spatula, all the way to the edges. It won’t be a thick layer. It should just about cover the cookies. Go a little lighter on these first two layers so you have plenty for the top.
- Repeat twice more. Cookies, a brush of milk, then filling. You’ll end up with three layers of cookies and three layers of filling, ending with filling on top. One package of cookies did not get me through all three layers, so have that second package handy. The 1/4 cup of milk came out just about perfect.
- Clean it up, cover, and chill. Smooth the top, wipe the edges of the dish if you’re taking it somewhere, cover it, and refrigerate for no less than 6 hours. Overnight is exactly what you want to go for.
- Toast the almonds. Put the almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat. No butter and no oil. Spread them out in a single layer and toast for about 3 to 6 minutes, stirring or shaking the pan two or three times. You’ll hear them start to sizzle a little. Watch them closely toward the end, because the browning happens fast. As soon as they’re golden, take them out of the pan so they stop cooking. You can do this ahead of time. Just let them cool and store them in a sealed container.
- Top and serve. Sprinkle the toasted almonds on right before you dish it up. They’ll stay nice and crispy that way.
Tips for the Best Almond Icebox Cake
- About the cookies. The recipe suggested Leibniz butter biscuits, so that’s what I used. They’re a little hard to find in stores, so I ordered mine online. Here are the ones I bought. They’re not super cheap, but Darren tasted the crumbs left in the package and said, “Those are good,” so I think they’re worth it if you want to go the extra step.
- Grocery store swaps. A shortbread cookie, Sandies, simple little butter cookies, vanilla wafers, or ladyfingers will all layer well.
- Why cream cheese? A lot of icebox cakes use only whipped cream for the filling, and that’s delicious. But I think the cream cheese adds a wonderful richness here while still keeping everything light and fluffy.
- Toasting a bigger batch of almonds? Spread them on a sheet pan and toast them in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes instead.
- Don’t rush the chill. The cookies need that time to soften. After a night in the fridge, ours had softened just enough to be perfect. You still get the cookie flavor, but it slices like a cake.
- Perfect for hot weather. This is just the thing when you want something cool and creamy and you don’t want to heat up your oven.
FAQ
What is almond icebox cake? It’s a no-bake layered dessert. You stack crisp butter cookies with a light almond-flavored filling made from whipped cream and cream cheese, then let it sit in the refrigerator until the cookies soften into cake-like layers. Toasted almonds go on top right before serving.
Is this the original Satsuma Tea Room recipe? No, and I want to be upfront about that. The original recipe was lost. This version comes from Lynne Tolley, who ate the dessert at the tea room as a girl, and it’s the closest she’s been able to get to what she remembers.
Why is it sometimes called almond icebox pudding? The tea room’s dessert went by both names over the years. Whatever you call it, it’s the same cool, creamy, layered dessert.
What cookies work best for icebox cake? You want a thin, crisp cookie that layers flat. I used Leibniz butter biscuits. Shortbread cookies, Sandies, simple butter cookies, vanilla wafers, or ladyfingers would all work.
How long does almond icebox cake need to chill? At least 6 hours. Overnight is better. I made mine the day before we served it, and that time frame was just right.
Can I make almond icebox cake ahead of time? Yes, and you really should. Make it the day before, toast your almonds ahead too, and keep the almonds in a sealed container. Put them on right before you serve.
How long do leftovers keep? Keep it covered in the refrigerator and plan to enjoy it within 3 or 4 days. The cookies will keep getting softer the longer it sits.
Can I freeze almond icebox cake? I haven’t tried freezing this one, so I can’t tell you honestly how it turns out. If you try it, let me know in the comments.
Do I need a whisk attachment to whip the cream? No. A whisk attachment works great, but mine whipped up just fine with the paddle. A hand mixer will work too. The most important things are cold cream and a cold bowl.
How do I keep from over-whipping the cream? Stay right there with it at the end. Once it looks close but a little soft, it only needs about 30 to 40 more seconds. Stop as soon as it holds its shape. If it goes too far, it will start to separate.
Give This One a Try
If you had to choose only one type of icebox cake to make for the rest of your life, I think this might be the one. I hope you’ll give it a try, and I hope your family and friends enjoy it right along with you. And if you ever ate at the Satsuma Tea Room, I would love to hear about it in the comments.
If you’re looking for another no-bake dessert with layers of cookies and creamy filling, take a look at our Eclair Cake. It’s always a hit too. You might also like our Old-Fashioned Banana Pudding and Lemon Icebox Pie.
Thank you so much for joining me at Mary Katherine’s Table. And remember to go out today and find somebody who needs a little bit of kindness and give them some of yours.
Recipe adapted from Lynne Tolley’s Satsuma-inspired Almond Ice Box Cake, as shared by Southern Living.
Almond Icebox Cake
Equipment
- Stand mixer or hand mixer
- 9×13 baking dish
- Pastry brush
- Small offset spatula
- Skillet
Ingredients
Filling
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream cold
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract
- 8 oz. cream cheese softened to room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
Layers
- 2 packages butter biscuits such as Leibniz, or use shortbread, Sandies, or ladyfingers
- 1/4 cup whole milk or half and half
Topping
- 1/2 to 1 cup sliced almonds toasted
Instructions
Make the Filling
- Chill your mixing bowl in the refrigerator. Pour in the cold heavy cream and start the mixer, then add the vanilla, almond extract, and powdered sugar. Turn the speed up and whip until the cream holds its shape. Watch closely at the end so it doesn’t over-whip and separate.
- Scoop the whipped cream into another bowl and refrigerate it. No need to wash the mixer bowl.
- Beat the softened cream cheese and granulated sugar in the mixer bowl until smooth and creamy, scraping the bowl down once.
- Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture, going under and over and turning the bowl, until no streaks or globs of cream cheese remain. Stop as soon as it looks like one mixture so it stays light and fluffy.
Assemble
- Cover the bottom of a 9×13 dish with a single layer of cookies, using broken pieces to fill any gaps.
- Lightly brush the tops of the cookies with milk or half and half.
- Spread about one third of the filling over the cookies, all the way to the edges. Go a little light so you have plenty left for the top.
- Repeat two more times: cookies, a brush of milk, then filling. You’ll have three layers of cookies and three layers of filling, ending with filling.
- Smooth the top, cover, and refrigerate at least 6 hours. Overnight is best.
Toast the Almonds and Serve
- Put the almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat in a single layer. Toast 3 to 6 minutes, stirring two or three times, until golden. Remove from the pan right away to stop the browning. Cool completely.
- Sprinkle the toasted almonds over the top right before serving.
Video
Notes
- The original Satsuma Tea Room recipe was lost. This version is adapted from Lynne Tolley’s recipe, as shared by Southern Living, and is the closest she remembers to the original.
- The cookies I used are Leibniz butter biscuits (affiliate link). One package was not enough for three layers, so have a second package on hand.
- Shortbread cookies, Sandies, simple butter cookies, vanilla wafers, or ladyfingers all work in place of the butter biscuits.
- Make sure the cream cheese is fully room temperature so the filling comes out smooth.
- Toast the almonds ahead if you like, and store them in a sealed container once they cool. Add them right before serving so they stay crisp.
- For a large batch of almonds, toast them on a sheet pan in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes instead.
- Keep leftovers covered in the refrigerator. The cookies keep softening the longer it sits.
