Jean Sagendorph and Jessie Sheehan

photographs by Tara Donne

Icebox cakes feature crisp wafers and billowy whipped cream layered together and chilled overnight, where they transform into a heavenly cakelike texture. In this tempting cookbook, eager cooks can start with the Old School, a classic pairing of chocolate wafers and lush whipped cream, before moving on to fantastic combinations such as Luscious Lemon with its lemon curd filling and ladyfingers or the Black Forest's cherries and mounds of chocolate-kirsch whipped cream. Ideal when made aday or two in advance, these minimum-fuss cakes promise maximum friends-and-family cheer.