Once assembled, let the cake sit in the fridge for several hours
before serving to give the peaches and cream a chance to soften the
crispy cookies into spongy cake-like layers.
4 to 5 ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, thinly sliced
3 cups heavy cream
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
12 ounces best-quality vanilla wafers
In a large bowl, whip the cream with the mascarpone, confectioner's sugar, and vanilla starting on low and gradually increasing the speed to medium for 4 to 5 minutes until the cream thickens and holds soft peaks when the beaters are lifted. The cream mixture should mound easily and hold its shape when you spread it.
Add a very thin layer of the whipped cream to the bottom of an 8 x 8-inch pan. Line the pan with a layer of vanilla wafers. On top of that, add a layer of overlapping peach slices. Add a thick layer of cream on top. Repeat the order for 1 or 2 more layers as desired, ending with cream on top. (If you run out of cookies, don't worry, just spread them out the best you can.)
Refrigerate the icebox cake for at least 4 hours or overnight. Slice and serve with a spatula.
