This easy icebox cake recipe has layers of fresh strawberries, tender graham crackers, and whipped cream. It’s a delicious no-bake dessert for summer!
This strawberry icebox cake recipe belongs at your next summer gathering! After testing and tweaking this icebox cake multiple times, it’s an absolute breeze to assemble — just slice the strawberries, whip the cream, layer everything up, and pop it in the fridge. It has layers of fresh strawberries, homemade whipped cream, and graham crackers that soften into a light, cake-like texture as the icebox cake chills.
Why You’ll Love This Icebox Cake
- It couldn’t be easier to make. You can assemble this strawberry icebox cake with 7 simple ingredients in under 30 minutes. After that, the refrigerator does the work for you!
- You can make it ahead. Before you serve this cake, it has to chill for at least 6 hours to allow the graham crackers to soften. It’s the perfect dessert to make ahead for a 4th of July cookout or other summer gathering.
- It tastes like summer. There’s something about the combination of sweet, juicy strawberries and billowy whipped cream that just screams summer. The whipped cream is flavored with vanilla extract, almond extract, and lemon zest for extra pop!
My Strawberry Icebox Cake Recipe
Icebox cakes aren’t a new concept, as you can probably tell from the name. In the United States, they became popular in the 1920s, when refrigerators were just becoming common. In the early versions, you’d layer together cream and homemade ladyfingers, and the icebox cake would set in the fridge overnight. Later, store-bought cookies took the place of the from-scratch ladyfingers, making these simple cakes even easier. (For years, an icebox cake recipe was printed on the box of Nabisco’s chocolate wafers.)
Graham crackers act as the “cake” in this strawberry icebox cake recipe, which means it’s an absolute breeze to assemble. Simply slice the strawberries, whip the cream, layer everything up, and then pop it in the fridge!
How to Make This Icebox Cake
You can find the complete strawberry icebox cake recipe with measurements below, but here’s a step-by-step overview of how it goes:
Start by slicing the strawberries. Hull them, then cut the berries into thin slices.
Next, whip the cream. Combine cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, lemon zest, vanilla extract, and almond extract in a large bowl. Using a stand mixer or electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat until stiff peaks form.
Tip: Chill your mixing bowl for 15 to 30 minutes before whipping the cream. This will help it whip quickly and evenly. Make sure the cream is cold from the fridge too — if it’s too warm, it won’t hold its shape.
Find more homemade whipped cream tips in this whipped cream recipe.
Then, assemble the icebox cake. Spread a very thin layer of cream at the bottom of an 8×8-inch baking dish.
Top with a layer of graham crackers, a cup of the whipped cream, and a third of the strawberries, spreading them in a single layer.
Continue layering — graham crackers, whipped cream, and strawberries — until you’ve used all your ingredients, finishing with a top layer of whipped cream and the remaining strawberries. Cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours, or overnight, before slicing and serving.
