Caitlin Bensel
When summer temperatures soar, there's no better excuse to skip the oven and make a refreshing no-bake dessert. This strawberry icebox cake is cool, creamy, and loaded with fresh strawberries. Even better, it's incredibly easy to assemble. Simply layer graham crackers with a light cream cheese filling, fresh berries, and sliced almonds, then let the refrigerator do all the hard work. Since it tastes even better after chilling overnight, it's an ideal make-ahead dessert for barbecues, potlucks, and summer celebrations.
If you've ever wondered why it's called an icebox cake, the answer goes back to the days before modern refrigerators. Before electric refrigerators became common, people kept food cold in insulated cabinets called iceboxes that were cooled with large blocks of ice. These layered desserts were traditionally chilled in those iceboxes, where the graham crackers or cookies slowly softened as they absorbed moisture from the creamy filling. By the time you're ready to serve, the graham crackers have transformed into soft, cake-like layers—no baking required.
How do you properly whip cream?
Whipped cream is easy to make at home. All it takes is a few minutes with an electric mixer (or a little longer with a strong arm and a whisk). Start with cold heavy cream—it creates the lightest, fluffiest whip! Then, simply beat the cream on medium speed, increasing the mixer's speed as the cream thickens. Most recipes will instruct you to whip the cream until soft or stiff peaks are achieved. To test the cream, lift the beaters out of the cream. For soft peaks, the cream should be firm enough to just barely hold its shape with the peaks flopping over as the beaters are lifted. For stiff peaks, the cream should be firm enough to stand straight up when the beaters are lifted. Be careful not to overbeat cream or it can end up curdled and grainy.
Can you use chocolate graham crackers in strawberry icebox cake?
Absolutely! Feel free to change up the flavors in this dessert. Chocolate graham crackers make an excellent substitution for plain graham crackers.
What's the trick for making even layers?
The best way to make even layers is to use the same amount of each ingredient in each layer. For this dessert, we used about 12 graham cracker squares, 1 1/2 cups cream, 1 1/2 cups berries, and 1/4 cup almonds for every layer. There should be a little extra of everything left over for garnishing or snacking.
Is strawberry icebox cake a good dessert to bring to potlucks?
Icebox cake is one of the best potluck desserts. First, because it's made in a baking dish, it's easy to transport. Second, after a long chill in the fridge, strawberry icebox cake will stay cool for some time, and you can also pack it into a cooler to keep it cold longer. Icebox desserts are great for feeding a crowd, too, because they’re easy to slice and serve.
Can strawberry icebox cake be made ahead of time?
Yes, in fact, it should be! This cake needs at least four hours to chill in the fridge before serving, but it can also be made a day ahead and kept covered in the fridge.
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