Lemon dessert lovers - you must give this lemon icebox cake a try! Golden Oreos and sweet lemon mousse are layered and chilled until soft and cakelike.
Why you'll love this recipe
Flavor/texture: Vanilla Oreo cookies layered with fluffy lemon mousse. Cookies turn into soft, cake-like layers when refrigerated.
It's no bake. Perfect for those hot summer days when you don't want to turn on the oven.
Perfect make-ahead dessert. Icebox cakes must be made 12-24 hours ahead to allow your cookies to soften in the refrigerator.
Great for: Spring and summer, Easter, Fourth of July, summer barbecues.
More flavors: Strawberry Icebox Cake, Summer Berry Icebox Cake, and Chocolate Oreo Icebox Cake
You may also like: Lemon Icebox Pie and Lemon Mousse
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Ingredients and substitutions
- Golden oreo cookies - Can be substituted with any brand of vanilla sandwich cookies. Oreos can also be substituted with vanilla wafers or graham crackers, but this will dramatically reduce the chilling time needed.
- Heavy cream - Necessary to make whipped cream. Heavy cream may be labeled as heavy whipping cream. Lower fat dairy products like half & half or whole milk will not work in this recipe.
- Lemon curd - Can be homemade or store bought. Adds a significant amount of the sweetness and lemon flavor to the whipped mousse layers.
- Lemon - You'll need one lemon for this recipe. The zest of one lemon is added for extra lemon flavor.
- Salt (not pictured) - Enhances the flavor of the cake and helps balance the sweet and tart flavors.
How to make lemon icebox cake
- Add a thin layer of mousse to the bottom of an 8x8 dish.
- Add a layer of golden Oreo cookies.
- Top with a thick layer of mousse. Repeat 2x more for a total of three layers of Oreos and mousse.
- Top with lemon zest and refrigerate for 12-24 hours, or until Oreo cookies are softened to your liking.
Tips and tricks
Never made whipped cream before? - Check out my post on homemade whipped cream for even more details and step-by-step photos.
Use very cold heavy cream - Make sure your heavy cream is very cold and straight from the refrigerator. Even better, chill your bowl and whisk in the refrigerator for 10 minutes before starting.
Making whipped cream - The entire process will take about 2-3 minutes as your cream goes from frothy to thick and creamy. You're looking for medium peaks that mostly hold their shape but eventually droop slightly.
Fold gently - Once you've made your whipped cream, add the lemon curd, lemon zest, and salt. Gently fold until the ingredients are evenly incorporated.
Storage
After assembly, store your icebox cake covered in the refrigerator. Lemon icebox cake will keep for about 3 days in ideal conditions.
I suggest making your cake a minimum of 12 hours in advance. After 12 hours, your cookies will be mostly softened but still have a little firmness in the middle.
An Oreo icebox cake is ideal after 18-24 hours of refrigeration. At this point, your cookies will have softened to a tender, cake-like consistency.
Frequently asked questions
Icebox cake must be made at least 12 hours before serving to allow the Oreo layers to soften. For a slightly firm cake, serve after 12 hours. For soft, cakelike layers, wait about 18-24 hours before serving.
Icebox cake will last for about 3 days in the refrigerator. The Oreo layers eventually get very soft and mushy once you hit about day 3. I recommend serving icebox cake to guests within the first 24 hours for ideal texture.
Yes, Oreo cookies can be substituted with generic sandwich cookies, vanilla wafers, or even graham crackers. Vanilla wafers and graham crackers will take significantly less time to soften than Oreo cookies. See the notes in the recipe card for adjusting the chilling time.
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📖 Recipe
Lemon Icebox Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups (454 g) heavy cream
- 1 cup (340 g) lemon curd
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest, zest of one lemon
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 36 (397 g) golden Oreo cookies, one 14 ounce package
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add cold heavy cream. Whip with a hand mixer or stand mixer until medium peaks have formed. Gently fold lemon curd, lemon zest, and salt into whipped cream until evenly incorporated.
- In an 8x8 square pan, add a thin layer of lemon mousse (this layer is not repeated). Top with ⅓ of your oreo cookies, arranged in a single layer. Top the cookie layer with a ⅓ of your remaining mousse, spread into an even layer. Repeat these layers two more times, for 3 layers each of cookies and whipped cream. Optionally, top with additional lemon zest.
- Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 12 hours, up to 24 hours, to allow cookies to soften to a cake-like consistency.
- Slice and serve cold.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Dairy substitutes: Whipped cream can only be made with heavy cream or heavy whipping cream - light cream, half & half, or whole milk cannot be substituted.
- Can I use Cool Whip?: The heavy cream and whipping process can be substituted with 4 cups of Cool Whip if desired.
- Oreo substitutes: Oreo cookies can be substituted with graham crackers or plain vanilla wafers for a less sweet cake.
- Cookie substitute resting time: Cake will only need 1-3 hours to rest if substituting with graham crackers. Cake will need 4-6 hours to rest if using vanilla wafers.
- Leftovers: Icebox cake will keep for 3 days covered and stored in the refrigerator.
This is a fabulous recipe! SO light and refreshing! Definitely will be making again!
Thank you Sue!
Can this be kept in freezer?
Yes, icebox cake can be stored in the freezer for up to a month when tightly wrapped. To thaw, transfer to the refrigerator to allow to thaw overnight.
Can you use store bought whipped cream instead of homemade?
Technically yes, you can substitute 2 cups of heavy cream with about 4 cups of store bought whipped cream. Your filling will turn out sweeter, since store bought whipped cream is already sweetened.
Thank you. I am going to try this dessert for a campout potluck!