Strawberry icebox cake is an easy, no-bake dessert and the perfect summer treat. Homemade strawberry whipped cream is layered with softened graham crackers and sliced strawberries and served cold.
Why you'll love this recipe
Flavor/texture: Lightly sweetened, fluffy, and filled with fresh, juicy strawberries.
Yield: 9 servings in an 8x8 pan.
Simple ingredients. Made with graham crackers, homemade whipped cream, strawberries, strawberry jam, and vanilla extract.
Great for: Warm weather parties (it's no bake and served chilled!), Fourth of July, barbecues.
More flavors: Summer Berry Icebox Cake, Lemon Icebox Cake, Pumpkin Icebox Cake, and Chocolate Oreo Icebox Cake
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Ingredients and substitutions
- 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.
- Graham crackers - Can be substituted with vanilla wafers, chocolate wafers, or even Oreo cookies. Thick cookies will take longer to soften than graham crackers.
- Strawberries - Can be substituted with your favorite berries - blueberries or raspberries would be great. Same goes for the jam - I used seedless strawberry jam, but any variety of jam will work.
- Confectioner's sugar - Lightly sweetens the whipped cream layer. I don't recommend substituting with granulated sugar because it would add a grainy texture.
- Jam - Jam adds a light strawberry flavor to the whipped cream layer. Any flavor of jam could work if you'd like to try a different flavor combination.
- Vanilla - Adds flavor to the whipped cream layer.
Assembling strawberry icebox cake
- Add a thin layer of whipped cream to the bottom of an 8x8 pan and top with a layer of strawberries and graham crackers.
- Top with a thick layer of whipped cream.
- Add another layer of strawberries.
- Top strawberries with graham crackers.
- Add your remaining whipped cream and spread into an even layer.
- Top with a decorative layer of sliced strawberries.
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, fold in the strawberry jam and gently mix until it is evenly incorporated. Your whipped cream should have a very light pink tint with a light strawberry flavor.
Storage
For firm graham cracker layers, serve your icebox cake within about an hour.
For soft, cakelike layers, allow your cake to chill for 3 to 6 hours before serving. Icebox cake is best served within 24 hours for ideal texture.
Leftovers will keep for up to 3 days in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator. The freshness of the fruit will degrade over time and cake layers will be very soft.
Frequently asked questions
Icebox cake must be made at least an hour before serving to allow the graham cracker layers to soften. For a firm cake, serve after 1 hour. For soft, cakelike layers, serve after about 3 hours. I recommend serving icebox cake within about 12 hours for best texture.
Icebox cake will last for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. The graham cracker layers eventually get very soft and the freshness of the fruit begins to degrade. I recommend serving icebox cake within the first 24 hours for best texture.
Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries are all great additions to an icebox cake. You're welcome to use all one berry or a combination of several.
I don't recommend using frozen fruits for an icebox cake. Frozen fruit tends to have a mushy texture when thawed and releases a lot of juices, which would make your cake layers very wet and mushy.
This icebox cake is best when stored in the refrigerator, not the freezer. Fresh berries tend to get icy when frozen and watery when thawed, which can ruin the texture of the cake.
Recommended
📖 Recipe
Strawberry Icebox Cake
Ingredients
- 16 ounces (454 g) heavy cream, very cold
- ¼ cup (29 g) confectioner's sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup (170 g) strawberry jam
- 12 graham crackers
- 16 ounces (454 g) strawberries, thinly sliced
Instructions
- In a large bowl, add cold heavy cream, confectioner's sugar, and vanilla extract. Whip with a hand mixer or stand mixer until medium peaks have formed. Add strawberry jam and gently fold into whipped cream until evenly incorporated. Set aside.
- In an 8x8 square pan, add a thin layer of whipped cream (this layer is not repeated). Top with a single layer of graham crackers. Then add about ⅓ of your remaining whipped cream and spread into an even layer. Top whipped cream with a single layer of strawberry slices. Repeat these layers two more times, for a total of 3 layers each of graham crackers, whipped cream, and strawberries.
- Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour for a firm cake or 3 hours for a softer cake. Graham crackers will continue to soften over time and cake is best served within 24 hours.
- Slice and serve cold.
Equipment Recommendations
Notes
- Can I use cool whip?: Heavy cream, confectioner's sugar, and vanilla extract can be substituted with 4 cups of Cool Whip.
- Graham cracker substitute: Amount of graham crackers may vary based on size of pan used. Graham crackers can be substituted with vanilla or chocolate wafers.
- Can I use other dairy products?: Whipped cream can only be made with heavy cream or heavy whipping cream - light cream, half & half, or whole milk cannot be substituted.
- Storage: Icebox cake is best served within 3-24 hours of chilling. Leftovers will keep for about 3 days but graham crackers will continue to soften and fruit will begin to degrade.
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