Strawberry Icebox Cake

Last July our apartment hit eighty eight degrees by two in the afternoon, and Alex had three friends coming over at five. Turning on the oven? Absolutely not happening. So I pulled out a glass dish and made a strawberry icebox cake with what was already sitting in my kitchen.

Jump to:

• Why You Will Like This Strawberry Icebox Cake
• What You Need For This Strawberry Icebox Cake
• Strawberry Icebox Cake
• How To Layer A Strawberry Icebox Cake
• Storage And Make Ahead Notes
• Simple Variations For Your Strawberry Icebox Cake
• Strawberry Icebox Cake Questions I Get Asked
• Recipes You May Like
• A Simple Dessert Worth Making This Week

Thirty minutes of work. One hour in the fridge. Four twelve year old boys standing at the counter, asking me every two minutes if it was ready yet.

Here's the thing about this strawberry icebox cake: it looks like you fussed over it, and you really didn't. Graham crackers soften in the fridge until they taste like soft cake layers. Whipped cream holds it all together. Dulce de leche adds a caramel sweetness that makes people stop mid bite and ask what's in it.

Five ingredients. No oven. One dish to wash.

If sweet things that skip the oven are your kind of thing, my fruit pizza made with sugar cookie dough is the other one I carry to summer get togethers. Same fresh fruit idea, different shape, same empty plate at the end.

Why You Will Like This Strawberry Icebox Cake

• Only 5 ingredients, and three of them are probably in your kitchen right now
• Thirty minutes of hands on time, then the fridge does the rest
• No oven, no mixer required beyond whipping the cream
• Soft cake layers without any baking at all
• Sweet caramel from the dulce de leche against tart fresh strawberries
• Kids can help layer it, and mine always want to

Sarah calls it the pink cake. She's been saying that since she was small, and honestly, the name stuck in our house.

What You Need For This Strawberry Icebox Cake

• 1 pound fresh strawberries, washed and dried well
• 1 cup heavy cream or whipping cream, very cold
• ¼ cup powdered sugar
• 6 ounces graham crackers, about one sleeve and a half
• 1 ½ cups dulce de leche, the thick kind

A few notes from my kitchen.

Cold cream whips faster. I stick the bowl and the beaters in the freezer for ten minutes first, and it makes a real difference.

The dulce de leche matters here. Thin sauce style dulce de leche runs everywhere and turns your layers into a puddle. Look for the thick spreadable type in a jar.

No dulce de leche nearby? Thick caramel sauce works, though it reads a little sweeter. And if you want cream that holds its shape for a full day, my stabilized whipped cream method is what I use when I'm making dessert the night before.

Graham crackers are what I reach for, but shortbread cookies or plain digestive biscuits soften the same way.

Print

How To Layer A Strawberry Icebox Cake

Prep time is 30 minutes. Chilling takes 1 to 2 hours. Total time is about 1 hour 30 minutes, and it serves 9.

Whip The Cream First

Pour 1 cup cold cream into a bowl with ¼ cup powdered sugar.

Beat until you get medium peaks. That means the cream holds a shape but the tip still flops over when you lift the beater.

Stop there. I once walked away for thirty seconds and came back to sweet butter. (Alex thought this was hilarious. I did not.)

If you're building the cake later, cover the cream and keep it in the fridge.

Prep The Strawberries

Wash, dry, and stem all the berries.

Dice about two thirds of them for the middle layer. Save the prettiest third whole or halved for the top.

Dry them well. Wet berries release juice into the cream, and that's the main reason these cakes go watery.

Build The Layers

Grab an 8 or 9 inch glass or ceramic dish.

1. Spread a thin layer of cream across the bottom of the dish.
2. Lay graham crackers over the cream, covering the bottom completely. Break pieces to fill the gaps.
3. Spread half of your remaining cream evenly over the crackers.
4. Scatter the diced strawberries across the cream, edge to edge.
5. Add another full layer of graham crackers on top.
6. Spread the dulce de leche gently over the crackers. Go slow here so the crackers don't shift.
7. Finish with the rest of the whipped cream, smoothed flat.

That thin first layer of cream at the bottom sounds skippable. It isn't. It softens the bottom crackers so the whole thing cuts cleanly instead of cracking.

Chill And Finish

Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.

Right before serving, pile the reserved fresh strawberries over the top.

Serve it cold, straight from the fridge. Warm slices lose their shape fast.

Storage And Make Ahead Notes

Keep the cake covered in the refrigerator. It holds up well for 1 to 2 days.

Here's what I've found: the crackers soften a little more every hour, and the strawberries keep releasing juice. Day one is best. Day two is still good but softer and juicier.

I make mine about two hours before people arrive. That's the sweet spot where the layers have set and the fresh berries on top still look bright.

Don't freeze it. I tried once for a birthday and the cream separated into something grainy after thawing. Donald ate it anyway, because he eats everything, but it wasn't right.

Leftovers go in an airtight container, or you can just press fresh plastic wrap right onto the surface.

Simple Variations For Your Strawberry Icebox Cake

Want to make it feel new without starting over?

• Swap half the strawberries for raspberries or sliced peaches
• Use chocolate graham crackers for a darker, richer version
• Add a thin layer of sliced bananas alongside the berries
• Stir a teaspoon of vanilla into the cream before whipping
• Grate dark chocolate over the top just before serving
• Build it in small glass jars for individual portions

Two things to watch out for. Don't over soak the crackers with juicy fruit, and don't skimp on chill time, because a warm cake slides apart when you cut it.

For a spoonable version of the same idea, my Biscoff banana pudding uses that exact cookie softening trick with cookie butter instead of dulce de leche.

Strawberry Icebox Cake Questions I Get Asked

How long should strawberry icebox cake chill before serving?

One to two hours is the minimum. That's when the graham crackers turn soft enough to cut like cake.

I aim for two hours when I have the time. Any less and you'll hit crunchy spots in the middle, which isn't terrible, just not what you want.

Can strawberry icebox cake be made ahead of time?

Yes, and I do it often. Build the whole cake the night before, cover it tightly, and leave the fresh berries off until serving time.

Overnight chilling makes the layers extra soft and sliceable. Just know the berries inside will have released more juice by then.

How do you keep strawberry icebox cake from becoming soggy?

Dry your strawberries completely after washing. This is the biggest one.

Whip your cream to medium peaks so it has structure, and serve within two days. I also pat the diced berries with a paper towel before they go in, which takes ten seconds and helps a lot.

Can frozen strawberries be used in strawberry icebox cake?

For the layer inside, yes, but thaw them first and drain off all the liquid. Frozen berries carry much more water than fresh ones.

For the top, stick with fresh. Thawed strawberries go soft and lose that bright shine.

Recipes You May Like

• Creamy Bavarian Cream Pie Delight if you like soft, creamy desserts served cold from the fridge
• Deliciously Warm Blueberry And Apple Crumble for when the weather cools down and you want fruit again
• Creamy Croissant Bread Pudding Delight because it plays with the same soft layers idea using pastry

A Simple Dessert Worth Making This Week

So that's my strawberry icebox cake. Whip the cream, dice the berries, stack your layers, and let the fridge handle the hard part.

I love this one because it gives me back my afternoon. No oven heating up a Manhattan apartment, no timers, no worrying about whether the center is done.

Make it once and you'll stop measuring after that. I certainly did.

Try it this weekend and tell me how it went in the comments. And save this to Pinterest so you have it ready when strawberry season shows up.