You’ll love this Easy Summer Berry Icebox Cake! Layers of sweet whipped cream with a hint of lemon, graham crackers, and fresh berries come together to make a delicious summer dessert!
Try out other summer favorites! Brownie Strawberry Shortcake, easy Strawberry Shortcake in a Mason Jar and Strawberry Lemonade Cookies!
Table of Contents
Summer Berry Icebox Cake
The sun’s out and it’s time to start thinking about all those ripe, juicy berries that are waiting to be made into something special. This easy Summer Berry Icebox Cake is it!
If you have 20 minutes to prep this easy icebox cake recipe, you can pop it in the fridge and enjoy its simple flavors and light creamy texture when you’re ready to serve!
No need to turn on your oven!
We love to serve this Summer Cake because it makes the perfect patriotic dessert – just create a flag pattern on top with your fresh berries!
Ta-da! You have a festive red, white and blue cake.
These Easy Summer Appetizers are perfect this time of year too!
How to Make Summer Berry Icebox Cake
If you haven’t tried an icebox cake before, this is a good one to start with. It not only tastes wonderful, but it’s also pretty and looks like you worked so hard to put it together.
No one needs to know how simple it is 🙂
Start by whipping your cream and when soft peaks form, add your sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest until stiff peaks form. Set 1/2 cup aside. In a separate bowl, mix your cream cheese and then fold in your whipped cream.
Now it’s time to form your layers. This might sound complicated, but it’s really not.
Layer one is a small amount of whipped cream mixture.
Layer two is graham crackers.
Layer three is half of your remaining whipped cream mixture.
Layer Four is 1/3 of your berries.
Layer Five is another layer of graham crackers.
Layer Six is the other half of your whipped cream mixture, followed by one more layer of graham cracker, then your reserved whipped cream.
Finally, top it off with the prettiest fresh berries!
Place your no-bake icebox cake in the refrigerator for 4 hours or overnight covered in plastic wrap. Take it out when ready to serve!
Tips For Making a No-Bake Summer Berry Icebox Cake
- Make sure you wash and let the berries dry before putting them in your cake. The excess moisture can make the berry juice run and turn the creamy white layers pink.
- You can replace the cream cheese with prepared cheesecake or vanilla pudding if you wish. Just mix it in with the 3 cups whipped cream as you would the cream cheese.
- Mix and match your berries. Any combination will work in this recipe!
Other Topping Ideas
Make it your own creation and add optional topping if you like! Ideas include:
- crushed graham cracker crumbs
- chopped nuts
- a drizzle of chocolate (white or milk)
- powdered sugar for dusting.
What You’ll Need to Make A Berry Icebox Cake
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- 8×8 Pan – this one is perfect for baking chicken or making an icebox cake!
- Mixing Bowls – we like to have various sizes depending on the recipe.
- Hand Mixer – perfect for those little jobs when you don’t want to grab the big stand mixer.
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Easy Summer Berry Icebox Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream (or can use 3 1/2 cups of your favorite whipped topping like Cool Whip)
- 8- ounce package cream cheese (softened to room temperature)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
- 12 graham crackers
- 2 1/2 cups mixture of fresh blackberries (raspberries blueberries, and hulled and sliced strawberries, divided leaving the prettiest slices for the top)
Instructions
- Whip heavy whipping cream in a stand mixer or in a bowl with a hand mixer just until it holds soft peaks. Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and lemon juice and whip to combine until stiff peaks form. Do not over mix. Set aside 1/2 cup whipped cream for topping.
- In a separate large bowl, beat softened cream cheese until smooth. Fold in the 3 cups of whipped cream or Cool Whip.
- To assemble, spread a thin layer of the cream mixture in the bottom on an 8 x 8 pan. Place 3 graham crackers across one end of the pan and then break up 1 or 2 more crackers as needed to fill in the gaps to cover the entire layer. Spread half of the cream mixture on top. Use approximately 1/3 of the mixed berries to create the next layer of the cake.
- Top with another layer of graham crackers, breaking them as needed to make them fit. Spread the remaining cream mixture over top and add another 1/3 of the berries.
- Top with the final layer of graham crackers. Spread the reserved 1/2 cup freshly whipped cream (or Cool Whip) evenly over the top.
- Place the last layer of the prettiest mixed berries reserved for the top. Sprinkle with graham cracker crumbs if desired.
- Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight until the graham crackers have softened completely. Serve chilled and add optional toppings if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe originally appeared on The Slow Roasted Italian
Enjoy this easy and gorgeous icebox cake idea all summer long!
Christina. says
Looks good! When using cool whip, do I still add the powdered sugar?
Erin says
Hi Christina, yes, the recipe calls for additional powdered sugar. If you don’t want it to be as sweet, you could leave it out.
Lewis Johnson says
That looks incredible.
Erin says
Thanks! It’s a great recipe! Love how easy it is!