This Red, White, and Blue Icebox Cake is a creamy, sweet treat that is perfect to make when it's too hot to turn on the oven! Full of homemade whipped cream and sweet Summer berries, this cake will be your new go to Summer dessert!
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What's in an Icebox cake?
An icebox cake first became popular in the 1930s when companies were first introducing refrigerators as iceboxes. It is full of cream, filling, and cookies or graham crackers to make the "cake" portion of the dessert.
Heavy Cream- For this recipe, we are making our own whipped cream. Don't be intimidated though! It's very easy to make! As long as you have a hand mixer or a stand mixer, you've got homemade whipped cream in no time!
Whipped Cream Cheese- Whipped cream cheese takes out a lot of the hard work of softening the cream cheese and struggling to add it to the light and airy whipped cream. Because there's already a lot of air in this type of whipped cream, it's the best option to add.
Graham Crackers- Honey graham crackers are delicious and not too sweet. Cinnamon or plain graham crackers would work well here too.
Berries- To achieve the "red and blue" part of this dessert, we need berries! I used fresh strawberries and blueberries.
Let's Make this Cake!
Time needed: 10 minutes.
Put the cake together
- Make the whipped cream
In a large bowl, add the pint of heavy whipping cream. Start whipping it with a hand mixer or a stand mixer. Whip the cream for 2 minutes on high until the cream just starts to thicken.
- Add the whipped cream cheese and sugar
Add the whipped cream cheese and sugar to the whipped cream and mix for another minute until everything is well combined and the mixture is light and fluffy.
- Line a pan with graham crackers
Line a 9x13 inch pan with a single layer of graham crackers. It's ok if you need to break the graham crackers in order to form a single layer of graham crackers.
- Top the graham crackers with cream
Use ⅓ of the cream mixture and top the graham crackers with it. Spread the cream out so it is one even layer of cream.
- Add the berries
Add ⅓ of the berries on top of the whipped cream mixture. Spread the berries out evenly.
- Repeat the layers
Repeat the layers again. Add another layer of graham crackers. Gently press them down into the berry and cream layer.
- Top with more cream
Add another ⅓ of the mixture on top of the graham crackers.
- Top with more berries.
Top the cream with another ⅓ of the berries.
- Add the final layer of graham crackers
Add another layer of graham crackers. This is the final layer of graham crackers.
- Top with the rest of the cream
Top with the rest of the cream mixture.
- Add the rest of the berries
Add the rest of the berries to the top of the cream. Cover with plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. The longer it stays in the refrigerator the softer the graham crackers will get.
Questions about this Recipe?
Yes! I would defrost them first and then drain them to get rid of a lot of the liquid. They would work perfectly though!
Yes! Before you serve it, allow it to sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes to make it easier to cut. It will become more of an ice cream cake when you freeze it.
- Use cinnamon graham crackers instead of honey.
- Add a tablespoon of vanilla to the whipped cream to give it a little more sweetness.
- Instead of berries, use peaches for a delicious peaches and cream icebox cake.
Other Recipes to Try!
Did you give this Red, White, and Blue Icebox Cake a try? I’d love to hear from you! Give me a shout on Instagram or Facebook and share this recipe on Pinterest! And don't forget to check out some other drool worthy recipes below! Thanks for sharing this journey with me and enjoy these delicious recipes!
- Whipped Feta Dip with Honey
- Instant Pot Blueberry Jam
- Orzo Pesto Pasta Salad
- Lemon and Blueberry Zucchini Bread with Lemon Icing
Red White and Blue Icebox Cake
Ingredients
- 28 Honey Graham Crackers 3 packages
- 1 Pint Heavy Whipping Cream Very cold
- ¾ cup Sugar
- 8 ounces Whipped Cream Cheese
- 2 cups Blueberries Washed and cleaned
- 2 cups Strawberries Washed and sliced
- 1 Lemon, juiced Optional
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bowl, add the pint of heavy whipping cream. Whip the cream for 2 minutes on high until the cream begins to thicken and form peaks.
- Add the cream cheese, sugar, and lemon juice (if using) to the cream mixture. Beat for another 2 minutes until the cream is light and fluffy.
- In a 9x13 inch pan, place a layer of graham crackers to cover the bottom of the pan.
- Top the graham crackers with ⅓ of the cream mixture. Spread the cream out evenly over the graham crackers.
- Top the cream with ⅓ of the berries.
- Repeat the layers 2 more times. The final layer will be cream and berries.
- Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate the cake for at least 2 hours. The longer it stays in the refrigerator, the softer the graham crackers will become and it will become more cake like.
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