4th of July Icebox Cake

This icebox cake is cool and refreshing with its layers of softened graham crackers, luscious cream filling and fresh berries. It’s a perfect summer treat and a great way to celebrate the 4th of July!

With the 4th of July coming up, I thought I would salute my American friends, family and followers with a festive and patriotic dessert. So something red, white and blue to celebrate the nation’s independence. I also wanted to make something cold and summery to celebrate the season. A lovely icebox cake dressed with blueberries and strawberries seemed to fit all the criteria.

This recipe begins with beating some cream cheese with some vanilla pudding as the base of the filling. With this you get the tanginess from the cream cheese along with the rich vanilla taste from the pudding. Then you fold in some fluffy whipped cream which gives the filling a light-airy texture. To assemble the cake, you layer the cream filling between graham crackers and fresh berries. Chill for 4 hours or overnight and let the fridge do its magic. While the cake chills, the graham crackers soften into a tender cake-like layer. Even the berries get more flavorful and softened by the cream as well. It’s like a marriage of all the flavors and textures between all the layers.

This icebox cake tastes like a fancy torte or 3-tier fruit-filled cream cake, but it’s so much easier to make. The flavor in this cake is nutty from the graham crackers, creamy from the filling and slightly tart from the fresh berries. It’s not too sweet and best served cold. It’s an easy make-ahead dessert, yet it’s impressive and can feed a crowd.

4th of July Icebox Cake

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

This icebox cake is cool and refreshing with its layers of softened graham crackers, luscious cream filling and fresh berries.

• Author: Lily Ernst
• Prep Time: 20 min
• Total Time: 20 min
• Yield: 12-16
• Category: dessert
• Method: no-bake
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

• 1 box (400g) graham crackers
• 1 pkg (250g) cream cheese, softened
• 2 pkgs (102g each) instant vanilla pudding
• 2 & 1/2 cups (625ml) cold milk
• 3/4 cup (188ml) heavy cream
• 2 cups sliced strawberries
• 2 cups blueberries

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl and using an electric mixer; beat the heavy cream until stiff. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and the dry pudding mix until combined. Gradually beat in the milk until smooth. Fold in the whipped cream.
3. Spread a thin layer of filling onto the bottom of a 9×13″ baking dish. Layer the graham crackers on top. Spread 1/3 of the filling onto the crackers. Sprinkle half of blueberries over the cream. Repeat with half of the strawberries.
4. Repeat with another layer of crackers and remaining cream filling. Decorate with the rest of the berries. Cover and chill for 4 hours or overnight. Serve cold.

Keywords: icebox cake, 4th of July dessert

Recipe adapted from Cakescottage.