Strawberry Shortcake Icebox Cakern

a slice of Strawberry Shortcake Icebox Cake on a plate

Our heavenly no-bake strawberry shortcake icebox cake is a dreamy confection featuring a berry cream filling, soft vanilla cookies, and plenty of whipped cream.

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Table of Contents

Strawberry Shortcake Icebox Cake Ingredients
Substitutions And Additions
How To Make This Strawberry Shortcake Icebox Cake Recipe
How To Serve This No Bake Summer Berry Icebox Cake
Storage
Frequently Asked Questions
More Recipes You’ll Love
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This show-stopping strawberry shortcake icebox cake is simple to make but sure to impress your friends and family. It’s a decadent dessert with layers of fresh whipped cream, soft vanilla cookies, and a creamy strawberry and cream cheese filling.

close up shot of a slice of Strawberry Shortcake Icebox Cake on a plate

Strawberry Shortcake Icebox Cake Ingredients

Strawberry Shortcake Icebox Cake raw ingredients that are labeled

Crowned with fresh strawberry slices, this dessert balances creamy richness with bursts of fruity freshness, offering an exquisite delight in every bite.

You’ll need:

2 cups of crushed vanilla sandwich cookies (I used 20 Golden Oreos)
6 tablespoons of crushed freeze-dried strawberries
6 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 cups of heavy cream, very cold
1½ cups of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
16 ounces of cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup of granulated sugar
1 cup of strawberry preserves (I used Smucker’s brand)
1 teaspoon of strawberry extract
1 (11-ounce) box of vanilla wafer cookies
1 pound of fresh strawberries, rinsed and sliced (¼-inch slices)

Substitutions And Additions

STRAWBERRY EXTRACT: I like the addition of the strawberry extract to the cream cheese mixture as it boosts the strawberry flavor.

I used a dark red strawberry extract (LorAnn Gourmet Strawberry baking emulsion), so I did not need to add any additional food coloring to get that beautiful pink color.

It is used in equal amounts as a standard strawberry extract.

Some strawberry extracts are clear or very light pink, so you may want to add 2-3 drops of red food coloring to your cream cheese in addition to the extract to get that beautiful pink color.

WHIPPED CREAM: You can substitute 2 (8-ounce) tubs of Cool Whip for the homemade whipped cream in this easy dessert recipe.

If you choose to do so, I suggest cutting back on the granulated sugar in the recipe, as the commercial brands of whipped topping are much sweeter than this homemade one.

COOKIES: If you do not want to buy two different types of cookies for this easy recipe, you can substitute the crushed vanilla sandwich cookies with an additional half a box of vanilla wafer cookies.

You will just want to note that your crumb topping will be a little thinner and lighter than with the vanilla sandwich cookies.

BERRIES: You could use a combination of fresh berries for this recipe.

You can use a pre-mixed berry combination or stick with just one type of berry if you prefer. This is totally up to you and your taste buds!

How To Make This Strawberry Shortcake Icebox Cake Recipe

Let’s walk through the steps to making the layers of this indulgent and delightful strawberry cake.

STEP ONE: Divide the crushed vanilla sandwich cookies evenly (one cup in each bowl) into two small mixing bowls.

STEP TWO: Add the crushed freeze-dried strawberries and three tablespoons of melted butter to one of the bowls of crushed cookies. Stir to combine.

freeze dried strawberries and butter added to one bowl and stirred together

STEP THREE: To the second bowl of crushed vanilla sandwich cookies, stir in the remaining three tablespoons of the melted butter until evenly coated.

butter stirred together into the second bowl of crushed cookies in a bowl

STEP FOUR: Combine the strawberry-coated crushed cookies with the plain crushed cookies to create a strawberry shortcake crumble topping. Set aside.

STEP FIVE: In a large mixing bowl, add the very cold heavy whipping cream. Using a hand mixer, starting on low speed, beat the heavy whipping cream for 1 minute.

Gradually increase the speed on the mixer up to high, and beat the heavy cream for another 2 to 3 minutes or until it reaches soft peaks.

STEP SIX: Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and continue to beat the whipped cream until stiff peaks form.

Be careful not to overwhip your heavy cream. Your whipped cream should be soft but able to hold its shape on the tip of your beaters. Set aside.

powdered sugar and vanilla blended together in a bowl

STEP SEVEN: In another large mixing bowl, add the room-temperature cream cheese and granulated sugar.

Beat on medium speed, using a handheld mixer, for two minutes until the cream cheese is fluffy and smooth.

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature; otherwise, you will end up with lumps in your mixture.

cream cheese and sugar blended together in a bowl

STEP EIGHT: Add the strawberry preserves and strawberry extract to the bowl of beaten cream cheese and beat for an additional two to three minutes or until you have a nice creamy strawberry cream cheese mixture.

PRO TIP:

The store-bought strawberry preserves were quite thick and did not thin out the cream cheese too much.

A homemade strawberry preserve may be a bit looser, so your final cream cheese filling may be a bit looser.

If so, you can reduce the amount of preserves used and increase the amount of extract used in your strawberry shortcake icebox cake.

Also, if you use a sugar-free strawberry preserve, you may want to increase the amount of granulated sugar to 1 cup.

strawberry preserves and strawberry extract added to the cream cheese mixture in a bowl and blended

STEP NINE: Add half of the whipped cream to the bowl of the strawberry cream cheese mixture.

Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese until you have a light and fluffy strawberry cheesecake filling and no longer see streaks of whipped cream.

Reserve the other half of the whipped cream.

whipped cream added to the cream cheese mixture and folded together in a bowl

STEP TEN: To the bottom of a 9×13-inch glass baking dish, add half of the strawberry cream cheese filling to the bottom of the dish and spread it into an even layer.

STEP ELEVEN: Using 42 to 44 vanilla wafers (about half the box), cover the bottom layer of the strawberry cream cheese filling so that you have a single solid layer of cookies.

fillings covered with wafer cookies in a baking dish

STEP TWELVE: Layer the sliced fresh strawberries over the top of all the vanilla wafer cookies so that they are in a single layer.

cookies covered with a layer of strawberries in a baking dish

STEP THIRTEEN: Spread the remaining strawberry cheesecake filling evenly over the fresh sliced strawberries being careful not to disturb the fresh strawberry layer.

Top this layer with the remaining half box of the vanilla wafer cookies in a single layer.

STEP FOURTEEN: Spread the other half of the homemade whipped cream evenly over the top of the final layer of vanilla wafer cookies.

berries covered with cream cheese mixture and then another layer of cookies in a baking dish

STEP FIFTEEN: Finally, top the homemade whipped cream with an even layer of the reserved strawberry shortcake cookie crumble.

whipped cream and cookie crumbles spread on top of the cake

STEP SIXTEEN: Chill the strawberry shortcake icebox cake in the refrigerator for four to six hours or up to overnight.

PRO TIP:

I like to chill my strawberry shortcake icebox cake overnight to really allow the layers of vanilla wafers cookies to soften and blend into the creamy filling.

You do not have to let it chill overnight, but just remember that your cookies may still have a crispness to them when slicing and serving.

How To Serve This No Bake Summer Berry Icebox Cake

Enjoy this perfect dessert for a special occasion. The finished product looks so delightful and delicious that you will wow anyone you serve it to.

Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side and an ice-cold vanilla latte to wash it down.

Two more delicious icebox cake recipes that we love to make include our chocolatey icebox cake and fresh berry icebox cake.

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Storage

We’ve got a few handy tips to help you store this delectable cake so that you can enjoy the rest later.

MAKE AHEAD: This recipe can be made in advance to ease your hosting worries.

Simply assemble the layers of cake, cream, and strawberries, cover your creation tightly with plastic wrap, and let it set in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.

This extra time allows the flavors to meld together even more deliciously.

IN THE FRIDGE: You can store this strawberry icebox cake in the refrigerator, covered with plastic wrap, for up to four days.

IN THE FREEZER: Another option is to store this no-bake strawberry dessert recipe in the freezer. It’s almost like an ice cream treat for hot summer days.

You can keep it in the freezer for up to a month. I recommend letting it thaw for a bit before cutting out a piece when it’s frozen.

close up shot of Strawberry Shortcake Icebox Cake in a baking dish with a slice taken out

This classic summer dessert is a fun variation of a traditional strawberry shortcake with layers of cookies, fresh juicy strawberries, and fluffy whipped cream inside an icebox cake. Plus, this strawberry shortcake icebox cake is so easy to make that you’ll be able to enjoy it all season long.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I prevent the cake from becoming too soggy?

To prevent sogginess, make sure the strawberries are patted dry before using them in the layers. Also, ensure the cake is adequately chilled before slicing and serving.

Can I add other fruits to the layers?

You can customize the cake by adding layers of other complementary fruits like blueberries or raspberries.

Can I use frozen strawberries for this recipe?

We recommend sticking with fresh strawberries, as the added moisture from frozen strawberries may make your cake too soggy.

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