October 25, 2023
Review RecipeStrawberry Shortcake Icebox Cake
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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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.
Strawberry Shortcake Icebox Cake Ingredients
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.
STEP THREE: To the second bowl of crushed vanilla sandwich cookies, stir in the remaining three tablespoons of the melted butter until evenly coated.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
STEP TWELVE: Layer the sliced fresh strawberries over the top of all the vanilla wafer cookies so that they are in a single layer.
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.
STEP FIFTEEN: Finally, top the homemade whipped cream with an even layer of the reserved strawberry shortcake cookie crumble.
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.
MORE CAKE RECIPES
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.
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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Strawberry Shortcake Icebox Cake
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.
Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 20 minutes
Servings 12
Ingredients
- 2 cups crushed vanilla sandwich cookies, I used 20 Golden Oreos
- 6 tablespoons crushed freeze-dried strawberries
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 3 cups heavy cream, very cold
- 1½ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup strawberry preserves, I used Smucker’s brand
- 1 teaspoon strawberry extract
- 11 ounces vanilla wafer cookies
- 1 pound fresh strawberries, rinsed and sliced (¼-inch slices)
Instructions
- Divide the crushed vanilla sandwich cookies evenly (1 cup in each bowl) into two small mixing bowls.
- Add the crushed freeze-dried strawberries and 3 tablespoons of melted butter to one of the bowls of cookies. Stir to combine.
- To the second bowl of crushed vanilla sandwich cookies, stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons of the melted butter until evenly coated.
- Combine the strawberry-coated crushed cookies with the plain crushed cookies to create a strawberry shortcake crumble topping. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the very cold heavy whipping cream. Using a handheld mixer, starting on low, 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.
- 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.
- In another large mixing bowl, add the room temperature cream cheese and granulated sugar. Beat on medium speed, using a handheld mixer, for 2 minutes until the cream cheese is fluffy and smooth.
- To the bowl of beaten cream cheese, add the strawberry preserves and strawberry extract and beat for an additional 2 to 3 minutes or until you have a nice creamy strawberry cream cheese mixture.
- 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 you no longer see streaks of whipped cream. Reserve the other half of the whipped cream.
- To the bottom of a 9×13 glass baking dish, add half of the strawberry cream cheese filling to the bottom of the dish and spread it into an even layer.
- 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.
- Layer the sliced fresh strawberries over the top of all the vanilla wafer cookies so that they are in a single layer.
- 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.
- Spread the other half of the homemade whipped cream evenly over the top of the final layer of vanilla wafer cookies.
- Finally, top the homemade whipped cream with an even layer of the reserved strawberry shortcake cookie crumble.
- Chill the strawberry shortcake icebox cake in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 hours or up to overnight.
Notes
- Make sure your cream cheese is at room temperature; otherwise, you will end up with lumps in your mixture.
- 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.
- 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.
Nutrition
Calories: 845kcal | Carbohydrates: 94g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 50g | Saturated Fat: 27g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 121mg | Sodium: 353mg | Potassium: 333mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 65g | Vitamin A: 1562IU | Vitamin C: 115mg | Calcium: 98mg | Iron: 3mg
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Comments
Jennie says
Love this recipes
Darlene says
Where can I find freeze dried strawberries?
Layne Kangas says
Hi, Darlene! Our store has them in the snack aisle. Enjoy!
Terese Berry says
I found mine at the Dollar Store in the snack isle.
Danielle says
Sounds yummy…..could you replace the extract with strawberry powder?
Layne Kangas says
Hi, Danielle – we haven’t tested that so I’m not sure how it would turn out. Please let me know if you try it!
Lisa N. says
This is a wonderful and different dessert. I made a half recipe in an 8″ square dish. Only thing I will change is to cut back on granulated and powdered sugars…found it a bit too sweet with the preserves and cookies.