Beat the heat with this easy, no-bake dessert: Strawberry Cream Cheese Icebox Cake with layers of graham crackers, creamy cheesecake pudding filling, and fresh strawberries. Giving the cake some time in the refrigerator allows it to set beautifully, the flavors marrying together into a refreshing, creamy dessert that comes together quickly and will get people talking.
It’s a dessert for warm days or when you want something you can throw together early in the day. Every single bite is magic: those light and fluffy layers of cream cheese and cool whip, the sweet juicy strawberries, that tiny bit of crunch from the graham crackers. Serve this cake chilled for a sweet use to wrap up any meal!
Why You’ll Love It
No-bake: You won’t have to turn up your oven, which makes these the perfect option on hot days or when you’re tight on time.
Perfect for any occasion: Whether you’re gearing up for a summer picnic, a birthday party, or you just want something sweet to have around your house, this cake delivers.
You’ll get tartness from the strawberries, sweetness from the cream cheese filling, crunch from the graham crackers, etc. A great flavor marriage: strawberry cream cheese.
Make-ahead dessert: This cake requires several hours of time to chill, which means it’s the sort of dessert you’ll need to prepare beforehand. It allows the flavors to meld fantastically.
Key Ingredients:
Strawberries
You’re looking for firm, ripe berries — fresh strawberries are perfect for this, but some sorcerers may feel adventurous and try other kinds, and that’s going to work as well. The strawberries provide sweetness that will offset the cake. If fresh strawberries aren’t in season, you can use frozen strawberries instead — just defrost and drain them really well so there’s not too much moisture in the cake.
Graham Crackers
Ground graham crackers lend structure to the cake, absorbing moisture from the cream layers and transforming into a cake-like texture. If you’d like to live dangerously, use a cinnamon graham cracker — or, for an extra layer of flavor, even a chocolate graham cracker.
Cream Cheese
Make sure that your cream cheese is at room temperature when you mix it. It ensures a smoother, creamier filling with no lumps. If you’re short on time, you can soften it in a hurry, microwaving the cream cheese (without the foil) for 15 to 20 seconds or so.
Sweetened Condensed Milk
Sweetened condensed milk adds sweetness and richness to the filling. If you are on a low sugar diet you can use low fat version or sugar free version of this!
Pudding Mix
Instant cheesecake-flavd pudding is crucial — it allows you to get that cheesecake-y flavor without the muss. If you can’t find cheesecake-flavored pudding, vanilla or white chocolate pudding works just as well.
