Lemon Icebox Cake (No-Bake)

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: Refreshing Lemon Icebox Cake (No-Bake) is a lifesaver dessert for a hot summer day. Cooling, creamy, and citrusy, with a speedy 25-minute prep—this is the easiest no-bake lemon cake ever!

• Luscious texture: The Graham crackers soften and expand during chilling, providing a lovely cake-like consistency.
• Comforting: This Graham and cream cheese combo is so homey.
• Mix and layer: Whip up the topping and assemble—that’s it! Perfect for kids to make.
• Chill: No need to fuss with the oven. All this dessert needs is a night in the fridge.
• Party perfect: Get dessert out of the way since you make it a day ahead.

Because lemon is high in citric acid, it has a zingy, cooling effect. And when you choose no bake lemon desserts, you won’t heat up your kitchen either. I have a wide range of options, like Limoncello Tiramisu, Lemon Semifreddo, No-Bake Lemon Cheesecake, Lemon Gelée, and Frozen Lemon and Lime Soufflé.

Bold Bakers, you’ll be thrilled to spoon into this lush lemony dessert anytime, but especially at the height of summer, this citrus ice box cake is such a treat to make and enjoy. One important texture-related tip: after making this a few times, I noticed that as it sits, the Graham crackers continue to absorb more filling. I recommend you keep this cake in the fridge for just overnight. Be sure to enjoy it the next day, before the texture gets too mushy. And here’s an optional flavor twist—you can replace the Graham crackers with Biscoff cookies for an enticing spiced, caramelized taste.

Table of Contents

• What is Lemon Icebox Cake (No Bake)?
• Tools You Need
• Key Ingredients and Substitutes
• How to Make Lemon Icebox Cake
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
• FAQs
• More No-Bake Cake Recipes

What is Lemon Icebox Cake (No Bake)?

• Lemon Icebox Cake is a no-bake layered dessert that alternates Graham crackers and whipped filling.
  • The Graham cracker layer gives the dessert structure. The Grahams absorb the filling as the cake chills, becoming wonderfully soft with a melt-in-your-mouth consistency.
  • Sweetened cream cheese, heavy whipping cream, lemon juice, and zest blend to make a rich filling.
  • A layer of unsweetened whipped cream and lemon slices completes this citrus refrigerator cake.
• The 12-hour chilling time in the fridge sets the filling, enhances the citrus flavor, and unites the separate layers into a chilled, slicable cake.
• Icebox cake recipes emerged in the 1920s, when kitchen refrigerators became widely available. Food manufacturers promoted their products by coming up with their own recipes, and the Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafer Cake became the most famous example. In the 1970s, many ice box cakes included Cool Whip and instant pudding mix. My Lemon Icebox Cake is a vibrant tangy twist on the classic.

Tools You Need

• Mixing bowls
• Measuring spoons
• Measuring cups
• Glass measuring jug
• Kitchen scale (optional)
• Lemon zester
• 8-inch (20-cm) square baking pan
• Electric hand mixer
• Cling wrap
• Offset spatula

Key Ingredients and Substitutes

For the Cream Filling

Cream cheese

• Cream cheese gives a tantalizingly tangy flavor to this lemon refrigerator cake.
• The richness of cream cheese pairs well with the brightness of lemon.
• Use brick-style, full-fat cream cheese in this recipe to ensure a perfectly thick filling.
• Ensure your cream cheese is softened to room temperature so the filling blends together smoothly.
• Substitute: You can use an equal amount of mascarpone cheese in place of cream cheese.
  • Note that mascarpone is not as tangy as cream cheese, so your icebox cake will have a milder taste.

Granulated sugar

• The sugar sweetens the cream filling and balances the tanginess.
• Substitute: You can use an equal amount of Powdered Sugar.

Lemon zest

• Lemon zest adds bold flavor and aroma because it comes from the citrus oil-rich lemon peel.
• To zest the lemon, use a zester, microplane, the smallest holes of a box grater, or simply use a vegetable peeler or paring knife and mince into small pieces.

Lemon juice

• Lemon juice adds a vibrant and refreshing flavor to the cake.
• For the best flavor, use fresh lemon juice.
• Roll the lemon on the counter before juicing—it breaks up the pulp inside and makes juicing easier.
• Substitute: You can use an equal amount of bottled lemon juice.

Heavy whipping cream

• Heavy cream is whipped with the cream cheese to make a light, fluffy filling.

To assemble the cake

Graham crackers

• The honey notes and subtle warm spice in Graham crackers pair well with the tangy creamy filling.
• Crisp-crumbly Graham crackers soften to a cake-like texture after being layered with the filling and setting overnight.
• For the freshest Graham crackers with the best taste, make your own with my simple recipe.
• Substitutes: In place of the Graham crackers, you can use thin shortbread cookies, Biscoff Cookies, Digestive Biscuits, Gingersnaps, or Vanilla Wafers.

Heavy whipping cream, whipped

• Unsweetened heavy cream is whipped and spread on top of the cake for an elegant and airy final layer.
• It’s essential to use heavy whipping cream, with a fat content of at least 36%. Lower fat cream or whole milk will not whip up correctly.
• Substitute: You can also use Coconut Whipped Cream or Whipped Crème Fraiche.

Lemon slices

• The lemon slices add color and extra lemon flavor.
• Substitute: Use lemon zest instead of slices.

How to Make Lemon Icebox Cake

1. Prepare to bake: Set an 8-inch (20-cm) square baking dish aside.
2. Start the filling: In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, whip cream cheese, sugar, lemon juice, and zest until smooth and creamy.

3. Finish making the filling: Turn the speed to low and stir in the heavy cream. Once incorporated, whip on high speed for 1-2 minutes or until the filling has thickened.

4. Start layering: Line the bottom of the baking dish with four Graham crackers to cover the bottom with extra broken to fill out the base. Pour ⅓ of the cream cheese mixture over the single layer of Graham crackers and smooth the top.
5. Complete the layers: Repeat the layering process with the cookies and cream until you have three layers of each.

6. Chill overnight: Cover the top with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 12 hours or overnight.

7. Add whipped cream topping and garnish: The next day, before serving, spread the whipped cream on top and decorate with fresh lemon slices.

FULL (PRINTABLE) RECIPE BELOW! 

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

• Cookie options: If you don’t have Graham Crackers, you can use Biscoff Cookies, Digestive Biscuits, Vanilla Wafers, or Gingersnaps in this lemon ice box cake recipe, and you can also make all of them with my recipes.
• Different pans: Instead of an 8-inch (20-cm) square pan, you can use an 8-inch (20-cm) round baking pan. You can also use a  9×13-inch (23×33-cm) loaf pan and make a taller, narrower cake.
• Softening trick: The cream cheese must be quite soft to blend smoothly. If you are starting with cold cream cheese, microwave it for about 15 seconds at a time until it is softened.
• Change citrus: For a delicious variation, replace the lemon juice and zest with lime juice and zest.
• Berry lemon: For a lemon-berry icebox cake,  fold in 2 cups (10 oz/284 g) of fresh raspberries or blueberries into your cream cheese filling before assembling.
• Proper Timing: I do not recommend making this more than one day (12 hours) in advance. If you let it set longer, the cookies will absorb too much filling.

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions

• Make-ahead tips: This dessert has to chill overnight before serving, so make it 12 hours before serving.
• How to store leftovers:
  • Store leftovers, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to one day.
  • Note that after 12 hours, the dessert loses its ideal texture and gets very soft.
  • I don’t advise freezing leftovers.

FAQs

Can I make this recipe non-dairy?

• Yes, you can make this recipe non-dairy.
  • Use an equal amount of vegan cream cheese in place of regular cream cheese.
  • In the filling, use an equal amount of full-fat coconut milk in place of the heavy whipping cream.
  • For the topping, use an equal amount of Coconut Whipped Cream in place of the whipped heavy cream.

What are some mix-ins I can add to this lemon icebox cake recipe?

• Fold two cups of berries into the cream cheese filling.
• Add 1/2 cup (1 0z/30 g) of toasted coconut.
• For some crunch, fold in 1/2 cup (2.3 ounces/65 g) of chopped, toasted walnuts or pistachios.

What are some other ways I can garnish this lemon cake?

• In place of, or in addition to, lemon slices, use the following:
  • Lemon and/or lime zest
  • Finely chopped fresh mint
  • Crushed Graham crackers
  • Edible flowers
  • Fresh berries
  • Drizzles of Lemon Curd

More No-Bake Recipes

• No-Bake Fudge Brownie Cheesecake
• No-Bake S’more Pie
• Limoncello Tiramisu
• No-Bake Lemon Meringue Cheesecake
• 10 Minute Berry Tiramisu

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