An Icebox Cake is a magical thing. You take some graham crackers or cookies, you layer it with a lot of creamy goodness, and the magic of time (and the chilling effect of the refrigerator) turns it into something like sliceable, layered cake. And you don’t have to bake a thing! There are tons of ways to make them, but this cool and creamy lemon version is one I’m particularly enamored with.
What Ingredients Are in Lemon Icebox Cake?
It’s very simple, as far as cake goes! You’ll need:
- Heavy whipping cream.
- Powdered sugar.
- Cream cheese.
- Lemon pudding. (The instant kind.)
- A fresh lemon.
- Milk.
- Graham crackers.
How Do You Make Lemon Icebox Cake?
It couldn’t be easier.
While a lot of recipes use Cool Whip, I like to make my own whipped cream for better flavor, so the first thing you’ll do is whip the heavy cream with the powdered sugar until you have stiff peaks. Just set it aside.
In another bowl, beat the cream cheese until it’s smooth, and then mix in the instant pudding, the zest and the juice of the lemon, a pinch of salt, and some whole milk. Keep mixing until it’s starting to thicken (though it will thicken even more when you chill it) and then fold in the whipped cream.
The only thing left to do is layer! And wait. Line the bottom of a baking dish with a single layer of the crackers, breaking some apart to make it all fit if you need to. Then spread on a layer of the pudding/whipped cream mixture, followed by another layer of crackers, followed by another layer of pudding… and then you guessed it… one more layer of crackers and one more of pudding.
Chill it until the graham crackers soften and you’re ready to slice and serve! Ideally, you want to chill this overnight, but if patience isn’t your virtue, it’s still very serveable after two hours or so in the fridge.
How Does it Taste?
The graham crackers soften into something like cake and that’s sandwiched with layers of light but creamy deliciousness. I wouldn’t describe those layers as pudding, because the whipped cream makes it much airier. It’s just cool and creamy and delicious. It’s also lightly flavored with lemon, not the type of lemon flavor that hits you over the head with brightness. (But if that’s your thing, you could add some lemon extract or some more lemon zest and juice.)
Lemon Icebox Cake
Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 2 boxes (3.4 oz each) instant lemon pudding mix
- Juice and zest from 1 lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 1/2 cups whole milk
- 21 graham crackers
Preparation
- In a large bowl, beat the heavy cream and powdered sugar with the whisk attachment of an electric mixer until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the pudding powder, the lemon zest, and the lemon juice, along with the salt. Beat again until smooth.
- Add the milk, mixing on low until it's all combined.
- Once pudding mixture has thickened, fold in whipped cream.
- In a 9x13-inch baking dish, spread about a half cup of the pudding mixture evenly across the pan.
- Layer crackers in baking dish in a single layer, breaking apart crackers as needed to make them fit.
- Pour about a third of the pudding mixture over the top and spread out with a rubber spatula.
- Top with another layer of graham crackers, followed by another layer of the pudding mixture, and then repeat layers once more.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
- When ready to serve, garnish with more lemon zest, if desired. Slice and serve. Enjoy!