Lemon Blueberry Icebox Cake
Bright and creamy No-Bake Lemon Blueberry Icebox Cake, a cool summer sensation with only 9 ingredients!
Summer desserts are so exciting!
We don’t want to turn on the oven and heat up the house. So instead, we get creative with all sorts of no-bake treats.
Necessity is the mother of invention, indeed.
Earlier this year I made an icebox cake that my husband has been ranting about for months.
What’s even funnier it that the whole family loved it so much they each made one themselves, all in the same week.
Ava made an icebox cake for Carson’s birthday.
Carson made an icebox cake for Valentine’s Day.
Lt. Dan made an icebox cake to take to a friend’s house for “guy’s steak night.”
What was I doing while they were all baking caking?
Well, that’s the beauty of an icebox cake…. It doesn’t matter what I was doing, because they are so easy to make, no one needed my help.
What Is Icebox Cake?
An icebox cake is a no-bake dessert layered with graham crackers or thin cookies, and various creamy fillings. It’s then frozen solid for easy cutting. The moisture in the filling softens the graham crackers or cookies so they plump up forming cake-like layers.
You can soak the graham crackers in milk or liquor to give them a head-start, or just allow the cream to work its magic.
Some icebox cakes are made with pudding. However, I like them best made with freshly whipped cream. Once the whipped cream freezes it has a light airy ice cream texture.
Today’s recipe is a fabulous icebox cake for summer, filled with fresh blueberry sauce and lemon cream.
Our Lemon Blueberry Icebox Cake is a simple dessert that seems both casually approachable, yet a little bit fancy. That makes it the perfect dessert to serve at barbecues, or at a summer dinner party.
How To Make Lemon Blueberry Icebox Cake
Make a blueberry filling by simmering fresh blueberries with lemon juice and sugar. Then cool the sauce completely, so it doesn’t melt the whipped cream.
Next whip heavy cream with sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest for a perky citrus cream filling.
Spread the cream in a baking pan lined with plastic wrap, then start layering blueberries, graham crackers, and more cream until you fill up the pan.
Freeze the cake. Once it’s solid, flip it out of the pan, and spread more whipped cream over the top. Sprinkle with crumbled graham crackers. Done!
Although there’s a bit of a wait while the Lemon Blueberry Icebox Cake is freezing, your actual work time is mere minutes.
This is a great dessert to make with kids, because you don’t have to worry about little hands reaching into the oven. Give it a try this summer… Or at least print out the recipe and let you family make it on their own! *wink*
Amazing Summer Desserts
Healthy 5-Minute Strawberry Pineapple Sherbet
Homemade Pineapple Orange Creamsicles
No-Bake Chocolate Banoffee Cream Pie
Check out our recipe card below…
Lemon Blueberry Icebox Cake
Ingredients
For the Blueberry Filling:
- 1 pint blueberries, fresh or frozen
- 2 lemons, juiced and zested
- 1/3 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 pinch salt
For the Icebox Cake:
- 2 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 30 graham cracker squares
Instructions
For the Blueberry Filling:
- In a small sauce pot, combine the blueberries, lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch and salt, reserving the lemon zest for later use. Set the pot over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Simmer for 4-5 minutes to allow the berries to burst open, stirring regularly. Then cool completely. (You can place the pot in the refrigerator or freezer to speed this up.)
- Meanwhile, lay two long pieces of plastic wrap out on the counter, one overlapping the edge of the other, to create a large square. Line an 8x8-inch baking dish with the plastic wrap, letting the extra plastic hang over the edges.
For the Whipping Cream:
- Pour the heavy cream in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the sugar and vanilla. Use a whip attachment to whip the cream into firm peaks. Scrape the bowl and add the lemon zest. Whip again to make sure the whipped cream is thick and smooth.
To Assemble:
- Once the blueberry filling is no warmer than room temperature, start layering the cake. Spread 1/2-inch whipped cream over the bottom of the pan. Carefully spread 1/3 of the blueberries over the cream. Then press nine square graham crackers evenly into the cream. Repeat in this order two more times, creating 3 layers each of cream, blueberries, and graham crackers.
- Wrap the excess plastic up over the top of the cake. Let it sit on the counter for 15 minutes, so the moisture can soften the graham crackers. Then freeze for 2 hours, or until solid. Keep the remaining whipped cream in the refrigerator for later use.
- Once frozen, unwrap the top of the cake and flip it out onto a flat platter. Peel off the plastic wrap. Spread the rest of the whipped cream evenly over the top and sides of the cake. Crumble the last three graham crackers and sprinkle over the cake. Then freeze to harden. After the outer layer is hard, either cut and serve, or wrap well so it does not get freezer burn.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Hi. Do you serve this right out of the freezer or thaw first?
Hi Linda,
You can serve it totally frozen, but I personally like to slice it and let the dessert plates sit for a few minutes to soften just a bit. :)
Made this over the weekend since I had an abundance of blueberries and everyone adored it. Thanks for a great recipe.Â
This icebox cake is next level. We’re soo obsessed! Thanks for sharing!
I took your advice and had the kids helps me make this. We had the best time though explaining that we had to put it into the freezer and couldn’t dig right in caused some inital sadness, haha! Loved that it was so easy to make. Thank you.
Hi Jen,
LOL! I’m glad everyone liked it in the end. :)
I love easy, no bake desserts like this!
I loved this! the combination of lemon and blueberry was delicious!
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This is delizioso! I will prepare this evening for my partner. Thank you very muchÂ
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Looks yummy however I’m not a big fan of graham crackers can you use vanilla wafers in place of?
Sure! That’s a great idea. :)
Oops, I forgot to take a picture, but it sure was tasty and people liked it at the barbeque. Thanks for such a fabulous recipe! I’ll be using this one again and again.
Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe! i love it
Well, I made the Lemon-Blueberry Icebox cake last night and frosted this morning. It looks yummy, taking to church BBQ this afternoon, thanks for the recipe. I’ll take a picture after the freezer. and let you know how it tastes:)
Coconut Milk, great idea and thanks for the tips!
OMG, this is my new favorite cake. It was so easy to make and the entire family loved it! Now I’m going to try it with blackberries.
such a pretty cake!
sounds delish. does it have to be frozen?? I thot if i just put in fridge and have for dessert in evening would be good?
YUM!!!
Can’t wait to make this. I never tried an icebox cake before, but will now, as your instructions are so detailed.
Thank you!
Hi Nancy!
You are so very welcome. Enjoy!! :)
If I used raspberries instead, would I leave out the lemon? Â Thanks!
Hi Lynn!
You wouldn’t have to, but if you are worried about it being too tart, that’s not a bad idea. Maybe taste your raspberries and decide based on how sweet they are. :)
I love the idea of real whipped cream but someone here is lactose intolerant. Any suggestions? I like cooking with real ingredients but also have a blueberry lover here. Same person, go figure!
You could use the day in coconut milk to make coconut whipped cream. It’s super good!
Hi Christine!
Yes, as Gillian said, I would whip coconut cream in the place of the heavy cream. It will change the flavor a tad, but will still be delicious! Two things to know before you try this… A) Chill the cans of coconut cream hours before you whip it, so it’s very cold. B) Heavy cream doubles in size when you whip it, but coconut cream doesn’t expand nearly as much. You might need 3 1/2 to 4 cups of coconut cream to whip for this recipe.