Strawberry Lemon Icebox Cake

Recipe updated: May 21st, 2024

This is a layered strawberry lemon icebox cake with fresh strawberries, shortbread cookies, lemon creme cookies, and homemade whipped cream. It tastes as delightful as it looks. The tangy punch of lemon juice and lemon zest adds to the creamy whipped filling and sweet flavor of the cake. And of course, the juicy flavor and texture of fresh strawberries in every bite makes it quite amazing.

This is a no-bake dessert that just needs to be chilled for a few hours before serving. I love no-bake desserts for the fact that they are quick and easy to make and all you need to do is chill while the dessert chills in the refrigerator. I can do that! 🙂

So then if you are like me, you must try these no-bake lemon squares or this no-bake Oreo cheesecake, and also this no-bake chocolate pie recipe. They are all super delicious! If I had to pick only one as my favorite, I couldn’t!

🔪 Key Ingredients

• 2 cups of heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup of powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice or 100% lemon juice from the bottle
• 12 shortbread cookies
• 8 lemon creme cookies
• 1 pound of fresh strawberries (sliced)

👩‍🍳 How to Make Strawberry Lemon IceBox Cake

These step-by-step instructions are accompanied by detailed photos for enhanced clarity and guidance.

Step 1. Prepare the Homemade Whipped Cream

Put 2 cups of heavy whipping cream and 1/2 cup of powdered sugar into a large bowl or a bowl of a stand mixer, then beat the heavy cream on low speed and slowly increase to high speed until the cream turns light and fluffy and stiff peaks start to form.

Note: You can use a hand-held electric mixer if you don’t have a stand mixer. Also, if you prefer, you can use a container of Cool Whip instead that you can buy at local stores, although it won’t have the same delectable taste as homemade whipped cream.

Step 2. Add the Vanilla Extract

Add 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract together with the whipped cream. Continue to beat the whipped cream with the vanilla extract until all is blended well, including the sides of the bowl. This should only take about a minute or two.

Step 3. Blend in the Lemon Zest and Lemon Juice

Add 2 teaspoons of lemon zest and 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice together with the whipped cream. You can squeeze the juice from real lemons or use 100% real lemon juice from a bottle. But the best flavor comes from freshly squeezed lemons as we used in this recipe.

Step 4. Mix Until Combined

Fold in the lemon zest and the freshly squeezed lemon juice together with the whipped cream using a spatula until thoroughly blended together. Put the whipped cream in the refrigerator for now while we prepare the fresh strawberries in the next step below.

Tip: If you leave the whipped cream sitting on the countertop at room temperature, it doesn’t take long for it to become warm and lose its fluffiness and stiff peaks. In other words, it will look like it is starting to melt and become limp and you may even see a bit of liquid forming on the bottom of the bowl. So make sure to keep it refrigerated until Step 6.

Step 5. Prepare the Fresh Strawberries

Wash 1 pound of strawberries under cold running water. Remove the core, stems, and leaves, then slice each strawberry into halves or fourths, whichever you prefer. We sliced the strawberries into bite-size pieces. They don’t need to be all the exact same size.

Tip: If you have an unused straw handy in your kitchen, insert the straw starting at the bottom part of the strawberry (the pointy end) and then push the straw up and out towards the top of the strawberry where the stem and the leaves are. The straw will push the core of the strawberry out along with the stem and leaves quite nicely.

Step 6. Spread the First Layer of the Cake

This cake has 8 layers. There will be 3 layers of whipped cream, 2 cookie layers of shortbread cookies, 2 layers of strawberries, and the last layer is strawberries and lemon creme cookies, so keep in mind to divide the ingredients so you will have enough for each layer.

Tip: It would probably be a good idea to divide the whipped cream and strawberries into 3 sections in the bowls they are in.

So let’s begin with the first layer of whipped cream. Take the whipped cream out of the refrigerator, then spread 1/3 of the whipped cream on the bottom of an 8×8 pan.

Step 7. Place the Shortbread Cookies for the Second Layer

For the next layer, place six shortbread cookies on top of the whipped cream as evenly as you can. If one is accidentally broken, that’s okay. Just piece it together.

Step 8. Toss on Some Strawberries for the Third Layer

Toss 1/3 of the strawberries on top of the shortbread cookies for the third layer. You should have 2/3 of the strawberries left.

Step 9. Spread More Whipped Cream for the Fourth Layer

Spread another 1/3 of the whipped cream on top of the shortbread cookies and strawberries. You should still have 1/3 left of the whipped cream.

Step 10. Place the Last Shortbread Cookies for the Fifth Layer

We only have six shortbread cookies left to place on the cake. A couple of them were cracked in the package, but that is okay. Place the last six shortbread cookies on top of the whipped cream layer we just did.

Step 11. Toss on More Strawberries for the Sixth Layer

Toss another 1/3 of the strawberries on top of the shortbread cookies. You will now have 1/3 of the strawberries left for the last layer we will do in a minute.

Step 12. Spread the Last of the Whipped Cream for the Seventh Layer

Put the last remaining whipped cream on top of the shortbread cookies and strawberries. Set the cake aside for a minute while we prepare the lemon creme cookies in the next step. You can set it in the refrigerator if you prefer to do so, but the next step isn’t going to take very long at all.

Step 13. Place the Lemon Creme Cookies in a Ziplock Bag

Put 8 lemon creme cookies in a ziplock bag. Before zipping the bag, try to get most of the air out of the bag. A little bit of air is okay though. If there is too much air in the bag, you won’t be able to break up the cookies, you’ll just pop the bag.

Step 14. Break the Lemon Creme Cookies into Pieces

Use your hands or a rolling pin to gently break the lemon creme cookies into pieces. Try not to break the cookies up too small. Chunk-size cookies are good in this dessert, but a few crumbs are also okay.

Step 15. Sprinkle the Lemon Creme Cookies & More Strawberries for the Eighth Layer

For the last layer on top of the cake, sprinkle the 8 crushed lemon creme cookies and the last of the strawberries on top of the last layer of whipped cream.

Step 16. Chill the Strawberry Lemon Icebox Cake

Cover the strawberry lemon icebox cake with a lid (if the pan you are using has one), aluminum foil, or plastic wrap, then put it in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight to chill.

Step 17. Serve After the Chill or the Next Day

This icebox cake is ready to be served after it has been chilled in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or more. It’s the perfect spring and summer dessert but it is especially extra delicious on a hot summer day. This dessert could easily be a sister to strawberry shortcake! Enjoy!

🌟 Recipe Variations

• Put a layer of graham crackers or a graham cracker crust on the bottom of the pan for the first layer before the whipped cream.
• Try a layer of vanilla Oreo cookies or regular Oreos instead of shortbread cookies or lemon creme cookies.
• You can add cream cheese to this recipe if you prefer.

🙋 FAQs

💡 Final Thoughts

This lovely layered dessert with a touch of lemon flavor can be served for special occasions such as birthdays, bridal showers, graduations, and during the holidays too. This cake not only tastes divine, but it is a beautiful-looking cake in appearance that you can be proud to serve to your family and friends.

With its simple ingredients, this really is an easy recipe to make. When there’s just not enough time during the day, the nice thing about this recipe is you can make it the night before you need it. Just whip the cream, wash and slice the strawberries, take the shortbread cookies out of the package, crush the lemon creme cookies, and then layer it all in a cake pan and chill overnight.

📄 Recipe Card

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