This easy Lemon Icebox Cake 🍋🍰🙌🏻 is made with real whipped cream and lemon curd that’s layered between graham crackers for an elegant layered dessert that you don’t even need to turn your oven on to make! This 6-ingredient “cake” sets up in your fridge, making it EXCELLENT for spring and summer events or when it’s too hot to bake! It strikes the perfect flavor and texture balance of light, creamy, and tart-yet-sweet!
Easy Lemon Icebox Cake Recipe
- This easy lemon dessert is not overly sweet but strikes a balance of creamy, citrus flavor that’s perfectly tart-yet-sweet.
- For the tart aspect, I used store bought lemon curd but you can make your own if you prefer.
- And lightly sweetened lemon whipped cream lends the right amount of sweetness. l used real homemade whipped cream rather than store bought whipped topping (like Cool Whip), but you can use a tub of Cool Whip if you prefer. See the Recipe Card for all the details.
- Many recipes for lemon icebox cake recipes call for instant lemon pudding mix but there’s no instant pudding mix in my version. There’s also no fresh lemon juice because the lemon curd is enough!
- It’s so easy to make, but it makes an elegant presentation! It sets beautifully in a loaf pan for a tall, sliceable dessert with beautiful layers.
- It’s the perfect treat for spring and summer gatherings like Easter, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, graduation parties, backyard barbecues and more.
More Easy icebox Cakes
Ingredients in Lemon Ice Box Cake
You only need 6 key ingredients for this easy icebox cake recipe!
- Cream cheese: Use full fat cream cheese that’s sold in a brick for the most creamy filling. Anything labeled as lite, whipped, or ‘spreadable’ cream cheese has a high percentage of water which is NOT what you want.
- Heavy whipping cream: Nothing else will do here so make sure to pick up real cream that’s intended for whipping (half-and-half and whole milk won’t work). Tip – If you want to make this recipe with Cool Whip, use 1 standard 8-ounce tub cool whip and reduce the powdered sugar to 1/3 cup.
- Confectioners’ sugar: If yours is particularly lumpy, sift it. Otherwise, proceed without sifting.
- Lemon curd: I used store bought lemon curd to save time and for convenience and ease but you can make your own lemon curd.
- Vanilla extract: You can also sub with lemon extract or almond extract. Both are lovely in this icebox cake recipe.
- Graham crackers: I used classic Honey-Maid Graham Crackers. To really amp up the lemon flavor, you could try lemon shortbread cookies or even Lemon Oreos. I’ve seen people use lemon wafers or vanilla wafers but personally those get too mushy for my liking.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How To Make a No Bake Lemon Icebox Cake
- To a large bowl, add the cream cheese and beat it until smooth with a handheld electric mixer. Add the heavy cream, confectioners’ sugar, 1/3 cup lemon curd, vanilla extract, and beat until stiff peaks form. Flavor Tip – Make sure to taste it because lemon curd varies in sweetness and if you think it needs more sugar, add more. See recipe card below if you’re using Cool Whip.
- Line a 9×5-inch baking pan with parchment paper, leaving overhang. Add a single layer of graham crackers to the base, add about one-third of the whipped lemon cream mixture, smooth it using a spatula or offset spatula.
- Add 3 tablespoons lemon curd, spreading it into the lemon whipped cream, and top with more graham crackers. Repeat this process twice more, or until the loaf pan is full after completing the final layer. Tip – If you have extra whipped cream, you can save it for decorating or just dollop it on and serve.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight, to allow the layers to set. Remove chilled cake from the fridge, and if desired pipe on any extra whipped cream, or simply spoon it on.
- Optionally garnish with lemon zest, fresh lemon slices, mint sprigs, fresh berries like fresh raspberries or blueberries, or as desired. See Recipe Card for Storage Info.
Old-Fashioned Lemon Icebox Cake Tips
- This cake is best served the day after it has been assembled. Assembling the day before you would like to serve it is ideal.
- Note that it also doesn’t keep super well because it loses structure, and the graham crackers become very soggy after 48 hours.
- Be sure to line the loaf pan or baking dish with parchment paper, leaving overhang if you want to be able to pull out the cake and slice it. You will need to use a spatula to carefully transfer the cake onto your serving platter or simply trim around the parchment paper. You can also serve it right out of the pan for casual events. However, I don’t like using a knife inside my pans because it scratches the nonstick coating.
- Chill overnight for the best sliceable texture. Slicing too early will lead to messy slices with no structure.
- Add the extra whipped cream (you’ll likely have more than you need for the dessert assembly) into a piping bag and chill in the bag overnight with the cake for piping the next day. I used a Wilton #199 open star tip. You don’t have to pipe anything though! Just smooth it on with a spatula or dollop it out!
- Wipe your knife clean between cuts for slices that look better. Although, this is a messy-ish dessert so don’t get too hung up.
Lemon Icebox Cake
An easy lemon icebox cake 🍋🍰🙌🏻 that's made with real whipped cream, lemon curd, and layered between graham crackers for an elegant dessert! This no-bake 6-ingredient "cake" sets up in your fridge, making it EXCELLENT for spring and summer events or when it's too hot to bake! It strikes the perfect flavor and texture balance of light, creamy, and tart-yet-sweet!
Equipment
- Piping bag + open star tip optional
Ingredients
- 2 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temp (use only brick-style cream cheese that’s full fat; do not use lite, spreadable, or whipped cream cheese products)
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream
- ¾ cup confectioners’ sugar, or more to taste if desired for sweeter whipped cream
- ⅓ cup + 6 tablespoons lemon curd, divided ( ⅓ cup to flavor the whipped cream, 6 tablespoons for layering, using 3 tablespoons per layer) S
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, lemon extract or almond extract may be substituted
- 6 full-size graham cracker sheets, or as needed (the amount varies by the exact dimensions of your pan. I used 6 full-sized graham cracker sheets, trimmed to fit the loaf pan; or another way to state it is 2 full size sheets trimmed accordingly x 3 rounds/layers)
- Optional garnishing: lemon zest, lemon slices, crushed graham cracker crumbs, fresh berries, mint sprigs, etc.
Instructions
- Line a 9×5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving plenty of overhang on the sides. Optionally, spray with cooking spray; set aside.To a large mixing bowl and handheld electric mixer (or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment), add the cream cheese and beat on high speed until whipped and fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Whipped Cream Version – Stop, scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula, add the heavy cream, confectioners' sugar, 1/3 cup lemon curd, and beat on low speed momentarily, gradually increasing the speed to medium-high or high. Beat for about 5-7 minutes, or until the cream forms stiff peaks (meaning, the peaks don't deflate or fall when you turn the mixer beaters upside down). Taste, make sure it's sweet enough and if not, add additional confectioners' sugar, to taste. If you want it more tart, additional lemon curd and/or a tsp of freshly grated lemon zest is lovely.Cool Whip Variation – Use two 8-ounce containers Cool Whip or whipped topping (I recommend full fat) that you've allowed to thaw fully. Beat the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl as indicated, then add the Cool Whip, NO heavy cream needed, add 1/2 cup confectioners' sugar (we're reducing the sugar because whipped topping is already sweetened), 1/3 cup lemon curd, vanilla, and beat to just combine, about 1-2 minutes; don't overbeat. Taste, make sure it's sweet enough and if not, add additional confectioners' sugar, to taste. If you want it more tart, additional lemon curd and/or a tsp of freshly grated lemon zest is lovely.For either variation, proceed to the next step.
- Layering and Assembly – Place graham crackers in an even, flat, single layer in the prepared loaf pan. For me, this means 2 full size sheets of graham crackers, and one of them I need to break in order to jigsaw the pieces so they fit into the pan. It doesn't have to be perfect.Layer one-third of the lemon whipped cream mix over the graham crackers, and use an offset spatula or spatula to spread the layer evenly.Top the whipped cream layer with about 3 tablespoons of lemon curd, and lightly smooth and spread it. Again, does not need to be perfect.Now, repeat the process two more times – graham cracker layer, lemon whipped cream filling, lemon curd; graham crackers, lemon whipped cream, lemon curd.Stop layering when your pan is full. Note that you may not use all the lemon whipped cream (or Cool Whip). Place extra in the fridge for serving/decorating/garnishing the finished dessert.
- Refrigeration – Cover tightly with foil and refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or overnight is preferred to allow layers to set. Tips – This dessert is best when it's been made the day before and allowed to refrigerate overnight. I have never tried to freeze this and don't recommend it as a shortcut. Dairy doesn't always take kindly to freezing/thawing; better to not risk it.
- Serving – Unmold the cake by lifting up with the parchment paper and transfer it o a serving platter. Tip – When you're lifting it out, don't allow it to be unsupported. Place a large spatula/pancake turner underneath or if you have an extra set of hands to steady it, that's great. While the parchment paper should be strong enough, no sense tempting fate!Optional – If desired, use the remaining whipped cream to pipe a simple pattern (I used an open star tip, Wilton #199). Or just dollop extra whipped cream or Cool Whip on with a spoon, as desired.
- Garnishing, optional – Garnish with lemon zest, lemon slices, fresh fruit such as berries, mint sprigs, or as desired. Tip – When slicing, wipe your knife clean after each slice if clean cuts are important to you; although this is a messy dessert and imperfections are to be expected.
Notes
Storage: Dessert is best made the day before an event, refrigerated overnight, sliced, served and consumed fully. This dessert does not keep well past 48-72 hours airtight and in the refrigerator. The graham crackers get very soggy and the layers deflate and sink. I don’t recommend freezing it.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 360cal, Carbohydrates: 22g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 29g, Saturated Fat: 18g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.01g, Cholesterol: 86mg, Sodium: 115mg, Potassium: 91mg, Fiber: 0.3g, Sugar: 18g, Vitamin A: 1126IU, Vitamin C: 0.4mg, Calcium: 59mg, Iron: 0.4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I made this for my daughter’s birthday. She said it was perfect. Instead of graham crackers I used thin layers of lemon cake. l made lemon curd( none available at the store). I saved the recipe, it’s a keeper.
Thanks for the 5 star review, Rose, and this sounds like an incredible birthday dessert for your daughter with homemade lemon curd, too!
Want it try this great looking recipe, but need to double it. Should I just double the ingredients, but what size dish should I then use?? Thanks!
I would simply use two separate 9×5-inch pans. Many times your local grocery store will carry inexpensive 9x5inch pans so I would just pick up a second one if you don’t have an extra or https://amzn.to/4lQpBZk
Graham crackers ? I’m from Australia never heard of them. Are they just a plain sweet biscuit I really want to try this it looks great
https://amzn.to/469m17N Extremely common in the US, that’s a popular brand. You can see what they look like from the pics. Lightly sweetened, makes good crust for pies and are good in recipes like this.
I would love to make this for a potluck using a 9 x 13 pan, any suggestions?
I would maybe triple the recipe and do it in a 9×13 although I haven’t tested this. Or just make a few loaf pans of it, as much as you think you’ll need.
My husband’s favorite
Thanks for the 5 star review, Louise! How nice to hear this is your husband’s favorite!