4 Ingredient No Bake Strawberry Lemon Icebox Cake
This no-bake Strawberry Lemon Icebox Cake is a delightful summer treat that requires only four ingredients. Layers of lemon cream, strawberries, and shortbread cookies create a refreshing and creamy dessert perfect for any occasion. Chill in the refrigerator for a few hours to let the flavors meld together before serving slices of this delicious cake.
Ingredients
- 6 cups (426 g) Cool Whip
- 3 tbsp (1.5 fl oz/44 ml) lemon juice
- 75 Lorna Doone shortbread cookies, can use other kinds of shortbread or graham crackers
- 4 cups (476 g) 1/4 inch thick sliced strawberries, plus additional for garnish
Instructions
- Line a 9 x 9 inch square pan with parchment paper. Make the sides of the parchment paper a bit higher than the pan so that when the cake is done, you can lift up the whole thing using the excess parchment as handles.
- Add 6 cups of Cool Whip to a large mixing bowl. Add in 3 tbsp of lemon juice. Mix until lemon juice is evenly incorporated. When the lemon juice is mixed in, it should stiffen the Cool Whip so that it becomes firmer.
- Spread a very thin layer of lemon cream across the bottom of the lined pan. Line the bottom with a layer of shortbread cookies. You should be able to fit exactly 25 cookies. You want to make sure the cookies are touching side by side so that when the cake is cut, it will look like a uniform even layer.
- Add about 2 cups of lemon cream on top of the cookies, spreading it evenly across. I like using an offset spatula to help me spread it evenly across but a regular spatula should also work. Add a layer of strawberries on top of the cream. Line the strawberries in a way that prevents too many gaps. My method was to add them in alternating directions (i.e., the first strawberry slice has its pointy side facing up and the strawberry slice next to it has its pointy side facing down. See photo in post for reference.).You will need about 2 cups of sliced strawberries per layer. Add another layer of cookies, followed by another layer of cream and berries. Add one more layer of cookies; you should have 3 layers of cookies.
- Top the last layer with a thin layer of lemon cream. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate the cake for a few hours (or overnight) to allow the flavors to meld and the cookies to soften. Save remaining cream for the frosting. If you have leftover Cool Whip, you can also save that to give the top cake layer a thicker layer of frosting.
- When cake is ready to be served, remove cake from fridge and remove the plastic wrap. Add the remaining cream on top to make a frosting. You can also add any leftover Cool Whip you have to make a thicker layer of frosting. Garnish with some sliced strawberries. You can also add lemon curls and mint for garnish. Slice and serve chilled.
Notes
- You will need 2-3 large lemons to make 3 tbsp of lemon juice.
- You will need a 2 lb box of strawberries (you won't need them all but you do need more than 1 lb).
- You can replace the shortbread with other cookies like wafer cookies or graham crackers. I like Lorna Doone cookies because they fit perfectly without having to cut any of the cookies.
- Lorna Doone cookies are usually sold in packs of 4. So you will need about 19 packs for the dessert.
Serving: 1slice, Calories: 331kcal, Carbohydrates: 45g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Sodium: 270mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 17g, NET CARBS: 44
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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