Triple Berry Icebox Cake

You know what I really don’t want to do on a hot day? Turning on the oven… But mostly my love for dessert is too strong to ignore, so I often turn to an icebox cake. I’m all about that 20 minute prep time – even less if you’re using frozen whipped topping!

Easy icebox cake with berries

If you ask me – this icebox cake is the ideal summer dessert: There’s minimal work involved, you can use plenty of fresh summer berries and the pan will be empty before you can say “sunshine” 😉

Also, PSA: This is a wonderful dessert to bring to a red white blue party for Memorial Day/4th of July without having to resort to food dyes!

Ingredients I use

Here is an overview of the ingredients I used. Skip to the recipe for quantities.

Like anyone else, I grew up with whipped cream from cans and tubs… But I now choose to make my icebox cake with whipped cream from scratch. However, I have added a note to the recipe how you can substitute frozen whipped topping.

As you can see in the photos, I had to resort to frozen raspberries inside the cake – *somebody* had snuck most of the fresh raspberries off the counter! So, frozen berries work well and are also cheaper than fresh.

Version: Keto/low carb friendly

I have made this cake for a relative with food allergies a few times, so I thought I’d give you my swaps just in case. You can make your own sugar free and low carb graham crackers! I used this recipe because it has great taste and color and is fairly easy to make. I made a double batch to make sure I have enough.)

This is also where making your filling from scratch comes in handy: Just use your favorite powdered low carb sweetener in place of the icing sugar.

How I make it

First, I make the filling:

If you’re going to use Cool Whip, you can skip image 2 above, all you gotta do is beat the cream cheese, then fold in 3 ½ cups thawed whipped topping. Otherwise, just add all the other filling ingredients to the beaten cream cheese and beat until fluffy.

Both ways are super easy! I just prefer the from-scratch version because I can be a special snowflake when it comes to food.

Then, I layer the cake in my pan:

The layering is kind of the most important part – you’ll want it to look pretty after all! I always layer the cake in this order:

1. A little cream filling (just to cover the bottom)
2. Graham crackers
3. ⅓ of the cream mix
4. 2 ½ cups berries
5. ⅓ of the cream mix
6. Graham crackers
7. Remaining cream mix
8. Decorate with remaining berries

Cook’s note: I always chill the cake overnight, because I like the graham crackers very soft. You can get away with 4 hours if you’re in a hurry.

My tips and tricks

• Whip the filling long enough, it should be notably fluffy! Otherwise the filling doesn’t turn out well and tastes of raw cream cheese and cream.
• Spread the cream well over the berries to fill any gaps, otherwise you’ll have large air pockets in your cake… and trust me: people will be mad at you if you give them a slice of cake that’s half air.
• Make sure your cream carton says “heavy whipping” and chill it very well before using. Otherwise it will not work.

Not a tip but a side note: When I made this dessert to photograph it for the blog, my BEATERS BROKE. Goodness, why! I had to whip the filling by hand with a sturdy whisk. It was such a workout – but in case you were wondering, it works without a mixer, too. It just takes… A long while.

Icebox cake FAQs

… because I know you’re going to ask me those 😉

Storage

Refrigerator: You can keep the cake in the fridge for 2-3 days. It never lasts that long around here, but hey – in theory, it would last for that long.

Freezer: You can also freeze this one! Let it sit in the fridge for a few hours first, then wrap the entire pan very well first in plastic wrap and then in aluminium foil. Label with the name and date, freeze for up to 3 months.

I recommend defrosting it in the fridge overnight!

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As a final word, let me just put it this way: If you’re going to make this cake, hide it from yourself. You’ve been warned 😉

More no bake desserts

You can also browse all my summer recipes here, and all my desserts here.

PS If you try this recipe, please leave a review in the comment section – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram. Sign up for my email list, too!

I first shared this recipe in 2018. I updated it on May 17, 2020 to make it more helpful for you.