• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Style Sweet
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • Newsletter
  • Recipes
  • Cookbooks
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • Newsletter
    • Recipes
    • Cookbooks
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home

    Lemon Icebox Cake with Raspberries

    July 29, 2022 by stylesweet Leave a Comment

    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Email
    Jump to Recipe - Print Recipe

    This Lemon Icebox Cake is made up of fluffy whipped cream layered with graham crackers, tangy lemon curd, and fresh raspberries. It sets up in the refrigerator for an easy, no-bake summer dessert.

    Lemon icebox cake layered with raspberries and graham crackers in a glass pan

    Why We Love This Lemon Icebox Cake

    When you don’t want to turn on your oven, make this easy, no-bake Lemon Icebox Cake. This recipe is perfect for the peak of raspberry season and uses raspberries both between the layers and on top of the icebox cake. 

    The lemon curd and fresh raspberries make a tangy and delightful pair. Altogether, this recipe is creamy and refreshing. It is incredibly low-effort but full of flavor and nostalgia.

    A slice of icebox cake with fresh raspberries and lemon curd on top

    What is an Icebox Cake?

    An icebox cake is a retro dessert that layers together wafer cookies or graham crackers with a creamy element. After time spent in the refrigerator, or icebox, the cookies soften and become spoonable and cake-like. 

    Since they need to be stored in the refrigerator until serving, icebox cakes are the perfect make-ahead dessert. When ready to eat, they are sliced straight out of the baking dish.

    Icebox cakes are infinitely customizable. You can use chocolate cookies, graham crackers, or ladyfinger biscuits. Add soft or sliced fruit, cookie crumbles, or dizzles of caramel for added flavor and texture.

    A lemon icebox cake with has been sliced and served with fresh raspberries on top

    Ingredients at a Glance

    Here are some of the ingredients needed beyond basic pantry staples:

    • Graham Crackers - classic Honeymaid work well here, but other wafer cookies would be fine. Sheets of graham crackers easily fit in square and rectangular pans.
    • Heavy Cream - look for a heavy cream that is between 33 and 35% milk fat. Keep the cream cold before whipping.
    • Lemon Curd - use store-bought or homemade lemon curd for added flavor and punch!
    • Fresh Raspberries - soft fruit, like raspberries, make serving this icebox cake easy. Use fresh raspberries instead of frozen.

    Learn how to make your own lemon curd!

    FAQ

    What can I substitute for the graham crackers?

    Instead of graham crackers, you may try Nilla wafers, ladyfingers, or chocolate wafer cookies. Graham crackers are preferred because their shape easily fits square and rectangular baking pans. Different cookies may take longer to soften in the refrigerator.

    Can I use different fruit?

    You may use other soft or sliced fruit instead of the raspberries. Try thinly sliced strawberries, mango, or diced peaches.

    Can I double the recipe?

    This recipe is made for an 8 X 8-inch square pan. You may double the ingredients to fit a 9 X 13-inch pan.

    The top of an icebox cake with swirls of lemon curd and fresh raspberries on top.

    How to a Make Lemon Icebox Cake

    To make an icebox, start by whipping heavy cream until it holds stiff peaks.

    Next, spread a thin layer of whipped cream on the bottom a baking pan and cover it in a layer of graham crackers - fitting the sheets in like puzzle pieces.

    Continue adding layers of cream, swirls of lemon curds, pieces of fresh raspberries, and graham crackers - ending with a whipped cream layer.

    Chill the icebox cake in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or until the crackers have softened.

    Serve straight from the pan and enjoy!

    Notes and Storage

    • The icebox cake needs at least 4 hours to set up in the refrigerator, so plan accordingly.
    • If making in advance, save the last layer of raspberries and lemon zest for until serving. Wrap the top with plastic and store overnight in the refrigerator.
    • This icebox cake is best served within 3 days of assembly.
    • The first slice will be inevitably difficult to serve but equally delicious!
    A slice of lemon icebox cake with fresh raspberries on a plate.

    Recipe

    Layers of whipped cream, lemon curd, and graham crackers in an icebox
    Print Recipe

    Lemon Icebox Cake

    This Lemon Icebox Cake is made up of fluffy whipped cream layered with graham crackers, tangy lemon curd, and fresh raspberries.
    Prep Time30 mins
    Total Time4 hrs 30 mins
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: icebox cake, lemon, no-bake
    Servings: 8

    Ingredients

    • 1 ¼ cups prepared Lemon Curd
    • 1 ¾ cups heavy cream
    • ⅓ cup confectioners' sugar
    • 1 teas pure vanilla extract
    • 12 full sheets graham crackers
    • ½ pint fresh raspberries
    • ½ lemon, zested

    Instructions

    • Place the heavy cream in a large mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or with a stand mixer), whip the cream until it begins to thicken slighlty.
    • Add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla. Continue to whip the cream until it holds stiff peaks.
    • Add half of the lemon curd to the whipped cream and fold together with a spatula.
    • Spread a very thin layer of the whipped cream on the bottom of an 8 X 8-inch square baking pan.
    • Place graham crackers in a single layer across the bottom of the pan - fitting them in like puzzle pieces.
    • Divide the whipped cream mixing into thirds. Dollop ⅓ of the cream on top of the graham crackers and use an offset spatula to spread it out until smooth.
    • Dollop a few tablespoons of the lemon curd on top and use the back of a spoon to swirl it around.
    • Dot the top of the lemon curd with ⅓ of the raspberries. Tear larger berries in half.
    • Add the next layer of graham crackers and repeat with the remaining ingredients.
    • For the top layer, swirl on the lemon curd then refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
    • Before serving, add the remaining whole raspberries on top and sprinkle with lemon zest.


    « Oreo Chocolate Chip Cookies
    Double Chocolate Chip Cookies »

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Tessa Huff

    Hi, I'm Tessa Huff! I am the cookbook author of Layered and Icing on the Cake. I bake, develop recipes, and photograph food from my home studio in North Vancouver, BC.

    More about me →

    My Cookbooks

    Join the Style Sweet Bake Club on Substack!

    Style Sweet is the ultimate resource for home bakers of all skill levels. Here you will find everyday dessert recipes, cake decorating tutorials, and expert baking tips to improve your skills and gain confidence in the kitchen.

    Popular Recipes

    • A mini chiffon cake with strawberry filling and whipped cream frositng
      Mini Strawberry Chiffon Cake
    • How to Ice an Ombré Cake
    • Frosting a watercolor buttercream cake
      How to Make a Watercolor Cake
    • A mini pavlova made with French meringue and topped with whipped cream and fresh berries
      The Perfect French Meringue Recipe

    Seasonal Recipes

    • A thick slice of carrot cake on a white plate with a fork taking a bite
      Easy Carrot Cake Loaf with Cream Cheese Frosting
    • A three-layer sprinkle cake with vanilla buttercream and rainbow buttercream piped border
      Rainbow Sprinkle Cake
    • A sliced raspberry lemon loaf cake with pink icing on top
      Raspberry Lemon Loaf
    • Carrot Cake Recipe with Brown Butter Frosting

    Cake Decorating

    • a perfect chocolate drip cake with pink buttercream frosting
      How to Make a Chocolate Drip Cake
    • How to Ice a Cake
    • Stacking layers of cake and filling.
      How to Stack and Fill a Cake
    • Making a buttercream flower cake with pink, orange, and purple frosting
      How to Make a Buttercream Flower Cake

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • FAQ

    Newsletter

    • Sign up for new articles and updates

    Contact

    • Work with Me
    • Email

    COPYRIGHT © 2022 StyleSweet Studio LTD.