A no-bake dessert is a life-saver during the hot summer months, so a treat like this icebox cake is an ace up your sleeve. Delish has experimented with many different icebox combinations, from raspberry cheesecake lasagna to espresso martini icebox cake, but in my book, this blueberry version takes the cake (no pun intended). Layers of blueberry jam, whipped cream cheese, and graham crackers are stacked together for a no-fuss cool and creamy masterpiece that looks like you spent hours crafting it—when all you did was shove it in the refrigerator to chill for a few hours. No oven is required for this summer treat, but keep reading on for everything you need to know:
The layers:
An icebox cake traditionally includes layers of store-bought cookies and whipped cream, which, when the cake is refrigerated for a few hours, meld together to create a cohesive sliceable “cake.” I’ve tweaked this standard formula by adding cream cheese to the whipped cream and bringing in a third layer of homemade blueberry jam to create the blueberry cheesecake vibe.
Assembly:
Layering this cake is not difficult, but it does take a little patience. A small offset spatula is your best friend here: It’s great for spreading both the cream cheese filling and the jam into perfectly even layers—particularly at first, when the layers are sitting deep in the pan. The cream cheese layer tends to mix with the blueberry filling as you spread it on top, so to minimize this, scatter small dollops of the cream cheese over top of the blueberries and then use the tip of the spatula to gently connect the dollops, gradually spreading them out into a cohesive layer.
Chilling & storage:
For best results, this cake should be chilled at least 4 hours before serving. If you want to make it a day in advance, that’s fine too. I wouldn’t recommend chilling for over 24 hours before serving it, though: At that point, the layers will begin to go past the point of pleasantly melding and become harder to distinguish. You want them clearly visible when you slice and serve.
Did you try making this? Let us know how it went in the comments!