I hate turning my oven on in the summer if I an avoid it. For me, summer is the time for fresh salads, using the fridge, and sometimes the crock pot, as my main source of cooking power. That’s why I love this lemon icebox cake– it takes no heat at all, meaning you’re staying nice and cool while cooking and while eating. Plus, it’s semi-homemade, so it only takes a few minutes to prepare. What’s better than that?
Start the cake by placing a layer of graham crackers (honey flavor works best!) in the bottom of a 9×13 pan.
Here’s the hardest part of the recipe… are you ready? The hardest part of this recipe is to mix powdered sugar, softened cream cheese, and whipped topping.
That’s it. Simple enough for a busy summer day?
Spread the mixture onto your graham crackers to form the second layer of the cake.
Top that with a layer of graham crackers. I seriously love graham crackers for snacking, but they become the perfect substance to this cake to make it a delicious treat.
You can use homemade lemon curd here, but that kind of defeats my “no heat” mantra, and it’s kind of a pain in the booty, so I just use my favorite store-bought lemon cream for this recipe! You’ll want a full can of it.
Spread that evenly over your graham cracker layer. Look at that beautiful lemon yellow! Doesn’t it look refreshing? I fully give you permission to lick the spoon after this layer– I know I did (I promise I got a new spoon to finish the recipe!)
Top the lemon layer with… you guessed it, more graham crackers. You see, the graham crackers make the “cake” layers as they soften between the creamy layers, making a perfect layered cake with NO baking. Hooray for staying cool!
Top the whole thing with the rest of your whipped topping, then place it in the fridge for about 2-3 hours before slicing and serving.
To me, there’s just something really summery about lemons. Probably the thought of sitting on the front porch sipping a tall glass of lemonade, or just enjoying a lemon sorbet. It just whispers “summertime,” and that’s what makes this dish so special– the hint of lemon just makes it so summery.
- 1 box Honey Graham Crackers
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 package Cream Cheese, softened
- 1 can Lemon Curd or Lemon Creme Pie Filling
- 1 (8 oz) container Cool Whip or other whipped topping, divided
- Place 1/3 of the crackers in a single layer on the bottom of a 9x13 pan.
- In a bowl mix 1 cup Cool Whip, 1 cup powdered sugar, and 1 package cream cheese, reserving the remainder of the Cool Whip.
- Spread mixture on top of graham crackers carefully.
- Top with a second layer of graham crackers.
- Spread entire contents of lemon pie filling over cracker layer.
- Top with a third layer of graham crackers.
- Top with remaining Cool Whip.
- Chill for 2-3 hours before serving, or until graham crackers are slightly softened.
If you LOVE all things summer, you’ll love these Bacon Wrapped Cheeseburger Dogs, another make-ahead dish perfect for summer cookouts. Don’t forget to try my Crystal Light Ice Cream, too (I used a sour apple flavor, but try it with a lemonade packet instead!)
Of course, you can also check out this awesome pinterest board with some of the best summertime eats!
Follow MamaPlusOne’s board Summertime Gladness: Eat on Pinterest.
What flavor screams summertime to you? Let me know in the comments below!
Oh my gosh, this looks so tasty. I don’t have AC in my kitchen. It’s 90 degrees in there. I don’t even want to walk into the room. This is going on my life for sure.
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