Strawberry Graham Icebox Cake

Name: Strawberry Graham Icebox Cake
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 40 min
Yield: 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 3/4 cups All-Purpose Flour; 2 tbsp All-Purpose Flour; 5/8 tsp Fine Sea Salt; 1/2 tsp Baking Powder; 1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon; 1 pinch Ground Cloves; 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar; 2/3 cup Packed Dark Brown Sugar; 1 tbsp Honey; 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter, cold and cubed; 1 Large Egg; 1 tsp Lemon Zest, finely grated; 8 oz Cream Cheese, very soft; 1 tsp Vanilla Extract; 1 1/2 cups Heavy Cream; 1 1/2 lb Fresh Strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced

Finished strawberry graham icebox cake with a slice on a plate

Ashley Taylor

Published: June 23, 2026

Categories: Dairy, Fruits, Cakes

Tags: Cake, Make-Ahead, Layer Cake, Cream Cheese, Strawberry, Icebox Cake, Summer Dessert, Graham

Strawberry Graham Cake

A chilled summer layer cake made with homemade graham rounds, lemony cream cheese whipped cream, and thin slices of fresh strawberries.

Prep Time:45 minCook Time:55 minTotal Time:100 minServings:8Difficulty:Medium

This strawberry graham icebox cake turns a stack of thin, spiced graham cookies into a soft layered dessert after a short rest in the refrigerator. The cookies keep enough structure to slice cleanly, while the cream settles into the layers and gives the cake a gentle cheesecake flavor.

The graham dough is rolled into rounds and trimmed while warm, which gives the finished cake a neat shape without needing cake pans. A little honey, brown sugar, cinnamon, and clove make the layers taste familiar and toasty, but the fresh berries keep the dessert bright rather than heavy.

For the filling, cream cheese is beaten with lemon sugar, vanilla, and heavy cream until it holds soft peaks. Adding the cream gradually prevents lumps and gives the filling enough body to spread between the cookies without sliding out the sides.

Serve the cake the day it is assembled, once the layers have had a few hours to soften. It is especially good for warm-weather meals because most of the work can happen earlier in the day, and the final dessert comes to the table cold, creamy, and cleanly striped with berries.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories:485 kcal

Protein:7 g

Carbs:58 g

Fat:27 g

Directions

1

Heat the oven to 350°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Find a 7-inch plate, bowl, or cake ring to use as a trimming guide.
2

Pulse the flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, 1/3 cup granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a food processor until evenly mixed and any brown sugar clumps are broken up.
3

Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks sandy. Add the egg and honey, then pulse just until the dough gathers into soft clumps.
4

Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces. Roll one piece between sheets of parchment into a thin round slightly larger than 7 inches, keeping the remaining dough covered while you work.
5

Bake the first round for 8 to 10 minutes, until the edge is browned and the center looks set. While it is still hot, trim it with the 7-inch guide, then slide it onto a rack to cool. Repeat with the remaining dough rounds.
6

Place the remaining 6 tablespoons granulated sugar in a large bowl and rub in the lemon zest with your fingertips. Beat in the cream cheese, vanilla, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt until smooth and fluffy.
7

Add the heavy cream a few tablespoons at a time at first, beating well after each addition. Once the mixture loosens, pour in the remaining cream and beat until the filling holds soft peaks.
8

Set one cooled graham round on a serving plate with a small dab of filling underneath to anchor it. Spread about one-sixth of the cream over the round and arrange a thin, even layer of strawberries on top.
9

Repeat the layering with the remaining graham rounds, cream, and strawberries, finishing with cream and berries on top. Keep the layers aligned as you stack so the cake slices evenly.
10

Refrigerate the cake for 3 to 4 hours, until the graham layers soften but the strawberries still taste fresh. Slice with a thin sharp knife wiped clean between cuts.

Ingredients

All-Purpose Flour:1 3/4 cups
All-Purpose Flour:2 tbsp
Fine Sea Salt:5/8 tsp
Baking Powder:1/2 tsp
Ground Cinnamon:1/4 tsp
Ground Cloves:1 pinch
Granulated Sugar:3/4 cup
Packed Dark Brown Sugar:2/3 cup
Honey:1 tbsp
Unsalted Butter, cold and cubed:1/2 cup
Large Egg:1
Lemon Zest, finely grated:1 tsp
Cream Cheese, very soft:8 oz
Vanilla Extract:1 tsp
Heavy Cream:1 1/2 cups
Fresh Strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced:1 1/2 lb

Tips & Notes

If the dough sticks badly while rolling, chill the parchment-covered round for 2 to 3 minutes before peeling back the top sheet.
Trim each graham round while it is hot; once the cookie cools, it becomes crisp and can crack under the knife.
For the cleanest layers, slice the strawberries very thinly and avoid overlapping them heavily.
The baked graham rounds can be made several days ahead and stored airtight at room temperature before assembly.