The Kitchn recently posted a few no bake desserts and the recent heat wave definitely put me off turning the oven on. The strawberry icebox cake (original recipe here ) caught my eye. The recipe calls for regular graham crackers, but I used Trader Joe's Cinnamon Graham Crackers and it gave the dessert a really great flavor. I also used the homemade whipped cream recipe.
- 2 pounds of fresh strawberries
- 1 serving of whipped cream
- 1 16 oz container of Trader Joe's Cinnamon Graham Crackers
Slice the strawberries thinly and set aside. Make the whipped cream. In a 9x13 inch pan, lay down a layer of whipped cream. The next layer should be the graham crackers, with two at the top laid width wise, followed by 2 rows of three laid length wise, then the last two at the bottom width wise. Throw another layer of whipped cream on there, followed by strawberries. Keep layering, finishing with a layer of strawberries. You should have three layers. Cover the dish and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours. The time in the fridge softens the graham crackers and blends everything together. 
This is a great dessert to make in a small kitchen. You use a minimal amount of dishes and counter space. By my count, you only use the 9x13 dish, the bowl for the whipped cream, a knife and a chopping board. Minimal amount of stuff for a pretty summer dessert.
Whipped cream is surprisingly not a misnomer. It is literally whipped heavy cream. Fresh, homemade whipped cream adds a richness to a dessert that most store bought whipped cream is missing. It's super easy and takes about 10 minutes with a hand mixer.
- 3 cups of heavy whipping cream
- 1/3 cup confectioner's sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
With a hand mixer on low, whip the cream until it forms soft peaks. Beat the sugar and vanilla...and that's it.Make sure you use a glass or metal bowl to keep the cream cool.I find this is cheaper than buying the pre-made stuff and only requires a small bit of effort. And in a small kitchen, this is a very easy dish as it only uses one dish!
This is a great dessert to make in a small kitchen. You use a minimal amount of dishes and counter space. By my count, you only use the 9x13 dish, the bowl for the whipped cream, a knife and a chopping board. Minimal amount of stuff for a pretty summer dessert.
