I mentioned in my Blueberry Chia Seed Jam post that you’d see it pop up in a recipe shortly, and here it is! This No Bake Blueberry Lemon Icebox Cake is a great make ahead dessert that’s a beautiful end to a barbecue or summer dinner party.
If you’re not familiar with icebox cakes, they are layered frozen cakes traditionally made with whipped cream and chocolate wafers. This Bon Appetit version incorporates some of my favorite flavors, blueberries and lemon, to create a beautiful Blueberry Lemon Icebox Cake!
This isn’t a cake that involves much precision or patience, and looks pret-ty darn good even when giving off that “homemade” vibe, like mine does. You also don’t need any special tools – just a 9×5 loaf pan, some plastic wrap, and a hand mixer. An offset spatula would also come in handy if you have one.
Ingredients:
- 1 (8 oz) container mascarpone, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- the zest of 1 lemon
- 2 1/2 cups chilled heavy cream (leave in the fridge until ready to use)
- 1 cup lemon curd, divided
- 16 graham crackers, divided
- 1 1/2 cups Blueberry Jam (like this Blueberry-Chia Seed Jam), divided
- 1/3 cup fresh blueberries
To make the blueberry lemon icebox cake, add the mascarpone, powdered sugar, and lemon zest to a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high for 4 minutes, or until fluffy.
Reduce your mixer speed to low and gradually add in the chilled heavy cream.
As the mixture thickens, increase the speed to medium and beat until medium peaks form (you want the peak to hold its shape, but that the tip still curls a bit when you lift up the beater).
Transfer about two-thirds of the mixture to another large bowl. Fold in 1/2 cup of the lemon curd.
Cover the original bowl containing the remaining mascarpone mixture with plastic wrap and chill until you’re ready to unmold and frost the cake.
Now you’re ready to layer the cake. Line your 9×5″ loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving overhang on all sides.
Add a single layer of graham crackers to the bottom of the prepared loaf pan, breaking as needed to fill the bottom.
Spread about a quarter of the lemon cream mixture over the graham crackers.
Dollop about 1/2 cup of the jam over the lemon cream layer and gently spread over the lemon cream.
Dot 1/4 cup of the lemon curd over the jam.
Add another layer of lemon cream mixture over the curd.
Top with another layer of graham crackers.
Repeat this process — a layer of lemon cream, 1/2 cup jam, remaining lemon curd.
Finish off with the remaining lemon cream over the curd, then top with another layer of graham crackers.
Cover with plastic wrap and add to your freezer for at least 6 hours. Cover and chill the remaining jam until ready to serve the cake.
After 6 hours, uncover the cake and invert the pan on to the platter. (I found it helpful to first run a knife around the edges of the pan, in between the pan and the plastic wrap.) Using the plastic overhang to help you, unmold the cake and peel off the plastic wrap.
Frost the cake with the reserved mascarpone mixture.
Freeze for at least 15 minutes. Just before serving, mix blueberries into the reserved jam and spoon over cake. This cake can be made 2 days ahead, and kept in the freezer. Slice into 8 pieces to serve.
Who wouldn’t want an icy dessert like this Blueberry Lemon Icebox Cake on a hot summer night?
The creaminess of the mascarpone mixture helps balance out the sweetness of the jam and curd. The graham crackers add nice texture, along with the fresh blueberries mixed into the jam!
You can clearly tell from my photos that it’s ok if it doesn’t turn out with perfect layers. It’s still quite pretty (and very tasty!)
No Bake Blueberry Lemon Icebox Cake
Ingredients
- 1 8 oz container mascarpone, at room temperature
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- the zest of 1 lemon
- 2 1/2 cups chilled heavy cream leave in the fridge until ready to use
- 1 cup lemon curd divided
- 16 graham crackers divided
- 1 1/2 cups blueberry jam divided
- 1/3 cup fresh blueberries
Instructions
- Add the mascarpone, powdered sugar, and lemon zest to a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high for 4 minutes, or until fluffy.
- Reduce your mixer speed to low and gradually add in the chilled heavy cream.
- As the mixture thickens, increase the speed to medium and beat until medium peaks form (you want the peak to hold its shape, but that the tip still curls a bit when you lift up the beater).
- Transfer about two-thirds of the mixture to another large bowl. Fold in 1/2 cup of the lemon curd.
- Cover the original bowl containing the remaining mascarpone mixture with plastic wrap and chill until you're ready to unmold and frost the cake.
- Now you're ready to layer the cake. Line your 9x5" loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving overhang on all sides.
- Add a single layer of graham crackers to the bottom of the prepared loaf pan, breaking as needed to fill the bottom.
- Spread about a quarter of the lemon cream mixture over the graham crackers.
- Dollop about 1/2 cup of the jam over the lemon cream layer and gently spread over the lemon cream.
- Dot 1/4 cup of the lemon curd over the jam.
- Add another layer of lemon cream mixture over the curd.
- Top with another layer of graham crackers.
- Repeat this process -- a layer of lemon cream, 1/2 cup jam, remaining lemon curd.
- Finish off with the remaining lemon cream over the curd, then top with another layer of graham crackers.
- Cover with plastic wrap and add to your freezer for at least 6 hours. Cover and chill the remaining jam until ready to serve the cake.
- After 6 hours, uncover the cake and invert the pan on to the platter. (I found it helpful to first run a knife around the edges of the pan, in between the pan and the plastic wrap.) Using the plastic overhang to help you, unmold the cake and peel off the plastic wrap.
- Frost the cake with the reserved mascarpone mixture.
- Freeze for at least 15 minutes. Just before serving, mix blueberries into the reserved jam and spoon over cake. This cake can be made 2 days ahead, and kept in the freezer. Slice into 8 pieces to serve.
What do you think?