No-Bake Icebox Cake

Serves 8 to 10

What You Need

Ingredients

• 3 1/2 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 pounds fresh fruit, peeled and sliced (about 4 cups)
• 25 to 30 graham crackers (from about 4 sleeves)
• 2/3 cup chopped nuts or additional fruit, for garnish

• Equipment
• Stand mixer, hand mixer, or large whisk
• Spatula
• 9x13-inch baking dish
• Plastic wrap

Instructions

1. Beat the cream until it holds stiff peaks. Place the cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. (Alternatively, use a large bowl and electric hand mixer or whisk.) Beat on low speed, then high speed, until the cream holds stiff peaks.
2. Divide the cream into 4 parts. Use a spatula to evenly divide the cream into 4 quadrants.
3. Smear a spoonful of cream in the bottom of the baking dish. Smear just a small spoonful of the cream evenly in a 9x13-inch baking dish. This will hold your first layer of graham crackers in place.
4. Cover the bottom with graham crackers. Place a layer of graham crackers in the dish, breaking them as needed to fit into a single tight, even layer.
5. Spread whipped cream on top of the crackers. Gently spread 1/4 of the cream (one whole quadrant) evenly on the crackers.
6. Spread 1/3 of the fruit on the cream. Place 1/3 of the fruit (about 1 1/3 cups) evenly on top of the cream.
7. Top with a second layer of crackers. Cover the fruit with a second full layer of crackers.
8. Top with cream and fruit. Top this second layer of crackers with another 1/4 of the cream and another 1/3 (1 1/3 cups) of the fruit.
9. Top with a third layer of crackers. Cover the fruit with a third full layer of crackers.
10. Top with cream and fruit. Top with another 1/4 of the cream and the remaining fruit. At this point you'll have 3 layers of graham crackers, 3 layers of cream, and 3 layers of fruit.
11. Top with a final layer of crackers and cream. Add a fourth layer of crackers and the remaining cream. Spread gently into an even layer or swirl a decorative pattern into the cream.
12. Garnish the cake. Sprinkle the chopped nuts or fruit on top of the cake.
13. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Cover loosely with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight. The cake is ready when a knife inserted in the center goes in easily and comes out with soft crumbs. Refrigerate any leftovers.

Recipe Notes

Storage: Icebox cake is best eaten within 2 days. It does get soggy after more than two or three days in the fridge, especially if very juicy fruit is used.

Fruit choices: Any kind of soft, juicy fruit is very good. Try thinly-sliced banana and strawberries, or kiwi, mango, chopped raspberries and blueberries, or peaches