Yields: 8-10 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Chill Time: At least 4 hours (preferably overnight)
Ingredients:
- Gluten-free Graham Crackers: 26 crackers or approximately 1 (9-ounce) box
- Heavy Whipping Cream: 1 ½ cups
- Powdered Sugar: ¼ cup
- Vanilla Extract: 1 teaspoon
- Fresh Strawberries: 1 pound, washed, hulled and sliced
- Optional: Strawberry jam or preserves (about ¼ cup) for an extra layer
Equipment:
- Large mixing bowl
- Electric mixer (stand mixer or hand mixer)
- 9×13 inch baking dish (or a similar sized-dish)
- Spatula
Instructions:
Make the Whipped Cream:
- Chill: Place your mixing bowl and mixer’s whisk attachment (or beaters) in the freezer for about 10-15 minutes. This helps the cream whip better.
- Whip: Add heavy cream, vanilla, and powdered sugar to the chilled bowl. Start whipping on low speed, then gradually increase to high until stiff peaks form.
Assemble the Icebox Cake:
- Base Layer: Spread a thin layer of whipped cream at the bottom of your baking dish. This helps keep the crackers from sliding.
- Graham Cracker Layer: Cover the whipped cream with a single layer of gluten-free graham crackers, breaking some as needed to fill gaps.
- Whipped Cream Layer: Spread about half of the whipped cream evenly over the graham crackers.
- Strawberry Layer: Top the whipped cream with half of the sliced strawberries. If desired, gently mix sliced strawberries with a touch of strawberry jam or preserves and spread that mixture over the whipped cream.
- Repeat: Add another layer of graham crackers, followed by the remaining whipped cream and strawberries.
- Chill: Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight. This allows the graham crackers to soften and the flavors to meld.
Serving:
- Slice and serve directly from the chilled dish.
- Garnish with additional whipped cream and fresh strawberries, if desired.
Tips:
- Fresh is best: The flavor of fresh strawberries truly shines in this recipe.
- Customize it: Use other gluten-free cookies as a base, or try different berries like raspberries or blueberries
- Make ahead: This is a perfect make-ahead dessert; it gets even better when the flavors have time to blend.
Enjoy your gluten-free Strawberry Shortcake Icebox Cake!
