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This Orange Creamsicle Icebox Cake tastes just like your favorite ice cream truck classic popsicle! It’s a no bake dessert that’s perfect for summer.
An icebox cake is the perfect summer treat – it only takes 15 minutes to prep, you pop it in the fridge, and in a few hours you have an awesome no bake dessert!
What is an Icebox Cake?
An icebox cakes is a great make ahead dessert. You don’t have to spend extra time in the kitchen with the hot oven on. Instead, pop everything in the dish, throw it in the fridge, and walk away.
If you’ve never made an icebox cake before what happens is that the moisture from the whipped cream seeps into the cookies and makes them soft and they take on a cake-like texture. It’s really cool. (No pun intended. Okay, maybe a little pun.)
Ingredients
- Homemade whipped cream – Heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. For a shortcut you can use Cool Whip instead.
- Mandarin oranges (canned) – be sure to drain them really well. I always buy the no sugar added variety.
- Vanilla wafer cookies – graham crackers or even vanilla Oreos could be substituted.
- Orange zest and a few slices for garnish
Step by Step Instructions
The pairing of slightly sweet whipped cream, oranges, and vanilla wafers is so good in this cake. I dare even say the flavors are better than the original popsicle!
- Make the whipped cream – beat the heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla together to make the whipped cream.
- Roughly chop the mandarin oranges and pat them dry with paper towels to get out as much moisture as possible, then add them to the whipped cream.
- Layer vanilla wafers in the bottom of a square baking dish, then layer some whipped cream. Repeat layers, finishing with a layer of whipped cream on top.
- Zest the orange over the cake and add a few orange slices for garnish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or even overnight. Keep chilled until ready to serve.
More No Bake Desserts You’ll Love
- No Bake Blueberry Cheesecake
- Chocolate Cream Pie
- Mango Macadamia Fluff
- No Bake Coconut Cream Cheesecake
- Peanut Butter Graham Cracker Pie
Orange Creamsicle Icebox Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 22 ounces canned mandarin orange slices drained
- 64 vanilla wafer cookies about 1 box
- Zest of 1 orange for garnish
- 1 orange slice for garnish
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, beat together the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until medium peaks form, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Place the mandarin orange slices on a cutting board and rough chop them into small pieces.
- Layer two paper towels on top of each other and place the oranges on top. Wrap up the orange pieces and gently press to soak up any extra juice into the paper towels.
- Add the orange pieces to the whipped cream, and gently fold the oranges into the whipped cream.
- Using a 9-inch by 9-inch baking dish, create a layer of vanilla wafers in the bottom of the dish. (I was able to fit 16 cookies per layer) Place ¼ of the whipped cream on top of the cookies and use the back of a spoon of a rubber spatula to spread the whipped cream into an even layer.
- Repeat the cookie and whipped cream layering three more times, ending with whipped cream on top.
- Cut a slit in the orange slice and twist it once. place the twisted orange in the center of the dessert. Sprinkle the orange zest all over the top of the whipped cream. (You could also reserve 4 mandarin oranges and place them in the center of the whipped cream in a starburst.)
- Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
- Cut the icebox cake into the desired number of servings. For large portions, cut the cake into quarters. I cut mine into 9 portions and it was perfect for little after dinner treat.
GREAT!!!! that’s all i can say
Vanilla Wafers just never get the due they are due! ….and how pretty is that orange zest sprinkled on top?