This show-stopping strawberry shortcake icebox cake is simple to make but sure to impress your friends and family. It’s a decadent dessert with layers of fresh whipped cream, soft vanilla cookies, and a creamy strawberry and cream cheese filling.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE ICEBOX CAKE INGREDIENTS

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE ICEBOX CAKE INGREDIENTS

You’ll need:

2 cups of crushed vanilla sandwich cookies (I used 20 Golden Oreos)
6 tablespoons of crushed freeze-dried strawberries
6 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 cups of heavy cream, very cold
1½ cups of powdered sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
16 ounces of cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup of granulated sugar
1 cup of strawberry preserves (I used Smucker’s brand)
1 teaspoon of strawberry extract
1 (11-ounce) box of vanilla wafer cookies
1 pound of fresh strawberries, rinsed and sliced (¼-inch slices)

SUBSTITUTIONS AND ADDITIONS
STRAWBERRY EXTRACT: I like the addition of the strawberry extract to the cream cheese mixture as it boosts the strawberry flavor. I used a dark red strawberry extract (LorAnn Gourmet Strawberry baking emulsion), so I did not need to add any additional food coloring to get that beautiful pink color. It is used in equal amounts as a standard strawberry extract.

Some strawberry extracts are clear or very light pink, so you may want to add 2-3 drops of red food coloring to your cream cheese in addition to the extract to get that beautiful pink color.

WHIPPED CREAM: You can substitute 2 (8-ounce) tubs of Cool Whip for the homemade whipped cream in this easy dessert recipe. If you choose to do so, I suggest cutting back on the granulated sugar in the recipe, as the commercial brands of whipped topping are much sweeter than this homemade one.

COOKIES: If you do not want to buy two different types of cookies for this easy recipe, you can substitute the crushed vanilla sandwich cookies with an additional half a box of vanilla wafer cookies. You will just want to note that your crumb topping will be a little thinner and lighter than with the vanilla sandwich cookies.

BERRIES: You could use a combination of fresh berries for this recipe. You can use a pre-mixed berry combination or stick with just one type of berry if you prefer. This is totally up to you and your taste buds!

HOW TO MAKE THIS STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE ICEBOX CAKE RECIPE