Name: Angel Food Icebox Cake
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 135 min
Ingredients: ½ of a prepared angel food cake, cut into 1 inch cubes (you need a total of about 6-7 cups of loosely-packed cake cubes); 1 (8 ounce) carton frozen whipped topping, thawed ((I used sugar-free Cool Whip, but any similar variety will work)); 1 (1 ounce) box instant sugar-free, fat-free cheesecake pudding mix (DRY MIX only); 2 tablespoons milk (or more, as necessary); 1 (21 oz) can blueberry pie filling ((about 2 ⅓ cups)); 1 lb. fresh berries (such as strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and/or blackberries)

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This light and fresh Angel Food Icebox Cake is about to become your new favorite easy dessert recipe! Best of all, the make-ahead treat comes together in just minutes and has all of the right colors for your Fourth of July celebration -- thanks to plenty of blueberries, strawberries and raspberries!

Anyone who knows me knows that I adore cake. But when the weather heats up, I like lighter, fresher versions of my favorites...better yet if they're topped with sweet, seasonal fruit! I have managed to tuck all of the best textures and flavors into one amazing dish. Please, please, please give it a try -- you won't believe how tasty it is!

What is an Icebox Cake?

An old fashioned icebox cake is a dessert made with chocolate wafers or graham crackers and whipped cream. The wafers are stacked in layers, held together by the cream. It's called an icebox cake because this no-bake dessert "cooks" in the refrigerator as it sits and sets.

This particular recipe is a twist on the classic -- using Angel Food cake instead of wafers -- and topped with a medley of fresh berries.

How to make Icebox Cake:

To start, you will need half of an Angel Food cake for this recipe. Most grocery stores sell baked Angel Food cakes in the bakery section; however, I live in a rural area and couldn't find this convenient shortcut at my store.

Instead, I baked my own cake according to the package instructions.

Next, dice the cake into squares. You'll end up with about 6-7 cups total.

Then comes the whipped cream combination that holds this cake together. You'll need:

Cool Whip, thawed
Milk
A box of cheesecake flavored Jell-O

Gently fold together the milk, Cool Whip and dry Jell-O mix until smooth and fluffy.

Stir the cake cubes into the creamy mixture, and then transfer to an 11 x 7-inch dish.

Next up: the pie filling! I like the combination of blueberry pie filling with the cheesecake-flavored whipped cream mixture, but you can use just about any berry-flavored pie filling that you prefer.

Spread the pie filling over top of the cake, and then cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours (or overnight). This will give the cake time to absorb the creamy mixture and set into a more firm consistency.

How to serve Icebox Cake:

Finally, once the cake has had time to sit in the refrigerator, you'll finish it off with some fresh berries of your choice, just before serving.

For a patriotic theme, I like to use red and blue berries; however, you can stick with just one type of berry if you prefer.

Cook's Tips and Recipe Variations:

For a quick-prep option that makes this an entirely no-bake dessert, purchase a pre-made Angel Food Cake in your grocer's bakery section. If you can't find a ready to go cake, you can make your own with a boxed mix (just be sure to allow for a couple of more hours of prep time to let the cake cool).
I used cheesecake flavored pudding mix, but you can substitute with any flavor that you like. Vanilla pudding or lemon pudding would also work well. Whether you choose the sugar-free fat-free pudding mix or the regular pudding mix, you'll need the small box.
Instead of the blueberry pie filling, try using strawberry or raspberry pie filling on top of your cake. A strawberry ice box cake with fresh strawberries on top would be delicious!
How long does icebox cake last? This dessert will stay fresh in the refrigerator for at least 2-3 days.
I do not recommend freezing leftover icebox cake. The texture of the berries and of the whipped cream mixture will be "off" after thawing.

Other easy dessert recipes that you might enjoy:

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