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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!

Angel Food Icebox Cake on a table with dish in background

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.

Overhead shot of Angel Food Icebox Cake in a white dish with serving spoon

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.

Box of angel food cake

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

Prep shot of angel food cake in mixing bowl

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

Angel food cake diced into squares in a glass bowl

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

Cool whip pudding and milk on table

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

Icebox cake prep shot in a bowl

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.

Can of blueberry pie filling

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.

Icebox cake with pie filling spread on top

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.

Fresh berries in a white colander

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.

Icebox cake with strawberries and blueberries on top

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.

Close front shot of Angel Food Icebox Cake in a glass jar

Other easy dessert recipes that you might enjoy:

Angel Food Icebox Cake on a table with dish in background

Angel Food Icebox Cake

5 from 5 votes
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 0 minutes
Chilling Time 2 hours
Total: 2 hours 15 minutes
Servings 6 people
Calories 380.2 kcal
This light and fresh Angel Food Icebox Cake is about to become your new favorite easy dessert recipe!

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) (I used a boxed cake mix to prepare my own cake, but you can also buy angel food cakes in the bakery section at most grocery stores)
  • 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) (you can substitute with a 3.4 ounce box of instant cheesecake pudding mix)
  • 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)

Instructions

  • Combine whipped topping, pudding mix, and enough milk to make mixture smooth and creamy.
  • Fold in cake cubes and spread evenly into an ungreased 11x7-inch dish.
  • Top with pie filling.
  • Refrigerate, covered, for at least 2 hours (or overnight).
  • Just before serving, top with fresh berries.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home.
  • 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.

Nutrition

Serving: 1/6 of the cakeCalories: 380.2kcalCarbohydrates: 81.1gProtein: 3.8gFat: 5gSaturated Fat: 4.3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 0.4mgSodium: 267.8mgPotassium: 134.6mgFiber: 3.7gSugar: 23.8g
Keyword: angel food cake, Fourth of July Dessert, icebox cake
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Blair Lonergan

Recipe adapted from Taste of Home.

This recipe was originally published in June, 2014. The photos were updated in June, 2019.

blair

Hey, I’m Blair!

Welcome to my farmhouse kitchen in the foothills of Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains. Inspired by local traditions and seasonal fare, you’ll find plenty of easy, comforting recipes that bring your family together around the table. It’s down-home, country-style cooking!

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Comments

  1. 5 stars
    Thanks for stopping by What’d You Do This Weekend. Hope to see you next week. I love cakes too. This one sounds nice and cool. Great picture.

    Have an awesome week,
    Linda

  2. Suzanne of Simply Suzannes at Home

    Hi Blair!
    Thanks so much for coming by and taking the time to leave a comment. I appreciate every one of them! I love comments because they introduce me to new blogs and bloggers.
    Your blog is beautiful! I’m off to look around a bit :0)
    Have a great week,
    Suzanne

  3. 5 stars
    Wow – this looks great! It just might be my new favorite recipe also! My family just adores berries of all types, so this one is right up our alley! Thanks for the recipe.

  4. It does look yummy. Great for the 4th.
    I enjoyed visiting from Best of the weekend. I am following you.

  5. I can’t wait to try this for Summer!! Thank you so much for linking up at Tasty Tuesday! Your recipe has been pinned to the Tasty Tuesday Pinterest board! Please join us again this week!

  6. This sounds wonderful and perfect for the hot summer months. Thanks for sharing on Merry Monday. Pinned.

  7. 5 stars
    WOW this looks yummy!! Will definitely be trying this soon…. but was wondering if you could tell me approximately how much milk you used when combining the Cool Whip, pudding mix & the milk?? I know it says until smooth & creamy, but would appreciate an estimate if possible. Just something to go by. Thanks!!! Love ur website and recipes!!.

    1. I’m so glad that you’ll try it, Tess! I used the 2 tablespoons of milk called for in the recipe, and then added another small splash to thin and smooth it out a bit — maybe an extra tablespoon. So a total of 3 tablespoons worked well for me, but again — start with 2, because that might just do the trick for you! 🙂

      1. 5 stars
        Blair thank u so much for letting me know!! I’m so sorry I missed the 2 T listed in the recipe… duh! 🙂 Again, Thanks so much! 🙂

  8. Thank you for the tips. Here, in Canada, we sometimes do not have the products listed. Also, thank you for dropping by Sunday mornings. Have a wonderful week.
    ELAINE