Step By Step: Blueberry Lime Icebox Cake

Step By Step:

Blueberry Lime Icebox Cake

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY RENÉE KOHLMAN

With warmer weather

on its way, it's good to have a simple and delicious no-bake dessert recipe that allows you to skip the oven, without scrimping on flavour. Alas, there is an indulgent cake that can be made without heating up the kitchen and uses another appliance instead - the refrigerator.

Icebox cakes have been around for close to one hundred years. Invented in the 1920s, companies would give out recipes to promote their new kitchen appliance - the electric icebox. Back then, the average home cook didn't have a huge refrigerator. Instead, they used an insulated box that held a block of ice that was delivered by truck.

The icebox cake became popular because achieving the desired cakelike consistency happened in this new appliance, and not the oven. Even when refrigerators replaced the iceboxes in kitchens, the name stuck with the light and creamy dessert, adding to its nostalgic charm.

The classic icebox cake is simply chocolate wafers layered with sweetened vanilla whipped cream. Nothing more and nothing less. Layered in a loaf pan, it was chilled and sliced, revealing a pretty pattern of cookies and cream inside. Home cooks would experiment with other types of cookies, boxed pudding, sweetened condensed milk, and different flavours of whipped cream. The variations are endless, and after one bite it's easy to see why this cake remains so popular all these years later.

To celebrate summer and all of the gorgeous fruit that comes with it, I decided to create a blueberry lime icebox cake. It's a lovely combination of flavours, and just look at that presentation! Using graham crackers, a simple blueberry sauce, and sweetened limey whipped cream, this dessert takes just a handful of minutes to prepare. I love how the crackers are softened, but not soggy. They melt in your mouth, and you almost have to pinch yourself to check that you're not eating a traditional cake.

Blueberry Lime Icebox Cake

Serves 8-10

There are 3 layers of graham crackers, 5 layers of whipped cream, and 2 layers of blueberry sauce. Each layer of graham crackers is about 5 full graham crackers (you can break some up to fit). This recipe yields 4 cups (1 L) of whipped cream and you will use about 3/4 cup per layer.

The cake needs to be in the freezer for a minimum of 5 hours, so plan your serving time accordingly.

2 tsp cornstarch 2 tsp (10 mL) fresh lime juice 1 Tbs (15 mL) warm water 2 cups (500 mL) fresh or frozen blueberries 3 Tbs granulated sugar 1 tsp lime zest

Cake:

2 cups (500 mL) whipping cream ¼ cup icing sugar 1 Tbs (15 mL) fresh lime juice 1 tsp (5 mL) lime zest 1 sleeve of graham crackers ¾ cup (175 mL) fresh blueberries, for garnish Lime zest, for garnish

1. To make the blueberry sauce: In a small bowl whisk together the cornstarch, lime juice and water. 2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the blueberries and sugar. Add cornstarch mixture and cook for 3-4 minutes until the berries release their juices and the sauce thickens. Be sure to stir the sauce continuously so it does not burn. Remove from the heat and stir in the lime zest. Let cool to room temperature then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight. 3. Line a 23 x 13 cm (9×5”) loaf pan with plastic wrap, with overhang over the edges so the cake can be lifted out easily. 4. Make the whipped cream: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk, combine the whipping cream, icing sugar, lime juice and zest. Beat until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. 5. Assemble the cake: Spread 2 spoons of whipped cream into a very thin layer on the bottom of the prepared pan. This will help the bottom layer of graham crackers stick. I use an offset spatula to get into the corners easily. Layer the graham crackers on top. 6. Spread about ¾ cup (175 mL) of whipped cream on top of the graham crackers. Next, layer half of the blueberry sauce on top, another ¾ cup (175 mL) of whipped cream, another layer of graham crackers, ¾ cup (175 mL) of whipped cream, the rest of the blueberry sauce, ¾ cup (175 mL) of whipped cream, graham crackers, then the rest of the whipped cream. If desired, top with additional blueberries and lime zest. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the freezer for about 5 hours. 7. Let the cake soften in the refrigerator for about 1 hour or at room temperature for 10-15 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan using the plastic wrap overhang, cut into slices and serve cold. Cover any leftovers and store in the refrigerator or freezer.

Renée Kohlman is a busy food writer and recipe developer living in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Her debut cookbook All the Sweet Things was published last year.

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