Easy Sourdough Icebox Cake Recipe {With Discard}
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If you love creamy, super rich, no-bake desserts that taste like cheesecake but take half the effort, this sourdough ice box cake is for you. It’s layered with tangy whipped cream, rich cream cheese, fresh berries, and homemade sourdough graham crackers that soak up all that goodness overnight.
I love that you can prep it ahead, stash it in the fridge for up to 48 hours, and pull it out ready to slice and serve. It’s a great way to use up extra sourdough starter and makes the perfect dessert for BBQs, potlucks, family get-togethers, or summer holidays.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
No-bake, make-ahead, and always a hit:
The best part is this is a no-bake recipe. Even better, you can make it ahead so you’re not scrambling at the last minute. This sourdough discard recipe is a crowd-pleasing treat that looks like you went all out without ever turning on the oven. It’s the perfect summer dessert for potlucks, BBQs, family gatherings, or July 4th parties.
Tastes like cheesecake, minus the extra effort:
This delicious sourdough ice box cake is creamy, tangy, and smooth with layers of juicy strawberries, real whipped cream, and graham crackers. It gives you that rich, cheesecake-like flavor but takes way less time.
The sourdough starter adds a slight tang and depth of flavor you won’t find in a classic icebox cake. Just like sourdough fruit pizza, it’s a cold, refreshing dessert that hits the spot on a hot day.
Only a few ingredients needed:
This recipe keeps it simple with just six simple ingredients. If you’re up for it, making your own graham crackers and whipped cream is worth it. Homemade Graham Crackers turn out richer and less dry than store-bought, and the whipped cream tastes fresher and less processed.
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Ingredients & Substitutions
* To find precise measurements, scroll to the bottom of this post to find the recipe card*
- Sourdough Graham Crackers– Store the dough in the fridge for up to 3 days before baking to long-ferment the crackers. Be sure to roll the graham crackers out very thinly before baking. Graham crackers that are too thick can make this dessert feel way too heavy.
- Homemade Whipped Cream– All you need is VERY cold heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to make the perfectly light and delicious whipped cream.
- Cream Cheese – Use full-fat cream cheese, not the kind found in the tub. Be sure to allow the cream cheese to come to room temperature before whipping.
- Berries – I love the combination of fresh strawberries, blueberries and raspberries, especially if you make this dessert for the 4th of July, perfectly patriotic! But you can pick and choose your favorites.
- Tip: Do not use frozen fruit, as they will release moisture while they thaw and make a mushy dessert. Thawed and dried frozen fruit won’t give the best texture either. Stick with fresh fruit when making this recipe.
- Vanilla Extra – It adds flavor to the whipped cream. I recommend using pure vanilla extract for the best taste in this no-bake dessert.
- Powdered Sugar – Sweetens the whipped cream and helps it whip up smooth and stable.
How to Make Sourdough Icebox Cake
- Prepare my Sourdough Graham Crackers recipe in advance to save yourself some time. I used sourdough starter discard, but you can also use an equal amount of active sourdough starter.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with a whisk attachment, whisk together the cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until stiff peaks form. Place in a separate bowl.
- In the clean bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the softened cream cheese. Then fold in all but 1 cup of the homemade whipped cream with a rubber spatula and set this aside.
- Spread a very thin layer of the whipped cream/cream cheese mixture on the bottom of a 9×9 pan. Arrange the sourdough graham crackers on top; break them if you need to to fit.
- Top with ½ of the whipped cream/cream cheese mixture, ½ of the berries and another layer of sourdough graham crackers.
- Repeat with another layer of the remaining whipped cream/cream cheese mixture, remaining berries and a final layer of sourdough graham crackers.
- Top with the reserved whipped cream, cover with aluminum foil and store in the fridge overnight.
- Before serving, garnish with more fresh berries, slice and enjoy!
How to Store:
After assembling the sourdough ice box cake, cover it tightly with plastic wrap or foil and put it in the fridge. Let it chill overnight to set. It’ll stay fresh for up to 48 hours. Keep it cold until serving, then add fresh berries to the top of the cake, slice, and enjoy.
FAQs
Absolutely. You can swap the berries for chopped peaches, nectarines, or even sliced bananas. Chocolate graham crackers make it extra rich, and a little lemon zest in the cream cheese gives it a nice citrusy pop. Just use the same layering method. I haven’t tested all of these myself, but others have, so results might vary.
You sure can. You’ll need around 13 to 14 full-size graham crackers to make 3 layers in a 9×9 pan. Just break them as needed to fit. Store-bought ones work fine, but they’ll soften more and won’t have that same slightly tangy flavor you get from the homemade sourdough version. Another great thing about sourdough crackers is they hold up better after sitting in the fridge overnight.
The no bake icebox cake became popular in the 1920s and 1930s, when people used the icebox, the early version of a fridge, to chill desserts. They were one of the original no bake dessert recipes, which meant no oven, no bake time, and way less fuss.
The classic chocolate icebox cake used Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers and whipped cream. After a night in the fridge, these cookies softened into a cake-like texture. People still make them today with all kinds of spins, like lemon icebox cake, chocolate icebox cake, or this one made with sourdough graham crackers.
Sourdough Icebox Cake Recipe
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Ingredients
- 600 grams heavy cream, cold 2 1/2 cups
- 50 grams powdered sugar 1/3 cup + 1 Tablespoon
- 6 grams vanilla extract 1 1/2 teaspoons
- 226 grams full-fat cream cheese, softened 8 ounces
- 13-14 sourdough graham crackers (2.25 x 5 inches)
- 380 grams fresh berries, like chopped strawberries, blueberries and raspberries 2 cups
Instructions
- McKenna’s Notes: To rid of any confusion, this sourdough icebox cake consists of 3 layers of sourdough graham crackers, 2 layers of a whipped cream/cream cheese mixture, 2 layers of berries and 1 layer of whipped cream. I used about 4 ½ sourdough graham crackers (2.25 x 5 inch each) per layer. You may need to break them in order for them to fit properly.
- Prepare my Sourdough Graham Crackers recipe in advance.13-14 sourdough graham crackers
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk together the cold heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Place this in a separate bowl.600 grams heavy cream, cold, 50 grams powdered sugar, 6 grams vanilla extract
- In the clean bowl with a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the softened cream cheese. Fold in all but 1 cup of the homemade whipped cream with a rubber spatula until evenly combined. (The remaining 1 cup of whipped cream will be used as the “frosting” for this cake) Set aside.226 grams full-fat cream cheese, softened
- Assemble the cake: Spread a very thin layer of the whipped cream/cream cheese mixture, a few tablespoons, on the bottom of an ungreased 9×9 pan. This helps the sourdough graham crackers from sticking to the bottom of the pan. Arrange the sourdough graham crackers on top; break them if you need to fit.
- Spread ½ of the whipped cream/cream cheese mixture on top of the graham crackers, then top with ½ of the berries. Follow with another layer of sourdough graham crackers.380 grams fresh berries, like chopped strawberries, blueberries and raspberries
- Repeat this pattern again with the remaining whipped cream/cream cheese mixture, remaining berries and a final layer of sourdough graham crackers.
- For the final layer, spread the reserved cup of whipped cream over the sourdough graham crackers evenly with an offset spatula. Cover the sourdough icebox cake with aluminum foil or plastic wrap and store in the fridge overnight or up to 48 hours.
- When ready to serve, garnish with more fresh berries, slice cold and enjoy!
Notes
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Sourdough Graham Crackers– Store the dough in the fridge for up to 3 days before baking to long-ferment the crackers. Be sure to roll the graham crackers out very thinly before baking. Graham crackers that are too thick can make this dessert feel way too heavy.
- Homemade Whipped Cream– All you need is VERY cold heavy cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to make the perfectly light and delicious whipped cream.
- Cream Cheese – Use full-fat cream cheese, not the kind found in the tub. Be sure to allow the cream cheese to come to room temperature before whipping.
- Berries – I love the combination of fresh strawberries, blueberries and raspberries, especially if you make this dessert for the 4th of July, perfectly patriotic! But you can pick and choose your favorites.
- Tip: Do not use frozen fruit, as they will release moisture while they thaw and make a mushy dessert. Thawed and dried frozen fruit won’t give the best texture either. Stick with fresh fruit when making this recipe.
- Vanilla Extra – It adds flavor to the whipped cream. I recommend using pure vanilla extract for the best taste in this no-bake dessert.
- Powdered Sugar – Sweetens the whipped cream and helps it whip up smooth and stable.
My family loved this sourdough dessert! Tasted almost like a cheesecake. Simple to make and so tasty.