I am ready for spring. I am ready for flowers, warm weather, sunshine and playing outside with my kids. Strawberries are the fruit I most associate with Spring. We always try to pick strawberries in the spring. The kids love it and then we always get a ton of strawberries to eat plain, usually on the drive home, and to bake with. When I saw this recipe on Pinterest I knew I needed to make it. I have been finding pretty good tasting strawberries in the grocery store so I thought I would give it a try. This cake is easy to prepare. It also is fast and delicious. There is ganache on top of the cake! Can it get any better than that? And it tastes like spring. I cannot wait to see what this cake will taste like with fresh picked strawberries.

If you have been to any sort of function that involved bringing dessert, chances are you have had an icebox cake. They are usually made with graham crackers, pudding mix and cool whip. These cakes are usually the first to go. People love them. And with good reason. This icebox cake takes the typical cake made with pudding mix and cool whip to a whole new level.

There is no cool whip or pudding mix. Instead this recipe uses whipping cream, confectioners sugar and vanilla extract to get the same effect. I love to make my own whipped cream. It’s so easy if you have a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. You just turn it on high, and let it the mixer do the work. Within minutes you have your very own whipped cream.

Did I mention there is ganache on top of the cake? Anything with ganache is great!

No-Bake Strawberry Icebox Cake

yields: 9×13 pan

2 pounds fresh strawberries, washed and thinly sliced
3 1/4 cups whipping cream, divided
1/3 cup confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 box graham crackers
2 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped (I used bittersweet chips)

Directions:

Whip 3 cups of cream until it reaches stiff peaks with either a hand or stand mixer. Add the confectioners sugar, vanilla and whip to combine. Spread a small amount of whipped cream on the bottom of the baking pan. Lay down graham crackers to cover the bottom of the pan. Lightly cover the top of the graham crackers with more whipped cream and then put a single layer of strawberries on top of the cream. Repeat three times until you have 3 layers of of graham crackers. After the third layer of graham crackers add the cream and strawberries as the top.

To make the ganache, heat the cream in a small saucepan until bubbles form around the edges. Pour the cream over the chocolate. Let it sit for a few minutes and then whisk until it is smooth and glossy. Drizzle the ganache over the cake with a spoon.

Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until chilled and the graham crackers have softened.

Leftover tip: This cake is better the longer it is refrigerated.

Recipe Source: adapted from The Kitchn

I am sharing this at the Spring Hop Party and Ultimate Recipe Swap!