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My family loves this no-bake strawberry short cake recipe. It's an icebox cake recipe. Instead of using an oven layers of strawberries, cookies and whipped cream are chilled until they come together as a delicious dessert.

A piece of a strawberry shortcake ice box cake on a plate with a white bamboo spoon.

Why This Recipe Works

Such an easy take on a classic strawberry short cake.
Sweet and cool, the perfect treat for a hot day.
Easy to adapt for allergies: Can be made dairy-free, gluten-free and egg free

Ingredients you will need

cream
icing sugar
vanilla extract
strawberries
strawberry puree
cookies/biscuits

Ingredient Notes and Substitutes

Cream: The whipping cream can be substituted for coconut cream or milk to make a dairy free whipped cream
Icing sugar: This is powdered sugar, in some countered it is known as confectioners sugar.
Strawberries: This recipe works equally as well with fresh strawberries or frozen strawberries. You could also try other berries, raspberries and raspberry puree for example.
Strawberry puree: Homemade strawberry puree is quick to make and brings this dessert to the next level. But you could use strawberry jam at a pinch.
Cookies/biscuits: I used free from gluten scotch finger biscuits that are dairy free and egg free as well but you can use your favourite cookies or biscuits.

I am an ambassador for Woolworths New Zealand and Countdown supermarkets, they support my blog by providing ingredients for recipe creation and testing. I used free from gluten scotch finger biscuits from their range in this recipe.

How to make a strawberry shortcake ice box cake

Below are illustrated step-by-step instructions to make my chilled strawberry short cake recipe, if you prefer just the written instructions then head straight to the printable recipe card below.

Step one: In a large bowl (or the bowl of an electric mixer) place the cream, icing sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until stiff peaks form.

A large ceramic mixing jug of whipped cream with a blue silicone spatula.

Step two: Wash and hull the strawberries. Dice the three quaters of the strawberries. In a mixing bowl combine the diced strawberries with the strawberry puree. The remaining strawberries will go on the top of the frozen strawberry shortcake Slice these strawberries in half.

A bowl of strawberry puree stirred through diced strawberries.

Step three: Spread a thin layer of whipped cream in the bottom of a 20 x 20 cm square dish.

Step four Add a single layer of plain cookies, top the cookies with ⅓ of the whipped cream spreading the cream in an even layer with a spatula. Add ½ of the strawberry/strawberry puree mixture in an even layer.

A square glass container with whipped cream and scotch finger biscuit arranged in a layer in the bottom of the container.

Step five: You are now going to repeat these layers as follows:

Cookies
Cream
Strawberries
Cookies
Cream

A square glass container of strawberries, strawberry puree and whipped cream.

Scotch fingers arranged in a layer on top of strawberries, strawberry puree and whipped cream.

Step six: Arrange the remaining strawberry slices on top of the cream.

The top layer of cream of an ice box cake, decorated with sliced strawberries.

Step seven Cover the dish with cling film or a lid and refrigerate for at least 4 hours until solid before serving. (Overnight is Perfect)

A strawberry shortcake ice box cake in a glass container, the layers of cream cookies and strawberries visible.

Enjoy!

Top Tips

Here is how you can make these strawberry shortcake recipe perfectly every time!

Time is important: The flavor is best the longer the cream cookies and strawberry juices hang out together.
If you are pushed for time you can absolutely use the freezer instead of the fridge, chill the cake until solid so that it can be sliced if you freeze it for too long you and you can't slice it leave on the bench for a while.