Last week we flew to Florida for the Memorial Service to honor and celebrate the lives of my husband's parents. Prior to their passing, both of his parents expressed they didn't want any kind of service. However, it was something all of the siblings felt was important. Not only to provide each of them with a kind of closure, but to able to publicly show how grateful they all were for both the love and lifetime of memories they had been given. Beyond their shared desires, the Memorial Service also gave the siblings and their spouses, the nieces, their spouses, and their children, the only living sister (of my husband's mother) and her husband, and the cousin (and his wife) who was one of the best friends yet more like a brother to my husband's father, the chance to reconnect and spend some quality time with one another. With my husband feeling the pressure of being the only one of his siblings to speak at the Memorial Service, we decided to first spend a couple of days (38 hours to be exact) in Key West to relax and unwind. Considering it was the first time either of us had been there, there was very little time for relaxation. However, Key West provided just the kind of distractions he needed.
After arriving in Ft. Lauderdale, we drove down to Key West in a Mustang convertible. Having the top down on both the way down and back, allowed us both to see the landscapes from a completely different perspective. With an unobstructed view of the sky and clouds overhead, it was an amateur photographer's dream experience. In spite of the high temperatures and humidity, we tried to squeeze in as much as we could. With taking in two early morning sunrises at Higgs and Smathers Beaches, two evening sunsets at Mallory Square, strolling and shopping Duval street, uncharacteristically day (and night) drinking, and some touristy adventures, we managed to spend several hours relaxing by the pool. We should have been exhausted from the heat and being constantly on the go, but we weren't. At least not while we were there. While the time spent in Key West was great, it wasn't long enough. But neither was the time we had spending with everyone, but especially the two nieces, their spouses, and their children. While two year Vivian may not remember being at the Memorial Service for her great grandparents, I had a feeling that somehow her great grandparents knew she was there. Even more importantly, I had a sense they were deeply touched by the service and the words spoken by their eldest son.
In planning a recent birthday gathering for one of my friends, I asked the birthday girl to give me three or four of her favorite cake suggestions. Not only did I want here birthday cake to something she loved, I also wanted there to be some element of surprise it. After sharing her top three choices, she ended by saying 'if you have a new one you want to try or you think I would like' feel free to make it. Only someone with a kind, trusting, unselfish heart would allow someone else to make a 'truly surprise me' birthday cake. Little did she know I wanted to make this Strawberry Icebox Cake. However, the pressure of not having made it before and wanting her birthday cake to be perfect was too much for me handle. Additionally I worried a teeny tiny bit it may have not been something one would consider birthday cake worthy. I now know all that worrying was for naught as this would have been a both a perfect and great birthday cake! And one I believe she really would have liked. Maybe even loved.
This is not a summer birthday cake. It's a summer, spring, fall, or winter one. Because the cake's filling is made with both frozen strawberries and freeze-dried strawberries, not fresh ones (unless you use them for decorating the top of the cake), you can make it 365 days a year.
Many of the Strawberry Icebox Cake and/or Pie recipes use a pretzel base crust. This one has a graham cracker, toasted pecan crust, and dark brown sugar crust. This incredibly flavorful crust may be my new graham cracker crust base. It's that good.
Toasting the pecans enhances their flavor and baking the crust before adding the filling deepens the flavors. So if given the choice between not baking or baking a graham cracker crust, always go the baking route. The extra step and cooling wait time is a small price to pay for the difference it makes.
In typical 'making a new recipe for the first time' fashion, I went on the Strawberry Icebox Cake hunt. All of the recipes I found, with the exception of one, called for use of gelatin or jell-o in the filling. Because the filling is a kind of no-churn ice cream, I too thought a gelatin-free version made the most sense. A pound of frozen strawberries didn't seem like it would deliver enough flavor so I decided to add some freeze-dried strawberries (I found them at Trader Joe's).
The thick cake filling is poured into the cooled graham cracker-pecan crust. To ensure the top stays smooth, tightly cover the pan first with aluminum foil (it's thickness helps to prevent it from dipping into the batter) and then with plastic wrap. Put the pan on a baking sheet and place on a flat surface in your freezer. The Strawberry Icebox Cake needs at least six hours to firm up, but would recommend you allowing it set up overnight.
To unmold the cake from the pan, run a knife along the sides of the pan first. Frequently dipping your knife in hot water will make this process easier as well as keep the sides of the cake smooth. Lining the springform pan with parchment paper makes transferring the Strawberry Icebox Cake to a platter effortless.
There are a million different options for finishing off this cake. You could leave completely unadorned, top it with some freshly whipped cream, layer some freshly sliced strawberries around the edge, or garnish with chocolate dipped strawberries are just some ideas. If there is an opportunity to add a chocolate garnish to any cake, I will take it.
Allow the Strawberry Icebox Cake to sit out a room temperature for 10 minutes before cutting into slices. The cake will continue to soften as it sits out, so if there any left after serving, return it back (well covered) back into freezer.
This may be the most refreshing, delicious hot weather cake I have ever made. With the filling having a no churn ice cream like texture, it may be the most ingenious cake. The sweet, slightly crust and creamy, oh so strawberry flavored cake is everything a Strawberry Icebox Cake should be. It's a cake and ice cream confection perfect for a summer gathering, as the ending to a dinner party, and/or as a celebratory birthday cake.
Strawberry Icebox Cake (ingredient and assembly adaptations made to Wood and Spoon's recipe for Strawberry Icebox Pie)
Serves 10-12, depending on how you cut it.
Ingredients
Crust
7 1/8 ounces (204 g) graham crackers (approximately 13 1/2 sheets of graham crackers)
2 3/4 ounces (80 g) pecan halves, toasted
1/4 cup (50 g) dark brown sugar (could also use light brown sugar or a combination of both)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
7 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Strawberry Filling
16 ounces frozen strawberries
1/4 ounce (80g) freeze-dried strawberries
14 ounce can of sweetened condensed milk
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/4 cups heavy whipping cream
Optional: Fresh strawberries, chocolate dipped strawberries, or freshly whipped cream for garnish
Directions
Crust
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line a 9" springform pan with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Combine graham crackers and toasted pecans into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until mixture is reduced to crumbs.
3. In a medium sized bowl, combine the graham cracker/pecan mixture, brown sugar, kosher salt, and melted butter. Stir until well combined.
4. Press the graham cracker crumb mixture evenly on the bottom and half way up the sides of the prepared springform pan.
5. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven, place on a cooling rack and allow to cool to room temperature.
Strawberry Filling and Assembly
1. In a medium sized bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth and creamy. Add the sweetened condensed milk and beat until well combined. Set aside.
2. In the bowl of a food processor, first process the freeze-dried strawberries. The mixture will be semi-fine. In other words, it will not be completely powder like. Add in the frozen strawberries, and process until you have a thick icy slush. There will still be some visible pieces of the strawberries. Do not over process to a liquidy texture.
3. Add the strawberry mixture to the cream cheese/sweetened condensed milk mixture. Beat until well combined. Transfer to a large bowl and set aside temporarily.
4. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the whipping cream until stiff peaks form.
5. Fold the whipped cream into the strawberry mixture until no white streaks remain. Again, be careful not to overfold or you will begin breaking down the whipped cream.
6. Pour the mixture into the cooled to room temperature crust. Place the springform pan on a flat baking sheet. Tightly cover the springform pan first with aluminum foil and then with plastic wrap.
7. Place baking sheet on an even surface in the freezer. Allow to chill for at least 8 hours or overnight.
8. When ready to serve, remove the cake from the springform pan and place on serving platter. Top with fresh strawberries or chocolate covered strawberries if using. Allow the cake to sit out at least 10 minutes before cutting into slices, then serve immediately.
9. Return any unserved cake to the freezer, making sure it is well wrapped. Cake will store well in the freezer for up to a week.
Notes: (1) Only use frozen strawberries as fresh strawberries would liquify and the cake may not set up. (2) I toast my pecans for 10 minutes in a 350 degree (F) oven. (3) The strawberries on top of the cake were cut in quarters, then dipped in melted chocolate. (4) If you don't have a scale to weigh the pecans, would recommend using approximately 1/3 cup of pecan halves.
Sunrise at Smathers Beach, Key West, Florida (July 2018)
