No-Bake Meyer Lemon Thyme Icebox Cake Recipe
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No-bake Meyer Lemon Thyme Icebox Cake is a gorgeous and delicious dessert, the perfect sweet centerpiece for a spring or summer celebration.
This lovely (and easy!) Meyer Lemon Thyme Icebox Cake is the perfect celebration cake with no baking required.
No need for an oven with this lovely Meyer Lemon Thyme Icebox Cake. It’s perfect for any spring or summertime occasion. From baby showers and Easter lunch, to Mother’s Day and backyard barbecues, this cake would be a lovely addition to a celebration.
This recipe was my answer to a challenge from KitchenAid® a few years back. The challenge was to create a recipe for a springtime no-bake cake. Bright, fresh, springtime flavors came to mind, like lemons and thyme. So I gathered my favorite cake plate, a bunch of Meyer lemons, some pre-made vanilla cookies, plus a few other basic ingredients and began to form a plan.
I wanted the cake to be simple to make, but still a showstopper—an impressive cake filled with loveliness and flavor, reminiscent of spring or summertime, when the living is easy and sweetness abounds. But the best part? No baking required. So easy!
Before making this no-bake cake, be sure to create space for it in the refrigerator. This cake requires at least 3 hours of refrigeration to set and must be refrigerated until ready to serve. Some basic mixing and simple assembly is the extent of technique required for this no-bake cake.
Ingredients for No-Bake Meyer Lemon Thyme Icebox Cake:
- Heavy Cream
- Fresh Thyme
- Fresh Lemon Zest
- Cream Cheese
- Meyer Lemon Juice
- Honey
- Thin Vanilla or Lemon Cookies
How to Make No-Bake Meyer Lemon Thyme Icebox Cake:
- First, whip heavy cream with fresh thyme and Meyer lemon zest until soft peaks form. Set aside.
- Then, separately whip together cream cheese, honey and lemon juice until combined.
- Fold the whipped cream mixture into the cream cheese mixture until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until ready to assemble.
- To assemble the cake, begin by arranging 12 2-inch cookies on a 10-inch cake plate in a circle. It’s essentially a ring of 9 cookies with the edges touching, and 3 cookies in the center. Then gently spread 1/2 cup of the whipped cream cheese filling over the cookies. Add another layer of cookies and repeat until you reach the desired height. Make sure you finish with a layer of whipped cream cheese.
- Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or until ready to serve. Then, top it all off with a lovely garnish of Candied Lemon Slices and more fresh thyme.
This icebox cake is such a pretty cake and perfect for a special occasion. I have to admit it was quite fun building this cake—like legos for adults, only edible. And super duper easy too!
The flavor of the no-bake cake is astounding, but not overwhelming. Meyer lemons, thyme and honey are such a heavenly combination. It is pure lightness and happiness on a fork.
Meyer Lemon Thyme Icebox Cake recipe notes:
- For easy prep, whip the cream cheese filling a couple of days ahead, then cover and refrigerated until ready to assemble the cake.
- While any thin vanilla or lemon cookies may be substituted, I used a favorite Moravian Meyer lemon cookie found at a local grocer. A thinner cookie will work better as it is easier for layering evenly, and absorbs moisture to soften nicely for slicing and serving. Vanilla wafers, and those inexpensive butter cookies would work well too. You know the ones we enjoyed as kids that are shaped liked flowers with holes in the center that we wore as rings? Just be sure to adjust amounts accordingly. The recipe below is based on very thin 2-inch Moravian cookies.
- Powdered confectioners sugar may be substituted for honey. Use an additional 1-2 tablespoons of heavy cream to create a smooth consistency.
- Edible Candied Lemon Slices are a wonderful garnish for this cake. Easily prepare them ahead and refrigerate until needed for garnish.
- If fresh thyme isn’t handy, substitute dried. If using dried, use only 2/3 of a tablespoon.
More easy dessert recipes:
- Mini Chocolate Strawberry No Bake Desserts
- Easy Blueberry Lemon Napoleon Dessert Recipe
- Irish Cream Chocolate Pie Recipe
- Frozen Strawberry Squares Recipe
- Honeydew Blueberry Lemon Cream Trifle Recipe
- Frozen Blueberry Squares Recipe
Meyer Lemon Thyme Icebox Cake Recipe
Meyer Lemon Thyme Icebox Cake Recipe
This easy no-bake icebox cake is a wonderful flavor combination perfect for spring and summer.
Ingredients
- 4 cups heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest (about 2 lemons)
- 16 ounces cream cheese (regular or low fat)
- 6 tablespoons Meyer lemon juice
- 3/4 cup honey
- 230 2-inch Moravian Meyer Lemon or Vanilla Cookies* (adjust amount according to cookie size)
Instructions
- Add heavy cream, chopped thyme and lemon zest to a large mixing bowl and whip until soft peaks form. Set aside.
- Whip together cream cheese, lemon juice, and honey until smooth and light.
- Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture until combined and smooth, cover and refrigerate** until ready to assemble cake.
- Assemble cake by arranging 12 2-inch cookies in a circle on 10-inch cake plate (a ring of 9 cookies, edges touching, with 3 in the center). Gently spread 1/2 cup of cream cheese whipped filling over layer. Repeat cookie and filling layers until desired height. Top with final layer of cream.
- Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or until ready to serve. When ready to serve, garnish with candied lemons, and fresh thyme if desired.
Notes
* Meyer Lemon Moravian Cookies work best for this recipe. Other very thin cookies could be substituted, but refrigeration time once assembled may differ to soften cookies.
**Cream cheese whipped filling can be prepared up to 2 days ahead and kept covered refrigerated until ready to assemble cake.
Substitute vanilla wafers, sugar or butter cookies for the thin cookies.
Powdered confectioners sugar may be substituted for honey in same amount. An additional 1-2 tablespoons of cream may be needed to create a smooth consistency.
Recommended Products
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Dewey's Bakery Meyer Lemon Moravian Style Cookie Thins, Bakery Fresh with Real Simple Ingredients, Low Calorie Snack, No Artificial Flavors, Synthetic Colors or Preservatives, 9oz (Pack of 3)
This post was originally sponsored by KitchenAid, March 2014.
How far in advance can this made? And how many people does it serve? Thanks
How many pkgs. of cookies should I buy??
This cake was delicious! Followed the instructions exactly. Used 1 and 1/2 packages of Trader Joe’s Meyer Lemon cookies. Let sit in the fridge for just over 3 hours.
Wouldn’t change a thing!
This cake is delicious. Costco was having a sale at Easter on Dewey’s Meyer Lemon cookies and then I saw your recipe because I get your emails. We used a spring form pan which was very helpful. Everyone I told about this cake wants the recipe. It is so light and tasty. Thanks!
Thank you, Karla. I missed that sale! I’ll have to keep watch for it next Easter.
how do you store this cake? refrigerator orcounter top with cover? how long does it last?
This cake needs to be stored covered and refrigerated. It should last about 3-4 days.
This recipe was posted a long time ago. I’m wondering about curtting and eating this. It would seem that the cookies would be crumbly and fall apart easily when cut. Do they absornb moisture and become really spongy, not fall apart when cut into with knife and fork?
The cookies do become spongy and hold together.