Peach Icebox Cake is an old-fashioned recipe that combines fresh peaches, cream cheese, heavy cream, powdered sugar, vanilla, and graham crackers. This no-bake cake is always a huge hit at parties and is make-ahead friendly! Graham crackers take the place of actual cake, giving it a light and unique texture and you only need six ingredients.

A Creamy No-Bake Peach Dessert

This Peach Icebox Cake is the epitome of easy desserts. It’s got layers of fresh fruit, a whipped cream mixture, and graham crackers. Sort of like a banana pudding but with graham crackers instead of vanilla wafers.

What I love about this cake is that it’s not overly sweet. Most of the sweetness comes from the peaches. However, it’s pretty rich as the layers are made of a combination of cream cheese, whipped cream and powdered sugar. The addition of cream cheese makes the filling even thicker and adds a velvety richness.

The graham crackers soften without becoming mush, forming a a cake like layer. I’ve only had a strawberry icebox cake. However, strawberries aren’t in season very long around here so peaches were a natural substitution for me. The sweet peaches give this so much flavor and natural sweetness as the flavors soak into the layers while it refrigerates.

If you’re looking for a delicious way to celebrate peach season, whip up this creamy reach icebox cake! Just three peaches is all you’ll need and you won’t believe how much they shine in this creamy dessert. The trick for icebox cakes is that as the dessert sits in the refrigerator, the flavors intensify, so don’t be in a rush, let it hang out in the fridge overnight.

Don’t mind the oven? Try one of these peach desserts next – Peach and Blueberry Cobbler Cake, Homemade Peach Pie with Crumble Topping, and Juicy Peach Cobbler Cake Made From Scratch!

Why is it Called Icebox Cake?

The iconic icebox cake dates back to the 1800s when refrigerators were not yet a household appliance. Rather, people had iceboxes, which were large boxes or cabinets used for storing perishable items. As the cakes sat in the icebox, their flavors came together, creating a creamy blend of flavors and textures. For this icebox or refrigerator cake, I recommend letting it sit for up to 48 hours for the best flavor and texture.

Reasons You’ll Love It

Simple: This recipe uses six simple ingredients, so it’s perfect for beginner bakers who want to dip their toes into making simple desserts.
No-bake dessert: Forget the oven. This dessert only needs the fridge.
Make-ahead: This cake can sit in the fridge for a couple of days. The flavors meld together the longer the cake sits, producing a super flavorful and fruity dessert.
Perfect for large crowds: This fruity dessert is made in a 9 x 13 dish, meaning it’s great for feeding larger crowds!

Just 6 Ingredients

Peaches: ripe peaches are best for this cake, but you can use thawed frozen peaches or canned peaches if you’re in a pinch.
Creamy filling: you’ll need room-temperature cream cheese, cold heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla paste or vanilla extract.
Graham crackers: These are layered between the creamy filling and peaches and soften as they sit between the layers, creating a cake-like consistency.

Steps to Make this Cold Peach Cake

Step One: Prep the Peach and Whipped Cream Layers

Peel and cut peaches into small chunks and place them in a bowl. In a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese with a whisk attachment until light and creamy. Add heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla and beat until stiff peaks form.

Add the rest of the filling ingredients.

Step 3: Assemble the Cake

Place a very thin layer of cream mixture on the bottom of a baking dish, this holds everything in place.
1st layer: Place graham crackers in an even layer on top of the thin layer of whipped cream mixture.
2nd layer: Add whipped cream on top of graham crackers.
3rd layer: Add a layer of peaches over the cream
4th layer: Add the 2nd layer of graham crackers, gently pushing them into the peach layer.
Repeat this process and end with the whipped cream on top.

Step 4: Refrigerate

Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to 48 hours.

Step 5: Cut and Serve

Cut into squares and serve.

A Few Recipe Notes for a Peaches and Cream Icebox Cake

Swap the graham crackers for vanilla wafers for a sweeter flavor.
Make sure you use ripe peaches, as they will be the sweetest. Need to ripen peaches fast? Check out my guide on how to ripen peaches.
After 3 days, the graham crackers will break down, and will become mushy.

Storing Peach Refrigerator Cake

You can store the cake in the fridge for 1-2 days. I don’t recommend storing it longer than that, as the graham crackers tend to get mushy after 3 days.

If you like, you can freeze the entire cake or cut individual slices and put each in a separate airtight container for up to one month.

Don’t Forget!

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