Easter is around the corner. And with spring in the air, the trees and flowers blooming I am craving a bright and fresh dessert to serve my guests at Easter. And the best part this dessert can be assembled in advance taking the stress out of holiday entertaining. Its the perfect easy and creamy NO bake dessert. I love making desserts with cream cheese, they are so creamy, rich and delicious. The cream cheese serves as a blank canvas to any flavor you want to add to it. I love pairing fresh fruits like these luscious raspberries with citrus like lemon and lemon zest. Serve your guests a nice slice of this icebox cake, with extra raspberry sauce on the side. The ruby red raspberries that are tucked in the layers of the creamy cake look so pretty once you slice into them making this dessert an easy go to for Easter or any spring celebration. #ad #easterwithphilly #itmustbethephilly
#recipeshare @lovemyphilly
Base ingredients
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup icing sugar
8 ounces room temperature Philadelphia cream cheese
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Zest of one lemon
Directions
Whip heavy cream and icing sugar to soft peaks. Add the vanilla and lemon zest. Whip until you get stiff peaks (don’t overheat it)
Beat the room temperature cream until it’s smooth and lump free
With a rubber spatula gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese. The mixture will become light and fluffy.
2 ingredients Fresh Raspberry sauce:
6 oz. fresh or frozen raspberries, thawed if frozen
1-2 tbls of water just enough to thin out the sauce and make it easy to whirl in the blender
Optional: I don’t add any more sugar but if you like your sauce sweeter or if your raspberries are tart add 1-2 tbs icing sugar
Directions:
Add your ingredients to a high speed blender and blend until the raspberries are smooth and have a nice creamy consistency.
Fresh whipped cream
Ingredients
1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon icing sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Zest of one lemon
Directions
In your electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or your hand mixer, whip the heavy cream and the icing sugar until soft peaks form
Add the vanilla and continue to beat until firm. Don't over beat otherwise you will get whipped butter.
To assemble:
Ingredients:
7 ounce package of Lady fingers
Two 6 Oz boxes of fresh raspberries
Directions
Line a freezer-safe loaf pan with plastic wrap.
Add a base of lady fingers
Spoon and level about an inch of the cream cheese mixture.
Alternate your cream cheese mixture and the lady fingers. I don’t like the cookies to be all lined up so I add my lady fingers randomly after the base layer.
Add about a cup of fresh firm raspberries throughout the cream cheese and lady fingers layers
Let your mixture freeze for an hour to set. (This step will prevent your layers from seeping into one another).
Add the raspberry glaze all over the top just enough to cover it.
Let the mixture freeze for an hour or so
Then carefully spread the whipped cream layer over the raspberry layer.
Freeze for at least 8 hours or for best results overnight.
Unmold the icebox loaf by lifting it out of the pan with the help of the plastic wrap. If you get some resistance let your loaf sit out for a few minutes before you unmold it.
Garnish the top whipped cream layer with the remainder of the fresh raspberries. Serve immediately.
Recipe note: store your leftover in the freezer
Best if consumed within 5-7 days. Making this a perfect make ahead dessert.