This no-bake cake is a slice of summer

A tangy take on icebox cake, hold the dairy

Welcome back to Cool Beans! We’d declared July an ovens-off month, but I’m extending it by a week. Why? My birthday is in a couple days, so in true Leo fashion, I’m foisting my dessert desires on everyone else. As it happens, one of my favorites is a no-bake cake that’s not really a cake at all. Today, we’re making icebox cake, a chilled confection that’s a celebration of whipped cream—but we’re doing it with zero dairy.

Cookies and cream like you’ve never had it

Credit: Gabriella Vigoreaux

In most dessert circumstances, I choose cake over pie. Key lime pie, however, is the exception. In plotting my birthday dessert, I was torn between it and a more classic sponge. Then I thought about Carlota de limón, a traditional Mexican icebox cake that consists of layered cookies and a creamy lime filling. The name translates to Lime Charlotte, and some folks say it’s inspired by a French icebox cake made with ladyfingers called a Charlotte Russe. Growing up, I would always see it in Latin bakeries and associate it with summer. 

Being that this is an extremely dairy-heavy dessert, I had to make several swaps. The first is pretty easy: A typical Carlota de limón calls for Maria cookies, but those contain whey powder, so I replaced them with Biscoff biscuits, which are natively free of any animal products. Replacing the filling takes a little more doing: It’s usually a blend of sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, and lime juice. I traded both milks for their coconut-based counterparts (I like the brand Nature’s Charm, which I can usually find at Walmart or my grocery store), and added plant-based cream cheese to the mix, which helps the cake set and slice better. I’m also using key lime juice to up the tang. 

The whole thing comes together in a blender and chills out in the fridge to set, while the cookies soften up to a cakelike texture. Sure, it’s not technically cake or a key lime pie, but this dessert has the best bits of both and is perfect for the hottest summer days. 

Key Lime Icebox Cake (Carlota de Limón)

Yield: One 8-inch square cake, 9 slices