Sensational Summer Berrylicious Ice Box Cheesecake

Looking for unique cheesecake recipes?  Look no further!  Berrylicious Icebox Cheesecake is an easy, frozen, no-bake dessert that combines an easy-to-make blackberry cheesecake layer with a layer of ice cream.

When I was a little girl (in the 1960’s), my mom used to mix vanilla ice cream with blackberry jam.  I thought she was an absolute genius and I loved to eat ice cream this way…letting the ice cream melt to soft-serve consistency, dolloping blackberry jam by the spoonful and twirling it around the bowl with a spoon.

I had so many choices:  I could leave the blackberry jam on top, dripping down like hot fudge or twirl it until ribbons of jams swirled through the creamy vanilla layers OR mix it together entirely until my bowl was a delicious creamy solid purple!  Such decadent choices!  How does a child ever choose?

Charlie’s birthday is smack dab in the middle of summer.  With a blazing heatwave underway, I wanted to make him something special and something cold. So, I started poking around the refrigerator and pantry to see what I had on hand.  His absolute favorite dessert is cheesecake, but I was too lazy to attempt to make one from scratch (I know – me lazy!  Hmmm…).

I had cream cheese (we always have cream cheese because Charlie’s favorite breakfast is bagels with cream cheese!), powdered sugar, a tub of Cool Whip; so I could make one of those super easy Cool Whip cheesecakes.  But, I didn’t have a graham cracker pie shell nor did I have graham crackers to make one from scratch. Plus, I was too lazy to go to the grocery store (there’s that lazy thing again!).

I noticed that I had both frozen berries and fresh berries on hand plus I had vanilla ice cream.  When I spied the ice cream and berries, it sparked my childhood memory and I looked in the pantry for blackberry jam.  Sure enough, I had blackberry jam!!!

An idea starting to formulate…percolate…marinate…germinate…

And soon, it started to disseminate throughout every neuron in my brain!  Sparks flying everywhere!

“Of course!  I’ll make a layered cheesecake/ice cream thingy in a loaf pan,” I said to myself!  Unique cheesecake recipes are now my specialty!

I got out the cream cheese to bring to room temperature.  And, I got out the vanilla ice cream and scooped two cups into a bowl.

Then, I found my loaf pan and lined it with plastic wrap, enough plastic wrap to spill over the sides of the loaf pan so that I could cover the top.  I also cut out a piece of wax paper to fit in the bottom of the pan.  Because the bottom of the pan is the top of the Berrylicious Ice Box Cheesecake, when inverted, and I wanted the top to be smooth.

I also wanted the sides to be smooth, but I thought trying to manipulate the wax paper in the loaf pan to make smooth sides was too much trouble and it was about 7:00 p.m., so I didn’t have the energy or the brain power left to figure it out {grin}.  Maybe my next ice box cheesecake creation…stay tuned…

Then, I got the bag of frozen triple berries out of the freezer (blueberries, raspberries and blackberries) and scooped two cups into another bowl to defrost.

First, I mixed blackberry jam with the vanilla ice cream and scooped it into the prepared loaf pan.  I smoothed it into an even layer and put it in the freezer to firm up. Two hours later, I added a layer of the now-defrosted frozen berries mixed with more blackberry jam.  But, first, I strained the defrosted berries (they make a lot of juice when they defrost) and saved the berry juice.  Back in the freezer for another two hours.

But, now it was bedtime, so I put the cream cheese back in the refrigerator along with the berry juice and went to bed.

The next morning, I took the cream cheese out of the refrigerator and after breakfast I put it in a mixing bowl, added a cup of powdered sugar and beat it until smooth with an electric mixer.  Then, I added the leftover strained berry juice and mixed it again.

Next, I added the Cool Whip, folding it in by hand with a spatula.  I scooped it into the loaf pan on top of the berries and smoothed it with a spatula.  Finally, I wrapped the top with the plastic wrap hanging over the sides and froze it until firm, about another 2 hours.

Here’s the recipe:

(add this to your unique cheesecake recipes arsenal)

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It was easy to unmold:  just peel back the plastic wrap on the Berrylicious Ice Box Cheesecake, invert it on a serving platter, then peel off the plastic and the wax paper. I covered it with berries and Cool Whip, stuck on a few with sprigs of fresh mint and purple basil from my LGarden.

Berrylicious Icebox Cheesecake - easy, no bake cheesecake layered with ice cream, topped with fresh berries & mint. #cheesecake #icecream Click To Tweet

And, I took photos faster than I’ve ever taken food photos before!  And, we ate this piece and another piece…delicious!  Pretty good for a first attempt, don’t you think?  And, Charlie loved it!  Do you have any unique cheesecake recipes?  Love me some cheesecake!

Tootles,

Other dessert recipes from Toot Sweet 4 Two’s archives:

Peach Pineapple Dump Cake with Walnuts

Sweetheart Raspberry Icebox Cheesecake

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Mile High Strawberry Pie Dessert from Liz at That Skinny Chick Can Bake

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Peachy Strawberry Pizza from Celeste at The Whole Serving