American Flag Jello Cake Icebox Cake

Why We Love This Recipe

Looking for a unique cake to serve this Independence Day? Our make-ahead Jell-O Icebox Cake is layered with a surprise American flag pattern on the inside! The red and blue layers are made with graham crackers dunked in red and blue Jell-O. They do create a light red and light blue color, however, you can add additional red and blue food coloring to intensify the colors. Whipped cream is spread in between to make the white stripes. As the cake rests together in the freezer, the Jell-O absorbs into the graham cracker softening them into cakey layers. This icebox cake is part Jell-O, and part graham cracker, with an ice cream feel from the whipped cream layered throughout. Guests will absolutely love this fun, festive, and oh-so-delicious frozen treat!

Ingredients You Need

Heavy cream – for homemade whipped cream Granulated sugar – you can sub with alternative sweeteners, but note that this will greatly change the taste Vanilla and coconut extract – a great combination of flavors Graham crackers – can be gluten-free, if you like Boxed Jell-o mix – one each of blue and red, whichever flavors you like Boiling water – to bloom the boxed gelatin Shredded coconut – to coat the outside of the cake Red and blue food coloring – to color the coconut, and add extra vibrant color to the graham crackers

How to Make an American Flag Jello Cake

First, line a 5 x 9-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap. Set aside. Place the cold heavy cream in a large bowl. Add the sugar, vanilla extract, and coconut extract. Use a hand mixer to beat the cream into very firm whipped cream. Then cover and place in the refrigerator until ready to use. Set out two wide shallow dishes that are big enough for dunking a whole gram cracker. Pour the blue Jell-O mix into one dish and the red Jell-O mix into another dish. Pour 1 cup of boiling water into each dish. Stir them both immediately to dissolve the Jell-O mixture. Spread a very thin layer of whipped cream across the bottom of the bread pan. Dunk several small graham cracker pieces in the blue Jell-O, flipping once or twice. Before they fully dissolve, move them to the bread pan. Line one long edge of the bread pan with blue soaked graham crackers. Repeat stacking the graham crackers five layers high to create the top blue corner of the American flag. If the graham crackers do not fill out the entire length of the bread pan, carefully trim small sections to stack at the end. Then dunk more graham crackers in the red Jell-O, flipping once or twice, and layering them on the other side. After each even layer of red graham crackers, spread a thin layer of whipped cream across the entire pan creating the white stripes in the American flag. Continue to layer red Jell-O soaked graham crackers and white whipped cream in even layers until the pan is filled to the top. Cover the pan and freeze until the icebox cake is rock-hard, at least 3 hours. Place the remaining whipped cream back in the refrigerator for later use. Meanwhile, divide the coconut into two small bowls. Drop 1-2 blue food coloring drops in one bowl and stir vigorously until the food coloring is blue. Then drop 1-2 red drops in the other bowl and stir vigorously until the coconut is red. Set the coconut aside for later use. Once the freezer cake is very hard, flip it out of the loaf pan onto a dish or cutting board. Gently peel off the plastic wrap. Then spread the remaining whipped cream over the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle with red and blue coconut on all sides. Then place the ice box jello cake back in the freezer until ready to serve. When ready to serve, slice the cake into ¾ inch pieces and place on dessert plates. Make sure to lay the flags out in the right direction!