Margarita Ice Box Cake Recipe for a No-Bake Flavorful Summer Dessert

If a margarita and a cheesecake had a child, it would be this ice box cake. Cold and creamy, but with the tang of lime and the saltiness of a salted glass rim. Bonus: No BAKING! Yes, that's right - you don't even turn on your oven for this beauty. Just a few minutes of prep and then stash in the chill chest for awhile and it's Happy Hour for your taste buds!

This simple recipe will surprise you - it seems very sophisticated, and yet your 8 year old could make this. With you handling the knife work, of course. I like the convenience of the margarita mix - and I used the Williams Sonoma brand - just the right tang and sassy-ness!

We had this dessert on the deck tonight and between 8 of us, we ate the whole thing. And licked our plates. Ok, not really. But we wanted to. Oh, heck - I say go ahead and lick away!

NO-BAKE MARGARITA ICE BOX CAKE

1 cup sweetened coconut
1 tablespoon lime zest, divided
2 tablespoons lime juice
2 limes, thinly sliced for garnish
3 cups pretzel sticks
6 tablespoons melted butter
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
¼ cup water
1 ½ cups margarita mix
1 ½ cups heavy cream, whipped
1 (14 ounces) can sweetened condensed milk
4 ounces cream cheese, softened

Whirl the coconut and 1 tablespoon of lime zest in a food processor until very small crumbs. Set aside.

Whirl the pretzels, and melted butter in the food processor until very small crumbs. Press into a 9 inch spring form pan.

Sprinkle the gelatin over the water in a small saucepan and let absorb for 3 minutes. Add the margarita mix and bring to a simmer. Take off heat and stir in sweetened condensed milk and cream cheese, and remaining lime zest, lime juice. Gently fold whipped cream into this mixture., and then pour into the spring form pan. Let chill at least 2 hours.

Before serving, run a knife around inside edge of spring form pan. Remove sides of pan. Press coconut and lime zest mixture around edges of cake.

Serve chilled.

Serves 8 to 10.

Other No Bake Delights:

No Bake Nutella Cheesecake, My Baking Addiction
No Bake Cherry Cheesecake, Ezra Pound Cake
No Bake Nutella Chocolate Ice Box Cake, Apron Strings