No Bake Strawberry Matcha Cake (Gluten Free & Vegan)

This post is sponsored by Matcha.com.  All opinions expressed are my own.

Anyone who knows me, knows I am a tea girl all the way (no coffee for me, thanks).  So making a cake with tea as the star ingredient is a no brainer. With the weather warming up, I’ve had no-bake desserts on my mind and matcha seemed like the perfect ingredient to make this cake pop.  This cool icebox cake is filled with an amazing mousse-like vegan matcha green tea cream and fresh strawberries, which are sandwiched between gluten free graham crackers, making it the perfect treat to cool off on a summer day. 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• It is easy to make and only takes about 15 minutes to assemble.
• There is no baking involved.
• Strawberries are perfect with matcha.
• It’s gluten free and vegan.
• It’s filled with delicious matcha powder to give it a little something special.

Ingredients

• Vegan Cream Cheese 
• Vegan Heavy Cream (or substitute with canned full fat coconut milk)
• Vanilla Extract
• Powdered Sugar
• Matcha.com green tea powder
• Vegan Whipped Cream
• Fresh Strawberries
• Gluten Free Graham Crackers

What is Matcha?

Put simply, matcha is green tea.  But it’s not just regular green tea.  It’s the only type of tea where you consume the entire leaf, rather than just steeping the leaves and discarding them.  It’s filled with health benefits from cholesterol reduction to stress relief and it even benefits your cognitive health. Special growing conditions and handling are required to preserve the health benefits of the tea leaves.  Sadly, today there are less than 60 authentic matcha tea farms left in Japan. 

With the popularity of matcha on the rise, there are many low quality products emerging on the market to meet the demand.  Unfortunately, buying mass produced matcha reduces the health benefits you receive from consuming it.  Not to mention it is more bitter in flavor. 

The color of your matcha powder will indicate the quality.  Vibrant green powder is a higher quality than that which appears a yellow-ish green or with hints of brown. Usually a brighter green matcha is referred to as ceremonial grade and it has a more subtle umami flavor with an almost sweet endnote as opposed to more bitter varieties. 

I use matcha powder from matcha.com, which is top quality.  It’s lab tested to be pure of all heavy metals, pesticides and other contaminants.  Matcha.com has a variety of different products to fit every need and price point.  They also carry all the tools you will need to enjoy your matcha.  Plus, every purchase helps to support the remaining authentic Japanese matcha farms.  Use code WELLFED at checkout to save 20% off your order.

For more information, check out Matcha.com or find them on instagram, youtube and tiktok.

How to Make a Strawberry Matcha Cake

Step 1 - Combine vegan cream cheese, vegan heavy cream and vanilla extract in a bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth.

Step 2 - Add the powdered sugar and matcha powder.  Beat until fully incorporated.

Step 3 - Add vegan whipped cream and fold together with a spatula.  

Step 4 - Assemble the icebox cake in a 9x5 loaf pan lined with plastic wrap. Add the matcha cream, a layer of strawberries and a layer of graham crackers.  Repeat making three layers total with the graham crackers on the top.

Step 5 - Place in the freezer for 6-8 hours to set. 

What is an Icebox Cake?

Up until the 1930s, refrigerators weren’t found in most homes.  They had what was called an icebox, which was more like a refrigerator sized cooler and a large block of ice was put inside to keep things cool.  

Icebox cakes actually became popular around the same time that the refrigerator was being brought into American homes.  It’s not really a cake at all but a layered dessert made from cream or pudding, crunchy cookies or crackers and frequently fruit.  It is similar in construction to a trifle and doesn’t require any baking.  It can be made in any shape, in this case we’re making a loaf, but a round pan will work just as well. 

The icebox cake gets its cake like texture from the crackers soaking up the moisture from the creamy layer as it sits in the refrigerator.  It all ends up with a nice soft texture that blends together perfectly.

How to Store this Cake

This cake can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.  The crackers will continue to soften over time, so it is best eaten sooner (as if you need an excuse!)

If you prefer to keep it frozen, like I do, store it in an airtight container and freeze it for up to a week.

If you're looking for more no bake desserts, check out these great recipes!

No Bake Grasshopper Chocolate Mint Icebox Pie (Vegan)
Vegan Peanut Butter and Jelly Ice Cream (Peanut Free Option)
Easy No Bake Peanut Butter Cup Pie (GF + Vegan)

To pin this recipe for later, click the save button on any image in this post or the recipe card.  Please tag me @wellfedbaker on Instagram if you make this recipe! 

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