6 Pretty No-Bake Desserts Anyone Can Make

Good news for hot days: You can (not) bake your cake and eat it too with these easy summer dessert recipes.

Blueberry Angel Food Trifle Serves 8 or more
• 8 cups cubed angel food cake, from a 12- to 16-ounce store-bought cake
 • 4 cups prepared vanilla pudding
 • 4 cups blueberries
 • 2/3 cup heavy cream
 •1 tbs. powdered sugar
 •1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

  Spread one third of cake cubes in bottom of large trifle bowl (or any deep 3- to 4-quart bowl). Spread one third of pudding over cubes; top with one quarter of blueberries. Repeat twice, finishing with third layer of pudding.

 Whip cream with sugar and vanilla until soft peaks form. Spread whipped cream over top; garnish with remaining blueberries. Refrigerate trifle for at least 2 hours, or up to 24, before serving.


Retro Cake
Serves about 20
• 30 chocolate wafer cookies
• 3 tbs. cold water
• 1 packet (1 tbs.) unflavored gelatin
 • 3/4 cup frozen raspberries
• 3/4 cup frozen blueberries
 • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 cups cold heavy cream
•1 tsp. vanilla extract

 Line 8-by-8-inch pan with aluminum foil. Cover bottom of pan with cookies (about 20), breaking them as needed to cover pan. Pour cold water into small bowl and sprinkle gelatin over water; let sit for 2 minutes.

Combine raspberries, blueberries, and sugar in medium heavy saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring until sugar dissolves and mixture is warm to the touch. Stir in gelatin mixture. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Set aside.

Mix heavy cream and vanilla in large bowl; beat using electric mixer until stiff peaks form, 3 to 4 minutes. Gently fold in cooled berry mixture, taking care not to deflate cream.

Pour half of berry filling into prepared pan; smooth with rubber spatula. Insert remaining cookies into filling vertically (for a pretty cross section when you slice cake later). Spread remaining filling over cookies; smooth with spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze overnight.


Deepest Chocolate Mousse
Makes six 1/3-cup (75-ml) servings. Gluten-free.
• 3/4 cup whole milk
• 1/4 cup freshly brewed strong coffee
• 6 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten 2 tablespoons dark rum (optional)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt Unsweetened whipped cream, to serve
 In a small saucepan, warm the milk and coffee over medium heat until the mixture just comes to a simmer.

Place the chocolate in a heatproof glass or metal mixing bowl and pour the milk and coffee mixture over it. Stir once, then let stand for 5 minutes.

Scrape the mixture into a blender and add the eggs, rum, vanilla, and salt. Blend until well combined. Pour into six small cups or a 1-quart dish and chill for 2 hours, or until set. Serve with a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream.


Key Lime Pie 
Makes 24 treats

Crust
• 2 cups (4 ounces) salted pretzel sticks
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

 Filling
• 3 tablespoons cream cheese, softened (try light or reduced fat)
• 1/4 cup fresh Key lime juice
• 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 teaspoon Key lime zest, plus extra for garnish
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup homemade whipped cream or store-bought

Line a mini muffin tin with foil or paper liners and set aside. To make the crust, combine the pretzels and sugar in a food processor and process until medium crumbs form (do not overprocess into a powder), about 30 seconds. Add the softened butter and process until the mixture begins to thicken.

Transfer to a clean bowl. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tin. Press the mixture against the bottom and sides of the cups to form pie shells.

Place in the freezer for 30 minutes. For the filling, combine the cream cheese, Key lime juice, condensed milk, lime zest, and vanilla in a large bowl. Mix well with an electric mixer or food processor for about 4 minutes, until completely combined.Spoon the mixture into the prepared shells. Tap the pie pan against a hard surface to even out the filling. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Garnish with the whipped cream and the lime zest.

Star Bursts
Serves 8 or more
• 2 cups Greek yogurt
• 3 tbs. fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
• 15 ice-pop sticks, cut in half
• 30 Starburst candies

Put yogurt, lemon juice, and orange juice in bowl. Stir with rubber spatula until evenly blended. Spoon mixture into ice cube trays, filling each slot about three quarters.

Tap tray on hard surface to even out mixture. Insert blunt end of each ice-pop stick into a Starburst; place one in each ice cube slot. Tap tray against hard surface again to even out. Freeze for 4 hours or until solid. Carefully flex tray to release pops.

Gingersnap and Cinnamon Icebox Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes.
• 48 crisp gingersnaps
 • 1 1/3 cups cream
 • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
 • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
 • 1 teaspoon cinnamon, plus more to garnish
 • Pinch salt

Set out twelve paper or foil muffin-cup liners and place a gingersnap in the bottom of each one. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a large bowl, using a hand mixer), whip the cream with the sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon until the mixture holds medium peaks.

Spread a spoonful of cream over each gingersnap, and top with a second cookie. Repeat until you have four gingersnaps and four layers of cream in each paper liner.

Dust with cinnamon (tap it through a fine-mesh sieve) and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. The cookies will almost certainly have softened to a cakelike texture, but you can test one by inserting a knife in the center to make sure it goes in easily.