How To Make An Ice Cream Cake?

How To Make an Ice Cream Cake (Even Better than Dairy Queen!)

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I recently discovered that ice foam cake is a surprisingly divisive topic. When I asked friends and readers whether actual cake belonged in ice cream cake, the responses were severely carve up. Of class! said some. Admittedly not, insisted others. It turns out, you meet, that many, many people were raised on the Dairy Queen and Carvel ice cream cakes, which are nothing merely pure and cold ice cream, with chocolate cookie bits in the middle, and a luscious layer of whipped frosting over information technology all.

So today, beloved readers, for those of you who dream of cipher more than recreating this childhood retentivity at home, perhaps with your own homemade ice cream, here is a step-by-step recipe to let you do but that. How to make an ice cream cake — it can be even better than DQ's, if you tin can imagine that.

(Image credit: Lauren Volo)

The Dubious Economics of Bootleg Ice Cream Cakes

Before nosotros go started, though, I demand to level with you. Making an ice cream cake from scratch is not an entirely skilful deal, economically speaking. Dairy Queen charges about $20 to $25 for its regular circular cakes. Making this with good-quality water ice cream and store-bought ingredients, like fudge sauce and cookies, will probably be quite a bit more.

Of class, money isn't the but reason to do something from scratch; y'all may want to use your own special homemade flavors, or create a block with dairy-costless ice cream. You might desire to decorate information technology specially, or include home-baked cookies inside.

Merely just fair alert — if you desire the cheapest selection, option one upwardly at your local shop. For all the other reasons, proceed!

(Image credit: Lauren Volo)

Timing & Freezer Space

Now that nosotros've talked most that, permit's talk about how long this will take you. Making an water ice cream cake is not a lot of work; I dare say it's easier than a baked cake. Simply it does take time — almost entirely hands-off fourth dimension, simply all the same. If you want an water ice cream cake for a birthday party, I would kickoff at least iii days ahead.

Yous need a twenty-four hours to create the start layer, which has to freeze until solid. Then the next ice cream layer, and after that, it freezes overnight so information technology'south stable enough to remove the springform ring. Then you lot frost the cake with whipped cream, and it's actually best to let it sit down in the freezer one more dark before serving. Y'all're ever fighting the clock when working with ice cream, so requite yourself plenty of time to allow things arctic out betwixt steps.

Terminal but non least: freezer infinite. You lot need a lot. Enough to slide a whole sheet pan into the freezer. Upright freezers are best for this; side-by-side and bottom-drawer freezers make it tough. Clear your freezer and exercise a exam run with the pans before getting started.

fish-free
peanut-free
vegetarian
shellfish-free
pork-gratis
pescatarian
tree-nut-costless
soy-free
cherry-meat-costless

Per serving, based on

sixteen

servings. (% daily value)

Calories 637
Fatty 38.viii g (59.vii%)
Saturated 22.7 m (113.v%)
Carbs 66.eight g (22.3%)
Fiber ii.5 g (ten.1%)
Sugars 47.4 thou
Protein 7.7 g (xv.4%)
Sodium 333.6 mg (xiii.9%)

Ingredients

two quarts
vanilla ice cream
2 1/2 cups
roughly crushed chocolate cookies
ii cups
chocolate fudge sauce
1 quart
chocolate water ice cream
ane quart
heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons
powdered sugar
i teaspoon
vanilla excerpt
Sprinkles
Magic Trounce sauce, shop-bought or homemade
Maraschino cherries

Equipment

Wax or parchment newspaper
Baking sheet
ix- or 10-inch springform band, chilled in the freezer overnight (see Note)
Stand or hand mixer
Spatula
Large round cake plate or platter
Offset spatula
Pipe bag, optional

Instructions

Fix upwardly your pan: Lay a sheet of parchment or wax paper on a baking sheet, and place your cold springform band (without the bottom) on height.
Whip the vanilla ice foam: Whip the vanilla ice cream with a mixer for about 2 minutes, or until fluffy but withal frozen.
Create the vanilla ice foam layer: Spread the whipped water ice foam up the sides of the pan, creating a thick layer of vanilla all effectually. Spread the rest in the lesser, and smooth out. (A niggling ice foam may pool out the bottom as it melts. This is fine; we'll take intendance of that afterwards.)
Add 2 cups crushed cookies: Spread a thick, even layer of cookies over the water ice foam and lightly printing in.
Add ii cups fudge sauce: Warm the fudge sauce just plenty to make it easily pourable, but not likewise hot, then pour over the cookies.
Freeze for 4 hours: Freeze for at least four hours, or overnight if you accept the time.
Create the chocolate ice foam layer: Whip the chocolate water ice foam with a mixer until fluffy only notwithstanding frozen. Spread on elevation of the cookie and fudge layer and smooth it then information technology's even with the top of the pan. Cover the pinnacle with some other canvass of parchment or wax paper.
Freeze overnight: Freeze overnight or until completely solid.
Prep the cake for unmolding: Peel away the height layer of parchment or wax paper. Place a large round plate or platter over the peak of springform pan, upside-down. Gently flip the whole cake over, then that information technology ends up on the plate with the chocolate layer on the bottom and the vanilla layer on top. Skin away the other slice of parchment. Trim away any frozen bits of water ice foam on the exterior of the cake.
Unmold the ice cream cake: Gently loosen the springform and jerk it until it slides smoothly off the cake. Dab the base gently to mop up whatsoever melted ice foam. Return to the freezer while you whip the cream.
Frost with whipped cream: Whip the cream with the powdered saccharide and vanilla until it forms soft peaks. Apply an offset spatula to spread the whipped foam all over the cake. If desired, use a pipe bag to create rosettes or other decorations.
Decorate the cake: Add together sprinkles, drizzles of Magic Shell, extra dollops of whipped cream, and Maraschino cherries, if desired.
Freeze until eating: At this bespeak, the cake can be eaten, just it will melt quickly. It'south all-time to render it to the freezer, overnight if possible. Information technology will also keep quite a while; once the cake and the frosting are firmly frozen, cover loosely with plastic wrap and freeze for up to 1 month.

Recipe Notes

On springform rings: I realize that springforms come up in various sizes and we don't usually continue both a 9-inch and a x-inch effectually. So use either; the cake will exist a picayune shorter and broader with a 10-inch, and taller with a 9-inch.

Flavour swaps: I'm not certain I need to tell you this, but the sky is the limit with flavors here. Attempt mint chocolate chip with a mix of Andes Mints and Oreos in the middle. Cherry-red cordial ice cream with chopped fresh cherries and white chocolate drizzle. Peanut butter and chocolate with crumbled Nutter Butters. Your choice.

Ice cream choices: From my enquiry, it seems that Dairy Queen uses an eggless ice cream for their cakes, then I opted for egg-free Breyers. It whips nicely, and it's fairly light, which I recollect works well here.

Faith Durand

Editor-in-Chief

Faith is the Editor-in-Primary of Kitchn, and the author of iii cookbooks, including the James Bristles Award-winning The Kitchn Cookbook. She lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband and two daughters.

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