Rob and I both love dessert, but he’s not much of a cake and cupcake person like I am. We’ve made some ice cream before (like Thin Mint, salted caramel and cookie dough), which he eats in record time, so I decided to make a homemade ice cream cake for his birthday. I’ve never made anything like it before, so it was really fun to try and surprisingly easy! With Dairy Queen cakes as my inspiration, I created a birthday blue print: ice cream, cookie layer, ice cream, more ice cream and whipped cream as frosting. My favorite part was the crunchy/fudgy cookie layer, but I love how all of the ice cream flavors complemented each other, too. You could use a variety of combinations, but make sure they are compatible. This will definitely be a new birthday tradition in our household!
Homemade Ice Cream Cake
This homemade ice cream cake is perfect for a birthday or summer celebration! The chocolate cookie layer is my favorite part!
Ingredients
- 9" springform pan
- 3 1.5-quart ice cream cartons
- 9 oz. (1 box) chocolate wafer cookies
- 5 oz. (about 1/2 bottle) chocolate shell ice cream topping
- 1 jar (12.5 oz.) hot fudge topping
- 8 oz. extra creamy whipped cream
Instructions
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Start by placing the springform pan into the freezer for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, thaw one carton of ice cream (I put chocolate chip cookie dough on the bottom). Once it’s soft enough to spread, take the pan out of the freezer and create an even layer of ice cream on the bottom of the pan. To perfectly flatten it, I put a layer of parchment paper on top and pressed down with a round 8″ cake pan. Then place in freezer for about an hour, until firm.
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Meanwhile, make the cookie layer by placing chocolate wafers in a food processor and pulsing until you have large crumbs. Add shell and hot fudge topping and continue to pulse until crumbs are moist. Don’t over mix it because you want some kind of cookie crunch rather than one homogenous mixture. Spread over the first layer of ice cream, then freeze for about another 45 minutes.
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Let the next ice cream flavor thaw at room temperature for about 10 minutes (we used chocolate fudge brownie), then spread on top of the cookie layer, packing it tightly. Return and freeze for an hour.
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Thaw the final flavor (I used vanilla in case it showed through the whipped cream topping). Spread on top and smooth with a spatula or my cake pan method mentioned above. Freeze for another hour or two until firm.
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Thaw whipped cream until soft enough to spread. To remove the side of the springform pan, wipe the outside of the pan with a hot cloth, then use a warm knife to cut along the inside. Unlatch and remove. If the cake has softened during this process, return to freezer for about 15 minutes. Then frost with whipped cream and store in the freezer. Before serving, let it thaw for about 5 minutes to slightly soften and use a hot knife to slice. Enjoy!
{Recipe adapted from Food Network}
