Two layers of different flavoured ice cream sealed with a chocolate mud cake on the bottom, then topped with chocolate ice cream topping and sprinkles. An excellent, easy birthday cake!
An Ice Cream cake is the perfect celebration cake, especially in summer when you don't want to be baking in a hot kitchen all day! We made this for my son's 10th birthday and he and all his little friends loved it. If I'm honest, the adults liked it too!
If you'd like to try your hand at a slightly more adult version of ice cream cake, challenge yourself to the Baked Alaska recipe on my website. It's such a fun dessert to serve at a dinner party.
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Ingredient notes:
- Ice cream: I used mint and chocolate as that's what my son loves. You can use absolutely any type you like!
- Cake: Because I was using chocolate flavoured ice creams, I used a chocolate mud cake. A plain vanilla cake or sponge would work equally well.
- Hard set chocolate topping: This isn't essential to make this cake, but it does look very cool dripping down the sides.
Note: Scroll to the recipe card for the ingredients, quantities and the full method.
Step by step instructions:
Take the ice cream out of the freezer to soften up. Line a 4L casserole dish or large bowl with cling wrap. Layer all of the mint ice cream in the base of the dish and smooth out.
Add a 2 cm layer of chocolate ice cream on top. Place the mud cake in the centre of the chocolate layer. Fill the gaps around the edge of the cake with the rest of the chocolate ice cream until it covers it and fills up the dish.
Cover with the cling film and place in the freezer to firm up.
Invert the ice cream cake onto a cake plate and remove the cling wrap, run a butter knife over the edges to smooth it out. Pour over the hard set chocolate and spread it out to the edges until drips run down the sides.
Quickly add candles and sprinkles (if using) to the top before the chocolate sets. Place back in the freezer until ready to serve.
Recipe FAQs:
Feel free to use your favourite type of ice cream from hokey pokey to goody goody gumdrop! You can also add in candy or biscuit pieces to the layers if you like, or sprinkle some on top at the end. The chocolate mud cake could be swapped for any type of cake from a vanilla sponge to chocolate brownie.
It's generally not recommended to refreeze an ice cream cake after it has thawed. The texture may change, and it could affect the quality of the cake.
Use a sharp knife that has been warmed in hot water. Wipe the knife clean between each cut. Work quickly, and return the cake to the freezer as needed to keep it firm.
When our other son turned 8 a few months later, he also requested an ice cream cake! He chose Goody Goody Gumdrop and Boysenberry ice cream and he loved adding his favourite sprinkles to the top of the cake.
Storage:
This cake can be made up to 2 days ahead of time if you like.
As stated in the FAQs above, you'll want to work quickly to serve pieces of cake, then get the remainder back in the freezer asap. Once the ice cream starts to melt too much it's not ideal for re-freezing.
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Ice Cream Cake
An ice cream cake made from a store-bought chocolate mud cake, ice cream, chocolate topping and sprinkles.
Ingredients
- 2L mint ice cream
- 2L chocolate ice cream
- 1 small store-bought chocolate mud cake
Topping
- Hard set chocolate ice cream coating
- Sprinkles (optional)
Instructions
- Take the ice cream out of the freezer to soften up.
- Line a 4L casserole dish or large bowl with cling wrap.
- Layer all of the mint ice cream in the base of the dish and smooth out.
- Add a 2 cm layer of chocolate ice cream on top. Place the mud cake in the centre of the chocolate layer.
- Fill the gaps around the edge of the cake with the rest of the chocolate ice cream until it covers it and fills up the dish.
- Cover with the cling film and place in the freezer to firm up.
- Invert the ice cream cake onto a cake plate and remove the cling wrap, run a butter knife over the edges to smooth it out.
- Pour over the hard set chocolate and spread it out to the edges until drips run down the sides. Quickly add candles and sprinkles (if using) to the top before the chocolate sets.
- Place back in the freezer until ready to serve.
Notes
- You can use any combination of ice cream flavours that you like.
- The chocolate cake could be swapped out for sponge cake or even brownie if you prefer.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 478Total Fat: 25gSaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 78mgSodium: 186mgCarbohydrates: 59gFiber: 2gSugar: 53gProtein: 8g
Nutritional values are approximate. Please use your own calculations if you require a special diet.
Thank you for checking out this recipe. I hope you enjoy making and eating it! If you have any questions, queries or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
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Vanya
Tess says
Thank you for this recipe- it was so easy and worked well. I’ve done ice cream cakes in the past but I think adding the mud cake made it much more stable and look more special. Great idea!
VJ cooks says
I's my go-to now! Super easy to prepare and all the kids love it. So pleased to hear you enjoyed it too.