Homemade Ice Cream Cake

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Hi Bold Bakers!

WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: Spectacular Homemade Ice Cream Cake is my next-level take on the Dairy Queen classic! You’ll be thrilled to see how simple it is to make your own no-bake luscious celebration cake (that tastes miles better than anything you could buy!).

• Homemade goodness: Homemade whipped cream and freshly-made cookie crumble set this cake apart from store-bought versions.
• Choose your favorites: Vanilla and chocolate ice cream are the classics, but the options are endless!
• Economical: At less than half the cost, making a Dairy Queen-inspired cake at home is an incredible money saver.
• Outrageously delicious crumble: The crunchy, crumbly chocolate cookie center of this cake of ice cream is beyond.
• Joyful! Swirled with whipped cream and decked out with maraschino cherries and sprinkles, my ice cream cake lets everyone know it’s party time!

My Homemade Ice Cream Cake is the perfect make-ahead dessert for any celebration. It’s super-easy to put together, but it makes such an impressive presentation. Luckily, this treat serves 16, so it’s great for a crowd!

As a mum to a fun-loving 5-year-old, this ice cream cake is my go-to for any summer celebration—it’s festive, playful, and always a hit. But don’t save it just for birthdays! Whether you’ve got a house full of kids after a water balloon fight or just want a cool treat on a hot day, this easy ice cream cake delivers. I keep things simple by using store-bought ice cream, fudge sauce, and cookies, which makes prep a breeze. Even better? It’s way more budget-friendly than buying one (mine costs about $12 to make, compared to $35 at the store). I usually make it ahead without the whipped topping, wrap it tightly, and freeze it for up to eight weeks. Then all that’s left is to frost and decorate before serving. You can even prep the cookie crumb layer a couple of days in advance to save time.

Table of Contents

• What is Homemade Ice Cream Cake?
• Tools You Need
• Key Ingredients and Why
• How to Make Homemade Ice Cream Cake
• Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
• Make Ahead and Storage Instructions
• FAQs
• More Frozen Treats Recipes

What is Homemade Ice Cream Cake?

• Homemade Ice Cream Cake is an easy, no-fuss, economical DIY take on Dairy Queen’s celebration cakes. Layers of vanilla and chocolate ice cream, Oreo crumble, hot fudge, whipped cream, cherries, and sprinkles give this special occasion cake tremendous flavor and a special-occasion look.
• Rich, crunchy Oreo crumble is a brilliant ingredient, and you’ll also love it in my recipes like Chocolate Banana Pudding, Cookies and Cream Frozen Yogurt, No-Bake Oreo Cheesecake, and No-Bake Chocolate Hazelnut Balls!
• Ice cream cakes have roots in the 18th-century European bombes, a frozen concoction with layers of cream, fruit, and bits of cake. When refrigeration made making and storing frozen desserts easier, layered ice cream and cake parfaits became popular homemade special-occasion treats in the U.S., before Carvel and Dairy Queen came out with wildly popular commercial versions.

Tools You Need

• Mixing bowls
• Measuring cups
• Kitchen scale (optional)
• Baking sheet
• Parchment paper
• 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan
• Plastic wrap
• Spatula
• Stand mixer (optional) or electric hand mixer
• Offset spatula

Key Ingredients and Why

Oreos

• Oreos give the cake a deep chocolate and vanilla cream flavor.
• The Oreo cookie crunch is the ideal contrast to the smooth ice cream.
• Using store-bought cookies is absolutely fine, but if you want to go all out, make your own Oreos with my recipe!
• Substitute: Feel free to use your favorite cookie instead of the Oreos. Try chocolate chips for classic cookies and cream deliciousness, Nutter Butters for a salty note, Biscoff cookies for some warm spice, or Graham crackers to please even the youngest party-goers.

Butter

• Butter crisps up the Oreo crumbs, making them tantalizingly crispy.
• Importantly, butter holds the crumbs together, binding them into a more cohesive crumble.
• Additionally, butter gives the sweet cookies a deep, rich, slightly salty flavor and balances the sweeter hot fudge and ice cream.
• Substitute: In this recipe, you can use an equal amount of coconut oil.

Vanilla ice cream

• Vanilla ice cream gives the cake a mellow, creamy flavor.
• Vanilla’s pleasantly mild flavor makes the fudge, crumble, and chocolate ice cream shine.
• Make your own vanilla ice cream with my quick recipe!
• Substitute: Use the same amount of your favorite flavor of store-bought or homemade ice cream.

Hot fudge sauce

• Hot fudge sauce provides intense deep chocolatey taste.
• Additionally, the sauce’s super-thick texture creates a gooey layer that complements the smooth ice cream and crunchy, crumbly cookies.
• Using store-bought hot fudge sauce streamlines the process!
• Substitute: You can use an equal amount of store-bought caramel or butterscotch sauce, or my Homemade Butterscotch Sauce, Salted Caramel Sauce, or Peanut Butter Sauce.

Chocolate ice cream

• Cocoa-rich, bold chocolate ice cream gives the cake scrumptious intensity.
• Additionally, chocolate paired with vanilla gives great visual appeal.
• You can make your own chocolate ice cream for this cake.
• Substitute: You can use your favorite ice cream flavors, homemade or store-bought ice cream, instead of chocolate. Ensure that any flavor you use is smooth-textured, as flavors with chips or chunks can freeze too hard for easy eating.

Heavy whipping cream

• Heavy whipping cream whips up to a thick, billowy, freshly sweet topping.
• The high-fat content (around 36%) makes it whip up beautifully.
• Heavy whipping cream, or heavy cream, is natural, fresh cream skimmed from milk.
• Simple frost with the whipped cream, or pipe it for a fancier presentation
• Substitute: You can use an equal amount of Coconut Whipped Cream.

Powdered sugar

• Powdered sugar sweetens the whipped cream.
• Importantly, using powdered sugar ensures your whipped cream will be smooth.
• Substitute: If you don’t have powdered sugar on hand, make your own with my recipe—it’s fast and easy!

Maraschino cherries

• Maraschino cherries bring a sweet, mild cherry-almond flavor to the cake.
• Additionally, they give the cake a celebratory, nostalgic vibe,
• Substitute: You can simply omit the candied cherries, or use fresh whole berries or sliced fruit on top if you prefer (add fresh fruit right before serving).

Sprinkles

• Sprinkles give the cake color, a little crunch, and a party-ready look.
• Did you know you can make your own sprinkles? Check out my recipe.
• Substitute: Instead of sprinkles, top with more Oreo crumble or crushed cookies, chocolate chips, or chopped nuts.

How to Make Homemade Ice Cream Cake

Make the Chocolate Cookie Filling

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Crush and mix:  In a medium bowl, combine the crushed Oreos with the melted butter, then spread evenly on the prepared baking sheet.

3. Bake for 10 minutes, then let cool to room temperature.

Make the Ice Cream Cake

4. Prepare the pan: Line a 9-inch (23 cm) springform pan with 2 sheets of plastic wrap in opposite directions and with enough length to hang over the edges.
5. Soften vanilla ice cream: Let the vanilla ice cream sit at room temperature for 10 minutes, then transfer to a large bowl and stir it until it is evenly soft enough to spread but still frozen.

6. Layer with crumble: Spread the ice cream into the prepared pan, then spread the chocolate cookie filling on top, pressing down lightly into the ice cream.

7. Add fudge: Drizzle the hot fudge sauce over the cookie crumbs and freeze the cake for at least 1 hour.

8. Soften chocolate ice cream: Let the chocolate ice cream sit at room temperature for 10 minutes, then transfer to a large bowl and stir it until it is evenly soft enough to spread but still frozen.
9. Layer over the vanilla and crumble: Take the cake from the freezer and spread the chocolate ice cream on top.

10. Freeze: Fold the overhanging plastic wrap over the chocolate later, pressing down to cream and even surface. Freeze for at least 2 hours.

Frost the Cake

11. Make whipped cream: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or with a large bowl and a handheld electric mixer) whip the cream and powdered sugar on medium-high speed to stiff peaks, about 5 minutes.
12. Remove ice cream from pan: Release the sides of the pan, unwrap the cake and invert it onto a serving plate so that the chocolate layer is on the bottom.
13. Frost and decorate: Quickly frost the top and sides of the cake with the whipped cream, then decorate with piped rosettes (if desired) and cherries and sprinkles.

14. Freeze before serving: Return the cake to the freezer for at least 4 hours (and up to 4 days) before serving.

FULL (PRINTABLE) RECIPE BELOW! 

Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips

• Save a step: No need to scrape the cream out of the Oreos before crushing them!
• Crunch tip: Baking the Oreos briefly with a little butter will help them stay crunchy in the ice cream.
• Softening secret: When softening the ice cream, the outside of the tub will begin to melt before the center softens enough for spreading, so it is important to evenly soften the ice cream by stirring it in a bowl. If it melts too much, it will get icy as it refreezes.
• Favorite ice cream: Chocolate and vanilla ice cream is the classic combination, but you can use any two ice cream flavors that you like in the same proportions. Just make sure the flavor you use is smooth, and not one with chips or chunks. 
• Change up the crumble! Instead of Oreos you can use vanilla cream sandwiches, Nutter Butters or biscoff cookies if those better suit the flavors of ice cream that you choose.
•  Homemade touch: This ice cream cake can be made with any two flavors of our homemade 2-ingredient ice creams. If doing this, there is no need to freeze the ice cream before assembly—simply make the ice cream, assemble the cake, and then freeze.

Make Ahead and Storage Instructions

• Make-ahead instructions: Prepare this easy ice cream cake recipe without the frosting. Wrap well and freeze for up to eight weeks.
  • Prepare the Oreo crumble, cool it, and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to five days.
    • For longer storage, place the prepared Oreo crumble in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to eight weeks.
• How to store leftovers: Store leftover frosted ice cream cake in the freezer.
  • For the best taste and texture, enjoy the leftover cake within two weeks.

Variations and Mix-ins

• You can let your imagination go wild with the ice cream layer, but just make sure the ice cream you use does not have chips or chunks, or it might freeze up too hard. Here are some suggestions:
  • Strawberry Ice Cream
  • Mango Ice Cream
  • Cotton Candy Ice Cream
• Use mix-ins instead of, or along with, the Oreo crumble. You can try:
  • Crumbled chocolate cake and brownies
  • Marshmallow fluff
  • Peanut butter or Nutella swirls.

FAQs

What’s the best way to soften my ice cream?

• Let ice cream from the freezer sit on the counter for 10 minutes to start the softening.
• Put the ice cream in a bowl and stir gently until its texture resembles cake frosting.
• I’d avoid microwaving the ice cream to soften it, as it can melt unevenly and then become icy when you put it back in the freezer.

How do I slice and serve this cake?

• You can chill your serving plates to keep the cake from melting quickly.
• Let the Oreo ice cream cake sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before cutting.
• Use a sharp knife (not serrated).
• Run your knife under hot water and then dry it before slicing.
• Wipe the knife before making subsequent slices. Reheat the knife before each slice for the most effortless cutting.

More Frozen Treats Recipes

• Frozen Sherry Berry Trifle
• Espresso Parfait with Chocolate Caramel Sauce
• Frozen Lemon Lime Soufflé
• George’s Banana Split
• Cookies ‘n Cream Ice Cream Cake

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Strawberry Angel Food Cake