Warmer weather means more ice cream cakes, right?!? Well, I guess in our house we’re pretty much game for ice cream cake during any time of year. It’s just so hard to say no to that magical cake and ice cream mashup…even when it’s snowing outside. π So when my husband requested a homemade ice cream cake for his birthday (back in March) I happily obliged by creating this Chocolate Cookies & Cream Ice Cream Cake!
Why chocolate? Why cookies and cream? Because they are two of my husband’s all-time favorite flavors! In all honesty, you could use just about any flavor of cake that your heart desired. And the same goes for the ice cream flavor – it’s pretty easy to switch up ice cream mix-ins…or flavored extracts.
So, if you’re not a fan of chocolate or Oreo cookies (but really, does that person even exist?) you could still create this delectable ice cream cake with your own flavors of choice.
In fact, you could even simplify the recipe by using store-bought ice cream – just make sure to let it sit out for awhile to soften, before trying to add it to the cake. π
In contrast, if you’re itching for more of a challenge…you can make the entire thing from scratch, instead of using a store-bought cake mix as the base. It’s entirely up to you. Either way, you’re going to end up with one delicious ice cream cake!
Chocolate Cookies & Cream Ice Cream Cake
Ingredients:
- For the Chocolate Cake:
- Baker’s Joy (Cooking Spray with Flour Added)
- Betty Crocker Super Moist Chocolate Fudge Cake Mix
- 1-1/4 Cups Water
- 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
- 3 Eggs
- For the Ice Cream:
- 1 Cup Whole Milk
- 3/4 Cup Sugar
- 2 Cups Heavy Cream
- 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
- 3/4 Cup Oreo Cookies, Crumbled
- 1/4 Cup Oreo Cookies, Ground into Crumbs (We love using a food processor for this step)
- Ice Cream Maker (We use a Cuisinart Automatic Frozen Yogurt – Ice Cream – Sorbet Maker)
- For Decorating:
- Oreo Cookies + Crumbs
- Reddi Wip Whipped Cream Topping
Step One: Baking the Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350Β° F for shiny metal or glass cake pans…OR…325Β° F for dark or non-stick cake pans.
- Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with Baker’s Joy Cooking Spray, and set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, water, vegetable oil, and eggs. Using an electric hand mixer, beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
- Divide the cake batter evenly between the two cake pans.
- Place in the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and let cool in the pans for 10 minutes, before removing them from the pans, and placing them on a wire cooling rack, to cool completely. Make sure that your cakes are completely cool, before decorating – if you add ice cream to a warm/hot cake, it will just melt and make a giant, soggy cake mess. π
Step Two: Making the Homemade Ice Cream
- Make sure that the bowl of your ice cream maker has been in the freezer for at least 24 hours.
- In a medium bowl, combine the whole milk and sugar. Mix with an electric hand mixer (or whisk) on low speed for approximately 1-2 minutes, or until the sugar has dissolved.
- Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla.
- Place your freezer bowl onto the ice cream maker base, insert the mixing arm, and attach the lid.
- Turn the ice cream machine on, and pour the ice cream mixture through the ingredient spout in the center of the lid.
- Let mix for approximately 25 minutes, or until the ice cream has thickened.
- Pour the crumbled Oreo chunks, as well as the Oreo crumbs, through the top ingredient spout.
- Let mix for five additional minutes, until the Oreo cookies are thoroughly incorporated into the ice cream.
- Turn the machine off and place the ice cream bowl into the freezer, while you prepare the base layer of the cake. Keep in mind that it will be easier to spread the ice cream onto the cake while the ice cream is still soft. If it sits in the freezer for too long, the ice cream will harden a bit, and become more difficult to spread.
Step Three: Decorating the Cake
- Using a serrated knife, carefully cut the tops off of your cooled cake rounds, making the tops flat.
- Place one cake round in the center of a cake plate. Top with a layer of homemade cookies & cream ice cream (using approximately 1/3 of the ice cream).
- Top the ice cream with full-sized Oreo cookies – working from the inside out. If you need to, you can cut the Oreo cookies with a sharp knife.
- Add another layer of cookies & cream ice cream on top of the Oreo cookies (another 1/3).
- Place the second cake round on top, pressing down gently.
- Add the last 1/3 of the homemade ice cream to the top of the cake.
- Apply small squirts of Reddi Wip Whipped Cream evenly around the top of the cake. Add one squirt of whipped cream in the center.
- Place one whole Oreo cookie into the center of each dot of whipped cream.
- Sprinkle the cake with Oreo cookie crumbs.
- Transfer the cake to the freezer, until ready to serve. If it will be awhile before the cake is eaten, you will want to carefully cover it with a cake plate topper or plastic wrap.
- Remove the ice cream cake from the freezer 5-10 minutes prior to eating – making it much easier to cut.
- Enjoy!
- Cover any remaining pieces of cake with plastic wrap and return to the freezer.
This cake will keep in the freezer for up to a few days.
Pouring over all of these cake photos again is making my mouth water. I guess it must be time to pop back in the kitchen and whip up a brand new ice cream cake creation!
Do you love ice cream cake, but wish it could be just a little bit easier to put together? Then you have to try our Nutella & Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cake! Ice cream cake was never easier (unless you just buy one from the store, of course). π And if you’re not one for ice cream cake, perhaps this delicious Kit Kat Cake will suit your fancy.
