This easy homemade Ice Cream Cake is made in a regular baking dish with a layer of real cake, fudge sauce, ice cream and whipped cream. The flavor options are endless!
Ice cream cake is my newest dessert creation and it’s bound to become a family birthday tradition alongside German Chocolate Cake, Carrot Cake and classic Chocolate Cupcakes.
What Sets this Ice Cream Cake Apart:
- Real cake! So many ice cream cake recipes are really just blocks of ice cream with whipped cream and frosting. Not this recipe! This ice cream cake is made with yummy chocolate cake and ice cream and a layer of fudge sauce in the center.
- Adaptable: Feel free to make this recipe with yellow cake, or even (heaven forbid) a boxed cake mix! You can also vary the toppings and ice cream flavors. Find more ideas below.
- No special equipment. All you need is an 8 or 9 inch baking pan (or double the recipe for a 9×13 inch pan).
How to Make the BEST Ice Cream Cake:
1. Prepare the cake: Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add sour cream, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
2. Allow cake to cool completely.
3. Top with fudge sauce and ice cream. Spread a thin layer of hot fudge sauce over the top of the cake. Allow ice cream to soften on the counter for 10-15 minutes and then spoon it onto the cake, and spread into an even layer.
4. Freeze for several hours (overnight for best results), until ice cream is firm.
5. Serve: top with whipped cream and sprinkles!
Variations and Adaptations:
- Use different cake flavors: substitute a HALF recipe for Yellow Cake, Carrot Cake, Dark Chocolate Cake, Lemon Cake or any boxed cake mix flavor (only using half of the mix).
- Substitutes for the fudge: Caramel sauce, Chocolate Mousse, Raspberry filling, crushed Oreos.
- Add different toppings: top the cake with frosting, sprinkles, crushed cookies, mini chocolate chips, M&M’s, crushed Reese’s or other small candies.
- Oreo Ice Cream Cake: substitute Oreo crust for the chocolate cake. Top with ice cream, hot fudge, and whipped cream. Freeze.
- Make Ice cream cupcakes: Bake cupcakes and allow them to cool completely. Use a small knife to cut out a hole in the top of the cupcakes, scooping out some of the center. Fill it with ice cream and smooth fudge sauce on top of the cupcake or dip it in melted chocolate. Freeze.
- Cookie Ice Cream Cake: substitute Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars in place of cake. Allow them to cool completely and follow steps 7-10 of the recipe card.
- Brownie Ice Cream Cake: Substitute brownies or blondies in place of cake. Allow them to cool completely and follow steps 7-10 of the recipe card.
- Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Substitute Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream and use yellow cake!
Storing Ice Cream Cake:
Ice cream cake should be stored in the freezer. Cover it well with plastic wrap and freeze it without whipped cream topping for 2-3 months of for 1 week with whipped cream topping.
If you need to transport the cake, place it in a cooler with ice packs or dry ice.
You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST for more great recipes!
Recipe
Ice Cream Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt (or sour cream)
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 2 Tbsp oil (vegetable or canola oil)
- 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup boiling water
For the Ice cream layer:
- 1 ½ cups Hot Fudge Sauce
- 48 oz container of Ice cream (your favorite kind), softened
Whipped Cream Topping:
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 Tablespoons powdered sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350°F. Grease an 8 or 9-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
- Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl.
- Add sour cream, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed for 1 minute.
- Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake for about 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Allow cake to cool completely.
- Spread a thin layer of fudge sauce over the top of the cake.
- Remove ice cream from the freezer and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes. Stir well to soften enough to spread onto the cake.
- Freeze for several hours, until ice cream is firm.
- Beat whipped cream for 1 minute. Mix in powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until stiff peaks. Smooth whipped cream over the top and top with sprinkles, maraschino cherry, or other crushed candies for decoration, if desired.
- Store ice cream cake in the freezer, covered well, without whipped cream topping for 2-3 months or for 1 week with whipped cream topping.
Notes
- Cake Flavors:Â Substitute a HALF recipe for Yellow Cake, Carrot Cake, Dark Chocolate Cake, Lemon Cake or any boxed cake mix flavor (only using half of the mix).
- Substitutes for Fudge: Caramel Sauce, Chocolate Mousse, Raspberry Filling, or crushed Oreos.
- Different Toppings: Top the cake with frosting, sprinkles, crushed cookies, mini chocolate chips, M&M's, crushed Reese's or other small candies.
- Oreo Ice Cream Cake: Substitute Oreo crust for the chocolate cake. Top with ice cream, hot fudge, and whipped cream. Freeze.
- Ice Cream Cupcakes: Bake cupcakes and allow them to cool completely. Use a small knife to cut out a hole in the top of the cupcakes, scooping out some of the center. Fill it with ice cream and smooth fudge sauce on top of the cupcake or dip it in melted chocolate. Freeze.
- Cookie Ice Cream Cake: Substitute Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars in place of cake. Allow them to cool completely and follow steps 7-10 of the recipe card.
- Brownie Ice Cream Cake: Substitute brownies or blondies in place of cake. Allow them to cool completely and follow steps 7-10 of the recipe card.
- Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches
- Substitute Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream and use yellow cake!
Nutrition
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tag @TastesBetterFromScratch on Instagram with #TastesBetterFromScratch!
HAVE YOU TRIED THIS RECIPE?!
RATE and COMMENT below! I would love to hear your experience.
This post contains affiliate links.
Panna cotta recipe
Hi Joye, you can find my Panna Cotta recipe here: https://tastesbetterfromscratch.com/panna-cotta/
I am not the best at making cakes but decided to try this for my son’s birthday. It is my new go to! Super easy and everyone loved it. It’s the one cake that disappeared quickly and we didn’t have it in the freezer for weeks. The hot fudge makes it so good…and fun to switch up the flavors!
If I use a box mix, I use just half the box AND the “wet” ingredients listed in the recipe? Yes?
Perfectly delicious!