My 100% from-scratch Ice Cream Cake recipe sandwiches an easy homemade vanilla ice cream between two layers of fudgy chocolate cake. It’s a stunner of a cake that is PERFECT for birthdays! Recipe includes a how-to video!
The ULTIMATE Birthday Dessert
While many ice cream cakes are madeof just ice cream, that’s never been my favorite way to enjoy them. I like real cake layers in mine, and that’s exactly how I designed today’s ice cream cake recipe! Punctuated with fun sprinkles and frosted with stabilized whipped cream, never has a cake screamed it’s time to party so much since my Zebra cake!
My ice cream cake recipe consists of fudgy, rich chocolate cake layers and an incredibly easy ice cream center (no ice cream machine needed!). The cake layers themselves are a slightly scaled down version of my chocolate cupcakes (it makes the perfect cake-to-ice-cream ratio). The cake layers were specifically designed to be frozen and eaten cold, unlike most of my cake recipes.
I’ve included many recipes notes and a video (of course!) below, and I definitely recommend you watch the video if you’re nervous about assembling your cake. I like to use an acetate cake collar to make things easy, but I also include instructions in case you don’t have or don’t want to buy one.
What You Need
There are quite a few ingredients in the photo above, and while all of them are basic pantry staples, there are a few worth highlighting:
- Natural cocoa powder. I prefer using natural cocoa powder here, but you could use Dutch process instead. The flavor will be more intense with Dutch process cocoa.
- Hot water/coffee. Hot liquid helps to bloom the cocoa powder in the cake, ultimately intensifying the flavor for a rich chocolate cake. Use whichever you have on hand, but keep in mind that using coffee won’t actually make your cake taste like coffee (just in case you’re not a fan!).
- Corn starch. You know I love sneaking some cornstarch into my desserts to make them beautifully soft and tender, and this ice cream cake is no different. It helps make the cake sturdy, stackable, with a crumb that still melts-in-your-mouth despite being frozen!
- Sweetened condensed milk. We’ll use this to make an easy, no-churn ice cream layer for our ice cream cake. Make sure you’re using sweetened condensed milk and not evaporated milk, which won’t work!
- Heavy cream. Another ingredient for the ice cream, your heavy cream should be very cold in order to whip up properly.
SAM’S TIP: If you use 9″ pans instead of 8″ pans, the layers will be thinner and the bake time will be different as well. Keep an eye on your cakes while they bake; I recommend checking them after about 26 minutes with 9″ pans.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Ice Cream Cake
- Combine the dry ingredients, then stir in the egg, oil, and vanilla until combined. The batter will be a bit dry, but should be completely moistened. An electric or stand mixer makes easier work of this, but isn’t required!
- Add the milk and stir until the batter is evenly combined. Make sure you scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl, thicker/denser portions of batter like to hide out there and, if not incorporated, will yield a lumpy, sunken cake!
- Slowly pour in the hot coffee and gently stir until incorporated. Again, watch the sides and bottom (and be careful — don’t splash or burn yourself!).
- Divide the cake batter between two greased, floured, and parchment lined pans and bake for 30 minutes.
- Combine all ice cream ingredients except whipped cream and sprinkles, then whip the heavy cream in a separate bowl until it reaches stiff peaks. This means the mixture will be thick and fluffy and will resemble store-bought Cool Whip.
- Add the sprinkles and condensed milk mixture into the whipped cream and fold (no electric mixer here, just use a spatula!) until the mixture is cohesive.
- Bring one cake layer out of the freezer, place it on your serving platter, and wrap a cake collar securely around it. Note: I know not everyone keeps cake collars handy (I never did until this recipe), so of course I have instructions on how to do this without one, just head to the recipe!
- Pouring the entire ice cream mixture over your cake layer.It’ll seem like a LOT of ice cream, but I promise it’s not too much!
- Gently nestle your second chocolate cake layer on top of the ice cream layer. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the exposed surface, and freeze overnight.
- Prepare your whipped cream frosting and frost/decorate the outside of your cake. Voila — that’s it!
SAM’S TIP: Let your ice cream cake sit for several minutes before slicing, or simply run a knife under very hot water and then wipe dry before cutting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! This recipe is fantastic for preparing in advance. I typically assemble the cake layers and ice cream and let this sit in the freezer for a week or longer before decorating with frosting and serving.
Stabilized whipped cream frosting is really the best option for this cake. It freezes so well, has the perfect light texture, and isn’t too sweet. It’s really the only icing I recommend for this recipe. My homemade whipped cream is easier and will work too, but it can get a bit frosty, which I don’t love.
I don’t recommend any of my other buttercream-based frostings as they will become very hard/firm in the freezer and aren’t ideal for an ice cream cake. Cutting into it would be quite a chore.
Yes! I also have chocolate and strawberry variations of my no-churn ice cream, and you can certainly use those flavors instead of vanilla. I also have several other flavor suggestions in that post that you can use as well.
Or, if you’d like to skip the homemade ice cream step, feel free to substitute 1.5 quarts of your favorite ice cream. Just let it soften until it’s spreadable, then proceed with the recipe as written.
With two desserts wrapped into one, you couldn’t really ask for a better birthday cake!
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
Ingredients
For Cake Layers
- 1 ¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (141 g) + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (50 g) natural cocoa powder
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon table salt
- ⅓ cup (79 ml) avocado, canola or vegetable oil
- 1 large egg lightly beaten, room temperature preferred
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup (118 ml) whole milk room temperature preferred
- ¾ cup (177 ml) hot coffee may substitute hot/boiling water
For Ice Cream Layer (see note)
- 1 14 oz (396 g) can sweetened condensed milk
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 pinch fine sea salt ⅛ teaspoon, may substitute table salt
- 2 cups (473 ml) heavy cream very cold
- ⅓ cup (64 g) sprinkles optional (use “jimmies” or traditional sprinkles, nonpareils are likely to bleed)
- 1 batch stabilized whipped cream frosting see note
Recommended Equipment
Instructions
Cakes
- Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Spray two 8” round cake pans with baking spray (or grease and flour them) and line the bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.1 ¼ cups (250 g) granulated sugar, 1 cup (141 g) + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour, ½ cup (50 g) natural cocoa powder, 1 Tablespoon cornstarch, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ¾ teaspoon table salt
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add canola oil, egg, and vanilla extract and stir until completely combined/all the dry ingredients have been moistened (I like to use an electric mixer for this step but it may be done by hand, just a bit more work!).⅓ cup (79 ml) avocado, canola or vegetable oil, 1 large egg, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Stir in milk until batter is uniform and completely combined.½ cup (118 ml) whole milk
- Slowly drizzle in hot coffee or hot water, stirring until well-combined. Be sure to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl and ensure that the batter is uniform and smooth. Batter will be thin – this is normal!¾ cup (177 ml) hot coffee
- Evenly divide batter into prepared cake pans. Transfer to center rack of 350F (175C) preheated oven and bake 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or with a few moist, fudgy crumbs. Allow cakes to cool in cake pan for 15 minutes then run a knife around the edge and carefully invert onto a cooling rack to cool completely before proceeding.
- Once cakes are cooled, place in freezer while you begin to prepare ice cream (if you will be storing the cakes longer than an hour, wrap them tightly in plastic wrap before freezing).
Ice Cream
- Combine condensed milk, vanilla extract, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine.1 14 oz (396 g) can sweetened condensed milk, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, 1 pinch fine sea salt
- Pour cold heavy cream into a separate large mixing bowl and use an electric mixer to beat to stiff peaks (mixture should have greatly increased in volume and have a thick, fluffy consistency, like cool whip. If you lift a spoon or the beaters out of the cream, the peak that forms should be stiff and hold its shape without melting back down or folding over).2 cups (473 ml) heavy cream
- Add whipped cream to condensed milk mixture and add sprinkles. Use a spatula to gently fold together ingredients until uniform consistency.⅓ cup (64 g) sprinkles
Assembly
- Remove one cake layer from the freezer (unwrap if needed) and place on serving platter. If your cake collar is taller than 6”, trim it or it will be difficult to add your second cake layer.
- Wrap cake collar securely, tightly around the first cake layer and secure with tape. The collar should be straight up and down (don’t accidentally make it cone-shaped/skinnier at the top) and should overlap itself by several inches. Once you have secured the cake collar do not remove it until all layers have been frozen overnight.
- Pour ice cream over the first cake layer and smooth the surface with a spatula.
- Unwrap remaining cake layer and carefully, gently place over the ice cream.
- Cover the exposed layer by placing plastic wrap directly against the surface of the cake and return to the freezer to chill overnight before decorating.
- To decorate, prepare stabilized whipped cream frosting according to recipe(prepare just before removing cake) and decorate as desired.1 batch stabilized whipped cream frosting
- To serve, allow ice cream cake to sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before slicing and/or run a large, sharp knife under very hot water and then wipe dry before slicing. Cake may be served immediately, or stored in the freezer until ready to serve. Leftovers must be kept frozen.
Notes
How to make without a cake collar
A cake collar is a great inexpensive tool to have in your toolbox and you can find the one that I use linked in the equipment section above. However, if you don’t have one or don’t want to buy one, you can still make an ice cream cake. To do so, bake your cakes first. Then, clean one (cooled) cake pan and line the bottom and sides with plastic wrap or foil (or parchment paper, if you can get it flat and crease-free. Prepare your ice cream as instructed and pour it into the prepared cake pan and cover with plastic wrap. Individually wrap the cake layers as well. Freeze wrapped cake layers and ice cream overnight. The next day, assemble by unwrapping one cake layer, placing it on a cake platter, unwrapping the ice cream and inverting onto the first cake layer, then layering the second cake layer on top. Proceed to decorate as indicated!Store-bought ice cream
To substitute store-bought ice cream, you will need 1 ½ quarts of your preferred ice cream. Allow it to soften enough to be spreadable and then follow the above instructions for freezing and assembly.Cake size
You may instead make this cake as a 9” cake, just note that the bake time will be several minutes less for the cakes (start checking at 26 minutes). Keep an eye on them and use the toothpick test to check for doneness.Frosting note
For a simple covering of icing without a decorative border, make a single batch of my stabilized whipped cream frosting. To do the decorative border as shown in my photos, you will need 1 ½ batches. You can increase the recipe by 50% or simply double it (you’ll have some extra left over).Storing
Wrap leftovers in plastic wrap and freeze in an airtight container for up to a month.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
Paige
Absolutely loved this ice cream cake. Used store bought ice cream and it was so easy!
Wondering can I use these cake layers in a normal frosted cake? I find most recipes too dense and loved the chocolate taste but lightness of these layers!
Thanks!
Sam
Hi Paige! I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe so much!! Yes, absolutely you can use the cake layers to make a regular cake. Note that the layers are delicate, so a lighter, creamy frosting works well to not tear up the cake as you’re applying it, or just do a crumb coat when frosting. Enjoy!
Bruce
I can never make this, because I never have that much room in my freezer.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Sounds like it’s time for a fridge clean-out! 😉 Hope you get to try it one day, Bruce!
Beth
So delicious! I used store-bought ice cream to save some time but absolutely love the flavors of this chocolate cake and stabilized whipped cream frosting. Thank you for another great recipe! I did notice when I leveled off the domed cakes there were some “tunnels” which I haven’t seen in other cakes. Any advice?
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Beth! Is it possible the cakes could have been over-mixed? This could cause the issue you are explaining. 🙁
Momma Mel
So stinkin good! It was almost gone and I was shocked only because people who don’t usually have dessert had dessert and many went for seconds! I had leftovers of it the night after I served it and I rarely eat sweets.
Emily @ Sugar Spun Run
Sounds like it was a huge hit for you! We’re so happy everyone enjoyed it 😊
Cristi
I made this for my grandson’s 9th birthday and it was a BIG hit. They couldn’t believe I made it all from scratch. Will definitely make this again!
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Cristi! 🙂
Tracy
Hi, I only have 7″ cake pans. Would that work here or would the cake and ice cream layers be too thick? I am planning to use store-bought ice cream so I could always use a bit less. What do you think? Thanks!
Sam
Hi Tracy! There will be a bit too much batter for 7 inch pans. Reducing it to fit perfectly could be tough so I would probably just discard any excess. 🙂
Tracy
Thanks for your reply!
Amy
Hi, can you add peppermint extract to the ice cream ingredients so it’s minty? My son would love mint ice cream. Thanks!!
Sam
Hi Amy! I think that could work just fine. 🙂
Carol Lartigue
Sam, can I add broken Oreos to the ice cream portion of your ice cream
cake?
Sam
Hi Carol! That should work just fine. 🙂
Lauren
Would it be okay to color the stabilized whipped cream? I wanted to do yellow for Pikachu but don’t want to mess it up.
Sam
Hi Lauren! Yes you can definitely color it, I stir in the food coloring at the end. Enjoy!
Lauren
Thank you! I can’t wait to try. I’m going to use your white cake recipe.
?
Maddie
Do you know if this would work if the batter was divided into four 6inch round cake pans, yielding in two smaller completed cakes? Thanks!
Sam
Hi Maddie! I don’t foresee any issues doing that. 🙂
Karli Jill Schoenleber
Hi Sam, if I want to use white cake instead of chocolate for the ice cream cake, what’s the best recipe to use? Thanks!
Sam
Hi Karli! I think my white cake would probably work well here. 🙂
Lorley
Ok it’s 110 degrees here in Phoenix and the grandkids are visiting. We all Loved this little ice cream cake. I used vanilla Hagen Daz ice cream only because I had to use it up. I put the ice cream in the fridge for an hour and it was easy to spread and not melty. Love the moist chocolate cake. I added some home made hot fudge swirled in the ice cream and drizzled on top of your whipped cream frosting. It was like eating a hot fudge sundae. Thank you for making me a better baking grandma. Grandkids say thanks too!
Sam
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed it so much, Lorley! 🙂
h
I have a question, does avocado oil work for this recipe or will it make the cake taste different?
Sam
It could work, but will definitely have a different flavor to it.
Zach
First off, I want to say I love this site. I have never made a recipe from this site that I did not like. I got hooked on the Christmas cookie recipes and this is now my go to site for baking. I made this cake for my son’s birthday and it was a hit. I actually made two. One regular, and the other dairy free/gluten free. My sister-in-law, niece, and nephew can’t have either for medical reasons, but I didn’t want to leave them out. So, two cakes it is. I went with strawberry ice cream since that is my son’s favorite and the combo of strawberry and chocolate is hard to beat for me. The regular one was great. The cake was rich and moist, and we all liked the ice cream and frosting as they weren’t overly sweet. I did not use a cake collar for this, but I kind of wish I had. I followed the instructions on using a cake pan and it did work, but I can see how it would work a little better with the collar. My ice cream layer was a little wider than my cake layers. But that was me being nit picky with what I made. It tasted great and once you put the frosting on, you don’t notice. For the dairy free ice cream, I used evaporated oat milk, and Silk Dairy Free Heavy Whipping cream. I went with the evaporated oat milk as I didn’t want it to have too much of a coconut flavor and the Silk whipping cream uses coconut milk or oil. Ice cream turned out great. If you taste test them on their own you can tell a difference, but once it was part of the cake it was harder to tell apart. For the GF/DF cake I used a recipe from King Arthur Flour’s website only because I didn’t have a substitute for the regular milk called for in this recipe and wasn’t confident about omitting it completely. But I essentially took the ingredients they called for and used your instructions and it worked out very well. I used King Arthur’s Measure for Measure flour which mixes very well and didn’t have a gritty feel that some other GF flours can have. I also used the Silk Dairy Free Whipping cream for the stabilized whipped cream frosting. I have a harder time getting to stiff peaks compared to regular whipping cream so it was definitely not as firm when I was putting it on the cake. Fortunately since it went right to the freezer, it worked out just fine. My sister-in-law and her family loved it. Sorry for the lengthy comment but thought I would provide a little input in case anyone was curious about a GF/DF version, but also to say this recipe is a winner and I will definitely be making it again, which is pretty much what I do with all of these recipes.
Sam
Thank you so much, Zach! I’m so glad you enjoyed it and I really appreciate the feedback on your substitutions. 🙂
Angela
Love the cake and ice cream together!
My family has never liked the no churn ice cream made with heavy cream and sweetened condensed milk. Do you have any tips for spreading store bought ice cream smoothly? If you let it thaw too much and refreeze it, does it have an odd taste?
Sam
Hi Angela! I’m not sure how you would do it with store bought ice cream. I’d be worried about it having ice chunks in it if you thaw it and refreeze it.
Jennifer Young
I’ve made this twice and it was the hit of the party both times. The cake is perfectly dense and moist. I did use store bought ice cream- I softened it slightly then pressed it into my cake pan that was lined with plastic wrap. I put it in the freezer and then when I was ready to build the cake I just pulled off the plastic and placed the ice cream layer on the cake. I also put a layer of broken Oreos and store bought fudge on top of the 1st cake layer (I used Cookies and Cream ice cream). I’m getting ready to make this again for a birthday this week.
Question- do you have a vanilla cake recipe that is good for freezing?
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Jennifer! I think you could try my vanilla cake, just know that vanilla cakes typically are more dense than the chocolate cake so it will be a bit different.