How to Make Ice Cream Cake That’s Better Than Dairy Queen

In the summertime, often a standard cake, no matter how damp and fluffy, can feel too heavy for dessert in heat. The service? Learning how to make ice cream cake. The cool, layered desserts look like a cake and cut like a cake, however taste like the ice cream sundae of your dreams.

You have most likely indulged in a piece or 2 of Dairy Queen’s well-known ice cream cake throughout the years. The cakes are still readily available and liked by DQ fans today– but believe it or not, you can DIY a much better ice cream cake in the house.

How to Make Ice Cream Cake

The recipe we’re sharing today is influenced by the DQ classic– made with chocolate and vanilla ice cream, chocolate ganache and a thick layer of chocolate cookie crumbles. Here’s what you require:

Chocolate Cookie Crunch

• 1 cup Oreo crumbs (about 12 Oreos)
• 2 tablespoons saltless butter, melted

Chocolate Ganache Filling

• 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• 3 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

Ice Cream Layers

• 1-1/2- quarts chocolate ice cream

Whipped Cream

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Editor’s pointer: You can acquire Magic Shell at the grocery shop, or make your own in the house.

Tools You’ll Need

Offset Spatula Action 1: Prepare the Cake Pan

Place a nine-inch springform pan into your freezer to chill. This will assist avoid the ice cream from melting as you put together the cake.

Action 2: Make the Chocolate Cookie Crunch

Preheat oven to 350 °. While it warms, pulse the Oreo cookies several times in a food mill. Add the melted butter and then pulse for a few more seconds till rough cookie crumbs remain. Discard the cookie crumbs out onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and expanded equally into a single layer. Bake for about 10 minutes then get rid of and let cool totally.

As soon as cool, in a medium blending bowl, integrate the cooled cookie crumbs with the chocolate Magic Shell. Stir to coat the crumbs uniformly and after that spread out back onto the parchment-lined baking sheet in a thin layer. Freeze for 30 minutes and then fall apart into small, coarse pieces. Keep cooled till ready to utilize.

Editor’s tip: Baking the Oreo crumbs helps make them additional dry and crisp so that they don’t end up being soggy from the moisture of the ice cream. It’s an extra action that’s well worth the effort.

Action 3: Make the Ganache

In a small saucepan, bring the heavy cream to a strong simmer. Eliminate from heat and after that pour over the semisweet chocolate chips in a medium glass bowl. Stir the whipping cream and chocolate until its totally smooth.

Include the corn syrup and vanilla extract to the chocolate-cream mix and stir up until glossy and fully integrated. Set aside the ganache and let cool completely. For more details, this guide discusses how to make ganache.

Step 4: Type an Ice Cream Barrier

While the ganache cools, remove the vanilla ice cream from the freezer and let soften for 15-20 minutes on the counter. When the ice cream has softened, spoon about half of the vanilla ice cream into a gallon-size freezer bag. (Return additional vanilla ice cream to the freezer.) Snip the corner of the bag to create a half-inch round opening. Start to pipeline the vanilla ice cream around the inside edge of the springform pan, working your method almost to the top of the pan.

When the ice cream has been piped to the top of the pan, use an offset spatula to smooth the edges of the ice cream. You desire to produce a thin, smooth wall of vanilla ice cream around the edge of the pan leaving a hollow center to include the staying ice cream, fudge and cookie collapses. Freeze for 20-30 minutes up until company.

Editor’s idea: If you don’t have a method of piping the ice cream, you can likewise simply utilize an offset spatula to scoop and mold the ice cream around the inside edge of the springform pan. It’s a bit messier but still works.

Step 5: Produce the Bottom Ice Cream Layer

Remove the chocolate ice cream from the freezer and let soften for 15-20 minutes. As soon as the vanilla ice cream “wall” has actually tightened in the pan, spoon the chocolate ice cream into the center of the cake pan lined with vanilla ice cream. Smooth and level the chocolate ice cream with a balanced out spatula.

Step 6: Add Fudge and Cookie Crumble

Next, pour a generous layer of the chocolate ganache over the chocolate ice cream layer. Smooth with an offset spatula before sprinkling the ganache with the cooled cookie crumbles. Carefully smooth out the crumbles to form an even layer. Freeze the chocolate ice cream, fudge and cookie collapse layers for 20-30 minutes till firm.

While the previous layers firm up in the freezer, get rid of the vanilla ice cream again and let it soften on the counter. Once the chocolate layers have actually tightened, spoon the staying softened vanilla ice cream over the other layers. Utilize the offset spatula to smooth the vanilla ice cream uniformly over the other layers. The vanilla layer should pertain to the extremely top of the springform pan.

As soon as that’s done, freeze the cake for at least four hourse, though overnight is finest.

Editor’s pointer: Reserve 1/4 cup of vanilla ice cream to utilize after freezing your cake. You can utilize the leftover vanilla to fill and ravel any thin patches or areas that get damaged after eliminating the outdoors ring of your springform pan.

Step 8: Make Whipped Cream Icing

While the cake freezes, prepare the whipped cream icing. Whip the whipping cream up until soft peaks begin to form. Include the powdered sugar and vanilla. Continue to whip till strong peaks form. Keep refrigerated until prepared to embellish the cake.

Step 9: Eliminate the Outer Ring

Eliminate the ice cream cake from the freezer and use a clean dishcloth taken in hot water to thaw and loosen up the ice cream from the sides of the springform pan. As you swipe the hot, damp rag over the exterior of the springform pan, you must see the ice cream start to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Thoroughly remove the outdoors ring of the pan. If the external ring does not get rid of easily, continue to warm the pan with the fabric up until it raises easily and cleanly off the cake. Next, utilize an icing smoother to tidy up any imperfections on the sides of the cake. Return the cake to the freezer for 20 minutes to tighten the outside edges prior to applying the icing.

Editor’s pointer: If you have a lazy Susan, using one to spin the cake as you smooth the sides can assist develop a cleaner, more professional completed cake. If the walls of your cake have thin spots or areas where chocolate is glancing through, utilize the reserved vanilla ice cream to fix.

Action 10: Embellish

Finish the cake by applying a thin, smooth layer of the whipped cream icing. Utilize a cake smoother or offset spatula to smooth the icing nicely over the sides and top of the ice cream. Pipe a ribbon of whipped cream icing around the top and bottom edge of the cake. We utilized a piping bag fitted with a star pointer.

To end up the cake, spray with your option of garnishes (sprinkles, nuts, M&M’s, etc.) and drizzle with caramel or chocolate sauce, if desired.

Discover how to write an unique message on your cake.

Action 11: The Final Freeze

Return the cake to the freezer for a minimum of 2 hours to firm up whatever prior to cutting and serving.

Ice Cream Cake Designing and Topping Concepts

When it pertains to toppings and decors for ice cream cakes, you’re just limited by your imagination! We kept things simple with our cake– selecting chocolate ganache leaks around the edge, a ribbon of piped whipped icing on the edges and bottom and a healthy smattering of rainbow sprays. Here are a couple of other decorating ideas you could try:

• Caramel or butterscotch drizzle
• Sliced nuts
• Chocolate shavings
• M&M’s sweets
• Sliced mint chocolate candies like Andes or York Peppermint Patties
• Sliced sweet bars like Snickers, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups or Twix
• Crushed Oreos, chocolate chip cookies or pretzels
• Cookie dough bits, pastry pieces or brownie bites

Can This Be Made Gluten-Free or Vegan?

Definitely. To make this dish gluten-free, swap all active ingredients for gluten-free ranges. There are lots of gluten-free ice creams, chocolates and Oreo-like cookies on the marketplace, so switching for these can be done in a 1:1 ratio. One component you’ll wish to pay close attention to is the powdered sugar for the whipped cream icing. While many powdered sugars are gluten-free, some include a starch that might contain gluten.

For a vegan dish, choose dairy-free and vegan-friendly active ingredient options. Whatever can be performed in a 1:1 swap with fantastic success. There are many vegan ice cream brand names to choose from that as a vegan it’s 100% possible to have your ice cream cake, and consume it too!

How to Cut an Ice Cream Cake

The secret to cutting an ice cream cake easily and easily? Utilizing a warm knife!

Begin by eliminating the ice cream cake from the freezer and letting it sit on the counter at space temperature level for 10-15 minutes. While the cake softens, put a large, sharp knife in a glass of hot, steaming water. When the cake has actually softened, get rid of the knife from the water and clean it dry on a tidy fabric. Slice the cake, beginning from the center and cutting in a smooth downward movement towards the external edge. Use a cake server to lift the first piece from the cake. Continue cutting the cake, cleaning up the knife with a fabric between each slice and warming the knife in the hot water bath as required.

How to Shop and Transportation Ice Cream Cake

This should be considered a severe sport! As noted above, investing in a simple cake carrier will be your secret to success. Prior to beginning your ice cream cake, we recommend clearing an area of your freezer that is large enough to permit the cake carrier to fit and sit level inside. If you have a drawer freezer, ensure your freezer opens wide enough (we might be speaking from individual experience).

You can securely and effectively transport an ice cream cake utilizing a large cooler or insulated food carrier. The technique is to ensure the vessel you are using is large enough to fit your cake provider together with a number of ice packs or bags of ice. For finest results, we recommend letting your ice cream cake freeze for 24 hr in the freezer before transporting it to make certain whatever is as frozen as possible. We likewise suggest packing your cake at the really eleventh hour before your departure.

Do not forget to make sure you belong to store your cake when you get to your destination. Your finest bet will be to have a freezer to transfer your ice cream cake to when you show up to keep it frozen till you’re all set to serve.