I’m a firm believer that ice cream cake is always better than regular cake, no matter the occasion. I get the appeal of a traditional layer cake, but the cake often ends up dry and the frosting can be almost too rich.
Maybe it’s childhood nostalgia for the Carvel ice cream cake that was on the table at my birthday every year, but I’m not sure there’s anything better than two layers of ice cream sandwiching a layer of crunchy cookies.
Not convinced yet? Here are three reasons ice cream cake should be on the menu at your next celebration.
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Weeknight cooking inspiration, curated and written by longtime ATK author and editor (and avid home cook) Jack Bishop.
The flavor combinations are endless
Regular cake has its limits—there are only a handful of cake and frosting flavors to choose from. But you can use literally ANY ice cream flavor in an ice cream cake—there are no wrong answers here. And since our recipe makes a two-layer treat, you get to use two different flavors. Then, you can customize your cake even more with . . . the crunchies! While Carvel’s chocolate bits will always have a special place in my heart, crushing up your favorite cookies or candies is even better—and lets you get out some pent-up aggression too.
It’s so easy that a 5-year-old can make it
Making an ice cream cake couldn’t be easier: no oven, no knife, just a freezer and some time to kill. It is worth investing in a springform pan to help with shaping and serving. And I wasn’t joking about the 5-year-olds: This recipe appears in our cookbook designed for kids ages 5 and up, My First Cookbook. Six-year-old recipe tester Benjamin declared, “It was fun, especially the cookie-crushing act!”
ATK Kids My First Cookbook
This collection of kid-friendly recipes—with as much mixing, rolling, scrunching, and squishing as possible!—is designed to introduce kids ages 5 to 8 to the kitchen, along with their grown-ups. It's not about getting dinner on the table, but about doing fun cooking projects together.
Buy NowIt’s the ideal make-ahead dessert
An assembled ice cream cake can hang out in the freezer, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to a week, which is perfect if you’re planning ahead for a party, or if you just want to eat it on your own, slice by slice.
Mint Chip Ice Cream Cake
This no-bake ice cream cake is filled with layers of chocolate and mint chip ice cream, but you can use ANY flavors you’d like!
Get the Recipe
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