5 Store-Bought Ice Cream Cakes You Should Try For Your Next Party

Ice cream has long been associated with celebratory occasions — winning a big game, acing a test, or simply surviving a hot day. When this rewarding treat is combined with cake, the icon of parties, something beautiful is born: ice cream cake, the offspring of two adored desserts.

Having a summer birthday, ice cream cakes were always a must for me. Each year I would beg to blow out my candles over a frozen cake, and my parents would reluctantly agree, knowing full well that only about a third of the confection would survive the summer heat. Ice cream cakes might not last long, but they will always make summertime parties more fun.

While some of these delights veer more toward the ice cream side and just so happen to be in the shape of a cake, many have unexpected layers of frosting, candy, and baked goodies. Making the perfect ice cream cake at home has its advantages, like having free rein over flavors and mix-ins, but it's a taxing process. Plenty of gourmet ice cream shops create stunning ice cream cakes to order, but if you're short on time or money, many grocery store chains carry a few classic confections, offering different flavors intended to provide something for everyone. I scoured every supermarket I could find to hunt down the most popular store-bought ice cream cakes and determine which are worthwhile for your next party. 

As the proud creator of soft serve ice cream, Tom Carvel set the standard for ice cream cakes. Part of what makes an ice cream cake so special is that specific texture of the frozen ice cream, and soft serve seems to be a key ingredient to mastering that unique bite. The Carvel Lil' Love Ice Cream Cake, filled with creamy chocolate and vanilla ice cream, delivers that ideal mouthfeel. 

When fresh out of the freezer, the soft center of this confection almost has a chewiness to it that's similar to frozen Cool Whip. A layer of crushed cookie-like chocolate delight separates the two luscious ice cream flavors to give us a perfectly balanced slice of cake, hitting all the nostalgic notes.

Maybe it's the magic of Carvel's soft serve, or maybe it's the spacious packaging, but this miniature ice cream cake seemed to keep its form much better than the others I tried, which all started melting within minutes of being placed out on the table. Ice cream cakes are typically quick to disappear at a party, but on the off chance that folks are too busy having fun to have seconds, there's comfort in knowing that a small Carvel ice cream cake can last for a while. 

Walmart's Marketside brand has gone all-out with its ice cream cake selection. Since being introduced, these frozen delights from Walmart have made a lot of sweet teeth very happy. The retailer's freezer section is stocked with flavors like butter pecan, cookie dough, and my new favorite, mint chocolate chip. 

This mint chip ice cream cake has a taste that hints at its artificial flavorings, which isn't much of a surprise given its bright-green color. Nonetheless, its distinctly minty profile adds to the warm nostalgia evoked with every bite, and makes this a light, creamy cake with an almost refreshing taste. It's a nice change of pace from the standard chocolate and vanilla flavors found in store-bought ice cream cakes. This Walmart ice cream cake is topped with chocolate shavings that add a desired texture to each spoonful, along with a rich chocolate cookie-crumb base.

A big bonus when plating this cake is that it's sold in a handy plastic ring to keep it intact, so the party doesn't end with a melty mess. The thick crust helps to keep the cake in place, and if the cake is devoured as soon as it's pulled from the freezer, each bite has an extra-crumbly nature. 

In my opinion, an ice cream roll is just as exciting as an ice cream cake. It's super-easy to serve this by the slice, and the roll seems to withstand the heat a bit longer without thick layers of icing. For Oreo fans, this confection is a summer dream. The Oreo Ice Cream Roll skips all the frosting fuss, tasting exactly how you'd imagine a giant frozen Oreo would be. 

Thick vanilla ice cream and crushed Oreos make up the center, which is then coated in a layer of more crushed Oreo cookies that are nearly obliterated into a powder. Apart from being incredibly simple to plate, slices of the Oreo Ice Cream Roll have a special advantage — being cookie shaped. There are lots of tips for how to make the best ice cream sandwiches at home, but starting out with an Oreo Ice Cream Roll is the best one yet. The round shape of the roll makes the slices an ideal shape to sandwich between two gooey cookies. 

The first ice cream cake that I ever experienced — which changed my life — was a Friendly's classic. It was the Celebration Roll, which is comprised of creamy chocolate and vanilla ice cream, blue icing, and their signature chocolaty crunchies, aka crushed cookie-like bits. 

As legendary as the Celebration Roll is, Friendly's Chocolate Krunch Ice Cream Cake is a welcome change. Nine-year-old me would never believe what I'm about to state, but the Celebration Roll has just a tad too much icing. In contrast, the Chocolate Krunch cake has more ice cream than frosting, and the crunchy chocolate crumbles practically explode from the center.

The name alludes to a rich, decadently chocolaty center, but this cake actually offers the best of both worlds. It's made up of vanilla and chocolate ice cream with the iconic crunchies stuffed in the middle. This is definitely a great choice for chocolate cake lovers, but it will equally appease those who gravitate toward vanilla. It's coated in just the right amount of fluffy white frosting, which tastes a bit like marshmallow. This cake is finished with perfectly ribboned piping around the outside, offering an almost angelic presentation. 

Full disclosure: I'm not a huge peanut butter person. I've always appreciated the flavor but could never get used to the way that peanut butter sticks to the roof of your mouth. 

Luckily, a perk of many desserts that are flavored with peanut butter is dodging that sticky mouthful. The Hershey Company found the perfect middle ground with its Reese's Premium Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cake, made of creamy chocolate ice cream and a thin layer of peanut butter. Just when I was about to declare that I wasn't particularly impressed with this cake, I reached the layer of crushed Reese's Peanut Butter Cups in the middle, including some pieces hefty enough to practically bend a knife's blade. Combined with the silky-smooth texture of the chocolate ice cream, the big chunks of peanut butter cups really balance out each bite.

With the right amount of melting time, this cake could successfully cross over into McFlurry territory. Die-hard Reese's fans will be giddy when they spot this ice cream cake on the dessert table, but so will anyone who believes that a bowl of ice cream isn't complete without toppings. 

These five ice cream cakes were chosen based on popularity, brand recognition, and accessibility. I selected affordable cakes that are widely available in grocery stores nationwide, rather than artisanal options only sold at specialty ice cream chains. 

To determine the best store-bought ice cream cakes for parties, I tasted each cake and considered its flavor, texture, longevity, and presentation. The delicious cakes that made this list each have layers of contrasting flavors, including cookie pieces, crushed candy, and chocolate shavings. I also thought about what was the best type of frosting to use on an ice cream cake, and each confection's size was also factored in when choosing how suitable they would be for a party. Every one of these ice cream cakes has a distinct flavor profile, so this selection can appeal to diverse taste buds.