15 Creative Ways To Take Your Ice Cream Cake To The Next Level

I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream (cake)! This dessert has been a staple at childhood birthday parties for years, and for good reason. You won't have to pick between having ice cream or cake when you can have both in every bite. If you're someone who gets a bit bored with ho-hum vanilla cake, making an ice cream cake is an easy way to switch up your routine. 

While some brands sell ready-made ice cream cakes at the grocery store, they tend not to be as customizable and flavorful as you wish they were. If you want a tastier option for your next celebration, you're going to have to try your hand at making it yourself. Fear not; ice cream cake is relatively easy to make at home, and we have all of the tips that you need to make sure that your attempt at this cake is nothing short of triumphant. 

The name "ice cream cake" implies that you have to use a layer of cake in your dessert — but that isn't always the case. If you want to make the perfect ice cream cake, you'd be best off substituting that thick layer of sponge cake with something a bit thinner, like crushed cookies or biscuits. 

There are several reasons why making this swap may make sense. For one, your cake needs to be able to be stored in the freezer so that it stays solid. Sponge tends not to freeze very well because it's so thick and so dense. When you pull your cake entire cake out to slice it, you may find that the ice cream is easy to slice through, while the cake layer is as hard as a rock. 

Crumbled cookies don't freeze as hard as a cake layer, which makes them an excellent substitute. To add this layer to your cake, crumble up your cookies in a bag or food processor and mix the crumbs with a little melted butter. Then, press the base into the pan so that it forms a firm, supportive layer. Your cookie options here are endless, from gingersnaps and Oreos to graham crackers. You could even use blondies or brownies for the bottom layer of your ice cream cake because the high sugar content in these desserts will prevent them from freezing as solid. Yet, you'll still get that similar, cakey mouthfeel as you would with a normal sponge. 

When most people think of "ice cream cake," one made with a decadent, creamy ice cream filling often comes to mind. Vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, and cookies and cream, are some of the most popular options, but they're surely not the only options for constructing your cake. 

For one, you may consider making a three-ingredient ice cream cake that tastes like a nostalgic Creamsicle. While you could use vanilla ice cream and orange cake, you may want to consider swapping out the ice cream for orange sherbet. The flavor is much lighter and sweeter than classic ice cream, which will, in turn, impart a completely different mouthfeel to your dessert. You could also add a layer of chocolate cake to your dessert, since orange and chocolate are one of the best pairings out there. 

Lemon sherbet can also elevate your dessert, especially when it's paired with a white or yellow cake base. The flavor is quite summery and fresh, and leaves a ton of possibilities for serving it. Or, try one of those three-flavor sherbet containers instead. 

Making an ice cream cake isn't just about what you put in the cake; it's also about how you combine all of those ingredients together. One tip that will give you perfect layers in your ice cream cake is to always make sure your freezer is very, very cold before you start working. Unfortunately, you don't have a wide window between perfectly solid ice cream and a frozen dessert that melts into your clearly defined cake layers. 

The placement of your ice cream cake also matters. In order for the ice cream layer in your cake to freeze properly, it needs to have adequate airflow on all sides. So, clear out your freezer and try to place it in the center so that it can get blasted by the chilly air on all sides. Moreover, avoid opening the freezer door too often, as this may cause your cake to melt. While these steps may seem simple, they will ensure that your ice cream cake is perfectly shaped and easy to cut through. 

For most desserts, high-quality ingredients are the way to go. You'll be able to taste if you use a cheap vanilla in a batch of sugar cookies, or bottom-shelf cocoa in your brownie recipe. But for ice cream cake, cheap, highly aerated brands may be the way to go. 

Cheap ice cream from brands like Friendly's, Turkey Hill, and Hood is pumped full of a ton of air. This means that these ice creams have a far lighter mouthfeel compared to richer, fattier brands like Ben & Jerry's and Häagan-Dazs. The air essentially gives the ice cream its own sort of insulation, which can delay the melting process, Tyler Malek of Salt & Straw told Tasting Table. Moreover, the airiness of the ice cream is directly correlated to how well it will spread across your cake. You don't want a butter-like ice cream to stick to and pull off bits of sponge in the spreading process. 

Will your guests notice the difference between cheap ice cream and the high-end stuff? Probably not — especially when it's covered in frosting, filled with cake, and decorated to the nines with garnishes. 

Ice cream cake can admittedly be quite heavy and dense. If you're looking for a lighter dessert option, you may want to turn to ice cream lasagna instead. Instead of making your own cake for this recipe, this one repurposes the box of ice cream sandwiches that you may already have in your freezer. Start by unwrapping each sandwich and layering it inside of a baking pan. Then, pour in your sauce of choice, like fudge or caramel, before finishing off the top with another layer of cookies. You could also up the ante by adding a layer of whipped topping to the outside of the cake before popping the whole thing back in the freezer to set. 

What we love about this recipe is that fact that it can easily be assembled in a baking pan, which makes serving it at a gathering super easy. Plus, it's virtually no mess — though you may get some chocolate sandwich cookies on your fingers. 

Making ice cream cake for a crowd can be an arduous task. You have to prepare the ingredients, stack the layers, and, worst of all, make a ton of space in your freezer for the cake to set. Instead of making one big cake for your celebration, you may want to try and making miniature versions instead. 

One of the easiest ways to make this cake is to pull out your muffin tin. Once you line each well with a cupcake liner, then you can start packing in your layers. Cut out small rounds of cake with a mason jar and intersperse them in the liners along with softened ice cream, crumbled cookies, and dessert sauce. From there, you can pop the tray back into the freezer to encourage the ice cream to set. 

You can also make free-standing mini ice cream cakes, but you will have to work harder and faster to ensure that you can get the ice cream to stay long enough to re-harden. Use a ring mold to slice your cakes before spreading the frozen dessert on your sponges and topping them with your desired garnishes. 

Everything is better boozy, including ice cream cakes. Instead of using a plain ice cream flavor, consider swapping in a boozy ice cream instead. The alcoholic addition will help call attention to the other flavors in your dessert, like vanilla and anything citrusy. If you're just experimenting for the first time, try using a rum raisin ice cream. Its mild flavor pairs well with a vanilla or a spice cake base. 

There are a ton of different boozy ice cream brands out there to choose from but be advised that there are some mistakes that you'll want to avoid making with this boozy addition. Be aware that ice cream made with alcohol takes longer to freeze (which means you'll need to leave your ice cream cake in the freezer for longer to ensure that it sets). The alcohol content also alters its freezing point, so be prepared that your boozy selection will melt much quicker than one made without it. 

Chocolate ganache is one of the most underrated additions you can add to any dessert, ice cream cake included. The rich spread will add some bold intensity to your ice cream cake and make things all the more decadent. 

If you don't know where to start, take a look at our chocolate-covered pretzel ice cream cake recipe. The ganache itself is relatively simple to make at home; you'll just need to combine the heavy cream with the chocolate chips and melt everything down until it's smooth and creamy. Elevate the ganache by letting the ganache sit so that the flavors can bloom before you drizzle it onto your cake. Or, consider adding warming spices, like cinnamon and cloves, or a little bit of alcohol to alter its flavor and better complement your cake flavors. 

Part of the fun of making an ice cream cake is getting creative with the different ingredients and layers. While most store-bought ice cream cakes will come with one monotonous flavor of cake and one ho-hum ice cream flavor, when you make it at home, you can easily do a "little bit of this and a little bit of that" with your cake. For example, you may want to add cocoa powder to half of your cake batter and leave the other half vanilla so that you can alternate the layers. Or, swirl the two together for a fun, marbled effect. 

You can also add different layers of ice cream to your cake. Select flavors that are complementary, like peanut butter and chocolate or mint chocolate chip and chocolate, or take some inspiration from the Italian spumoni and layer in chocolate, cherry, and pistachio ice cream with a crushed chocolate waffle cone base. 

The dish that you assemble your ice cream cake in will often depend on the shape you're after. Round and square ice cream cakes are the status quo, but for the best ice cream cake ever, you'll want to ditch them for a loaf pan instead. That way, you can layer the inside of the pan with plastic wrap before putting your cake layers and ice cream inside of it.

If you're using the loaf tin to bake your cake ahead of time, be sure that you clean it out well and cool it down before you start layering your cake inside of it. Otherwise, you'll risk warming up the ice cream too much and it sloshing off the walls of your cake. Pound cake is one cake that can be baked in this tin and sliced before it's layered in the pan; try pairing it with strawberry ice cream and strawberry sauce for a play on a frosty strawberry shortcake.

A lot of times, ice cream cake will lean sweet and soft, rather than crunchy. But, any cake expert will know that adding texture is the key to any successful dessert. The limitation with adding crunchy ingredients to your ice cream cake, though, is that not all of those ingredients tend to freeze super well. Sometimes, they'll become too hard, and other times, the weight of the other layers and melty ice cream will turn them soft. 

When selecting items for your cake, try to think of the additions you'd often find in ice cream. Chopped walnuts and pecans, for example, can withstand the chilliness of your freezer and add a subtle crunchiness to your cake. You can also chop up some Reese's Pieces or M&Ms for a bit of sweet candy flavor and crunch in every bite. Pretzels, potato chips, and the like are also great additions, but you'll want to save those until right before serving to make sure that they don't get soft and mushy. 

Ice cream and cake isn't the only way that you can add your creative spin to this dessert. You also may want to consider adding syrups and sticky spreads to your cake, too. The best thing about it is that there are many store-bought versions of these sauces that you can pick up from your local grocery store and drizzle on your cake. For something absolutely decadent, try spooning on caramel sauce or boil a can of condensed milk to whip up a simple dulce de leche for your salted caramel ice cream cake. 

You can also try adding strawberry sauce to a white or yellow cake-based dessert. The trick is that you'll want to select a sauce that stays relatively soft and in a liquid state when it's in the freezer. Sauces containing strawberry juice or wet ingredients may cause issues with ice crystals and impact the flavor of your dessert altogether. 

Ice cream cake wouldn't be ice cream cake without the frosting. Although it doesn't play as big as a role in the success of this dessert as the cake or the ice cream, the frosting indeed makes this entire thing seem more fit for a birthday party or celebration. 

The best type of frosting to use on an ice cream cake is stabilized whipped cream frosting. Buttercream frosting, while it is surely decadent, will harden if it's kept too long in the freezer. Stabilized whipped cream frosting, on the other hand, will stay fluffy and soft and ensure that every bite is just as euphoric as the last. 

The "stabilized" element in this frosting comes from unflavored gelatin sheets that have been dissolved in water and slowly and incrementally added to your whipped cream base. From there, you can whip your frosting with electric beaters or a stand mixer so that it reaches the stiff peak stage and can be easily schmeared onto your cake base. The resulting icing has far more stability than a plain whipped cream. 

Leftover ice cream cones are more versatile of an ingredient than you may think. Not only can you use them as a vector for picking up a sweet dip, but you can also use them in your ice cream cake — both functionally and for decoration. Crumble up a bagful of ice cream cones and press the pieces into the bottom of your cake pan for an extra layer of crunch. Or, you can break up the cones into small shards and use them to decorate your cake. You can try and press the shards into the side of the frosting to create a scale effect, or make an avant-garde tower for the top of your cake. 

Ice cream cones come in many different flavors and varieties. To get the desired effect on your ice cream cake, you'll want to use waffle or crumbled sugar cones. Stay away from the soft, papery cake cones that will just disintegrate when they touch the sides of your cake. 

Ice cream cakes arguably always lean sweet. But after a while, that cloying mixture of sweet frozen ice cream, soft cake, and sweetened frosting can be a lot. If you want to add balance to your cake, you may consider reaching for some savory additions. Of course, you'll need to consider how each of these additions will do paired with a wet ice cream or kept in the inhospitable conditions of your freezer. 

Potato chips, which can add a subtle salty flavor that pairs well with chocolate and peanut butter, should be added to the cake right before it's served rather than left in the freezer, where they will turn into a salty mush. Salted peanuts are a great addition that will remain salty and hard even after they're placed into the freezer. You can also look to sauces, like salted caramel sauce, to balance out the flavors of your recipe without having to worry about issues with texture.