Growing up, Carvel ice cream cake was the birthday centerpiece I looked forward to all year! As an adult, I keep the tradition alive by treating myself to a mini version on Valentine’s Day and savoring it over a few days, one delicious slice at a time. This homemade cake captures all the joy of the original with layers of no-churn chocolate and vanilla ice cream, a generously thick band of chocolate crunchies, and those unmistakable blue whipped cream scallops topped with rainbow sprinkles. The clear vanilla extract in this recipe really gives you that nostalgic vanilla birthday cake flavor. It’s a playful dessert that feels celebratory and costs less than its store-bought counterpart. —Hetal Vasavada, San Francisco, California
Hetal Vasavada’s Ice Cream Cake
Prep Time
45 min
Yield
8 servings
Ingredients
- CAKE:
- 4 chocolate Oreo Cakesters
- 8 Oreo cookies, crushed
- 1-3/4 cups sweetened condensed milk
- 1/4 cup baking cocoa
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract
- FROSTING:
- 1-3/4 cups whipped cream
- 1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
- 2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Blue food coloring
- Sprinkles
Directions
- Crumble snack cakes in a bowl. Add crushed Oreo cookies, and set aside.
- Line the bottom of a springform pan with plastic wrap. Line the sides with parchment paper or acetate; set aside.
- In a large bowl, add half of the condensed milk, baking cocoa, salt and 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk heavy cream until stiff peaks form, 4-5 minutes. Add half the whipped cream to the chocolate mixture; whisk until well combined. Add the rest of the sweetened condensed milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract to the remaining half whipped cream and whisk until well combined.
- To assemble, evenly spread the chocolate mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan. Tap the pan on the counter to release any air bubbles. Sprinkle crumbled cookies mixture over top. Evenly layer with vanilla whipped cream mixture. Tap a few more times to remove air bubbles; cover with plastic wrap. Freeze for at least 6 hours.
- Once frozen, prepare frosting. In a large bowl, combine whipped cream, confectioners’ sugar, clear vanilla extract and vanilla extract. Whisk until stiff peaks form, 4-5 minutes.
- Remove cake from pan and place on a serving plate. Frost top and sides with frosting, reserving some for piping. If desired, use a scalloped comb on cake edges.
- Tint remaining frosting with blue food coloring. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Decorate cake as desired and garnish with sprinkles. Freeze at least one hour before serving.