Is there anything better than an ice cream cake on a hot summer day? It’s perfect for a birthday party, of course, but it’s also a great all-in-one anytime dessert that brings together fluffy cake and cold, creamy ice cream. But if you’ve ever stood in the freezer aisle at the store, staring down the hefty price tags, or tried to make your own at home from scratch, you know the struggle.
That’s why when chef, cookbook author and food creator Kelly Senyei (@justataste) shared her super-easy method for her DIY ice cream cake, I knew I had to try it. It’s simple, fun and infinitely customizable.
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How to Make a Shortcut Ice Cream Cake
Kelly’s genius idea starts with a key ingredient from the store: a frozen pound cake. The key here is to look for an option that comes in one of those aluminum pans, like Sara Lee pound cake.
Start by taking the cake out of the pan and slicing it horizontally into three slices. Line the pan the pound cake came in with plastic wrap, leaving plenty hanging over the sides. This will make it easy to lift the finished cake out of the pan once it’s frozen solid.
To build the ice cream cake, place one layer of cake on the bottom of the lined pan. Spread a few scoops of softened ice cream over the cake and sprinkle in chocolate chunks, cookie bits or whatever mix-ins you love. Add the second cake layer, more ice cream and more mix-ins, then top with the third cake layer. Wrap it all up tightly with the overhanging plastic and pop it in the freezer.
A few hours later (or overnight, if you’ve got that kind of patience), you’ll have a fully frozen, sliceable ice cream cake. Take it out, unwrap it and top it with whipped cream and sprinkles. Slice and serve immediately.
A few days after we saw Senyei’s version, another take on this idea came across our feed. Jeanette Donnarumma of @jeanettemadeit, did a video of a similar shortcut ice cream cake from @adreabuckettcooks new cookbook, The Essential Cottage Cookbook. This version uses store-bought pound cake, but Donnarumma built the dessert in a loaf pan lined with plastic wrap because the Entenmann’s pound cake she used was packaged in a paper liner. This is a good option to keep in mind if you’re not using a pound cake that comes in its own pan.
Buckett’s version calls for sherbet instead of ice cream and has you top the final cake layer with marshmallow fluff before wrapping and freezing, which is a great reminder that it’s easy to take this general idea and make it your own.
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Make It Your Own: Fun Variations to Try
The best part of this method is that it’s totally customizable. You can make it fit whatever mood, flavor or dietary need.
Use chocolate cake instead of white cake and layer in mint chip ice cream for a grasshopper vibe. Try red velvet cake with vanilla bean ice cream and crushed Oreos. Go in a fruity direction with lemon cake, strawberry ice cream and fresh raspberries—and maybe even add a thin layer of lemon curd between the layers.
Swirl in caramel or hot fudge between the layers, or add chopped nuts, rainbow sprinkles or crushed cookies for texture. Pipe whipped cream over the top for a bakery-style finish. Drizzle melted chocolate or caramel sauce before freezing the top layer. Decorate with fresh fruit, candies or edible flowers for extra flair.
Honestly, the sky’s the limit! It’s one of those recipes that looks impressive but is so easy, you’ll want to make it again and again for birthdays, BBQs or just a random Tuesday.
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