Our delicious cookies and cream ice cream cake makes every occasion special. Everyone loves cookies and cream! You can create a magical dessert in less than 20 hands-on minutes with simple ice cream, brownies, and whipped cream!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
This is our go-to cake when we need something easy for birthdays. It's so simple and tasty, and it's always a big hit. Have you tried a Dairy Queen ice cream cake? A Baskin Robbins ice cream cake? How about a cake from Carvel, Coldstone, or Friendly's? We think this easy ice cream cake recipe can beat them all!
Our Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Cake is really fun to make! You'll get rave reviews, and only you will know how simple the recipe is.
Top Reasons You'll Love this Ice Cream Cake:
- Delicious substitute for a layer cake.
- Better than ice cream cakes you buy.
- It's fast and easy--only 20 minutes of actual hands on time required.
- Easy to vary the flavors of this cake.
- Looks so professional.
Ingredient Notes
- Brownie Mix. Use our recipe for The Best Fudge Brownies or your favorite box brownie mix made for a 9x13-inch pan. If using a mix, follow manufacturer's box directions. The brownie will form the base of your cake.
- Vegetable oil. Oil tenderizes the brownies and adds moisture and flavor to them.
- Eggs. Eggs provide structure, leavening and moisture to the brownies.
- Water. Water provides moisture.
- Cookies and cream ice cream. Ice cream forms the second layer of your homemade ice cream cake.
- Whipping Cream or Cool Whip. Fresh whipped cream makes a light frosting for the cake. Whipped topping also works well. They both spread easily over the frozen cake and freeze perfectly.
- Oreo Cookies. Oreo cookies are the perfect décor for an Oreo ice cream cake! We love the look of mini Oreos, and also like a few crumbles scattered on top. You may omit if you prefer.
How to Make this Recipe
- Mix brownies. Line bottom of 8-inch round baking pan with parchment paper. Mix brownies according to directions on box. Use eggs, oil and water as directed. Or make our delicious The Best Fudge Brownies batter.
- Bake. Pour brownie batter into round metal baking pan and bake for 22-27 minutes. The brownies should be set on the edges, still gooey in the middle, but the center should not visibly wobble when you shake the pan. It is important to underbake the brownies because if you bake the brownies for the full amount of time they will be too hard to cut through and eat once frozen.
- Cool. Cool brownies in baking pan. Once cooled, remove from pan. Wrap brownie/cake in plastic wrap and place back in cooled pan in freezer until ready to assemble cake. Sitting in the pan will help the brownie disc keep its shape.
- Press ice cream into pan. Set ice cream on counter about 10 minutes to slightly soften. Line baking pan with plastic wrap then press a half gallon of ice cream into pan. Use the bottom of a cup, spatula, or gloved hand to press ice cream firmly in pan until it's even and smooth. Next you'll cover the ice cream and freeze it until you're ready to assemble the cake. You need to freeze the brownie pan and the ice cream pan for at least two hours.
- Prepare the brownie layer. Remove frozen brownie disc from the pan and remove plastic wrap and place on your cake plate.
- Layer the ice cream. Remove the plastic wrap from the ice cream and place on top of the brownie.
- Frost the ice cream cake. Working quickly, use a narrow metal spatula to spread whipped cream/topping over cake sides and top. Whipped cream/topping is easy to work with. The spatula just glides over the cake. Be careful to have some whipped topping under your spatula and don't let the spatula touch the cake.
- Decorate. If desired, decorate the cookies and cream ice cream cake with swirls of whipped cream/topping, Oreo cookie crumbs, or Oreos. Place ice cream cake in freezer for at least two hours before serving.
Expert Tips
- Use good quality ice cream. The quality of the ice cream cake recipe is directly connected to the quality of your ice cream.
- Soften ice cream. Slightly soften ice cream (leave it out of freezer about 10 minutes) before pressing it into pan. It's easier to press evenly if it's soft. Don't melt the ice cream, or you'll ruin the texture of your cake.
- Line cake pan for ice cream layer. Use plastic wrap to line the cake pan. Let wrap hang over edges of the pan. This will make it easier to lift ice cream out when it's frozen.
- Press air out of ice cream. Press ice cream firmly into pan. Press out air pocket so ice cream layer will be solid.
- Use a sharp knife. To cut the cake, use a French Chef's Knife or other heavy, sharp knife. You will need to press hard to get through the brownie portion. Because you didn't cook it completely, you will be able to cut through the brownie.
- Warm the knife. Run warm water over the knife to warm it, then wipe off excess water and slice. You can do this between each slice. This will give you clean even slices.
- Stabilize cake before cutting. If you place the ice cream cake on a pedestal cake platter, we recommend sliding the cake onto a cutting board or other low surface before cutting. Since you will press hard while cutting, the pedestal could tip over.
Variations of this Recipe
- Swap the ice cream. Try swapping the ice cream for another favorite flavor. Some of our favorites are mint chocolate chip, strawberry, Moose Tracks, and cookie dough.
- Add a filling. Add thin layer of your favorite filling in between the ice cream and brownie layer, like dulce de leche, caramel, marshmallow cream, hot fudge, or raspberry jam. Make sure you do just thin layer, because this can make the ice cream cake slide if you do too thick of a layer. If you want more you can add another layer on top of the whipped cream on top of the cake or serve some on the side.
- Top it off. Instead of decorating the cake with Oreos try using your favorite candy bars chopped up, toffee bits, edible cookie dough bites, or fresh strawberries or raspberries.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How long should the Oreo ice cream cake be out of the freezer before serving?
Take the cake out of the freezer 10 minutes before serving but not any longer.
How long should I freeze an ice cream cake?
Before serving, make sure cake freezes at least two hours. Overnight is even better.
Does cookies 'n cream ice cream cake melt easily?
Yes! ice cream cake will melt! Serve quickly after slicing and put it back in the freezer promptly after serving.
What is the best frosting for an ice cream cake?
We love to frost ice cream cakes with sweetened whipped cream or whipped topping. It's light and refreshing, is glides on easily, and it looks so professional.
Storage Tips
- Freeze the cake. Ice cream cake will keep its flavor and texture well stored in the freezer one to two weeks.
- Keep it airtight. Before assembling the cake, it's easy to keep the individual pieces tightly wrapped in plastic wrap. After assembly, freeze until the outer cream sets then wrap in two layers of plastic wrap.
- Avoid freezer burn. Any air that gets to the cake can cause freezer burn on the ice cream, so keep it wrapped up tight. This cake is best eaten within two weeks.
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Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Cake
Our delicious cookies and cream ice cream cake makes every occasion special. Everyone loves cookies and cream! You can create a magical dessert in less than 20 hands-on minutes with simple ice cream, brownies, and whipped cream!
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Servings: 12 servings
Calories: 337.2kcal
Ingredients
- 1.5-2 quarts cookies and cream ice cream
- 18-20 ounce brownie mix (or use our favorite homemade brownie recipe) plus ingredients listed on back of box
- 8-ounce tub Cool Whip or other whipped topping; thawed (see notes if using whipped cream)
- mini or full size Oreo cookies to decorate
Instructions
- Preheat oven according to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Prepare brownie mix according to directions on box or recipe. Don't over mix.
- Cut one round of parchment paper to fit an 8-inch round metal cake pan. Place parchment round in bottom of pan and grease sides of pan. Pour brownie batter into prepared pan.
- Bake brownies for 22-27 minutes (Note: this is significantly shorter than the mix directions--otherwise the frozen brownies will be too hard). The edges of the brownies should be set, the center will still be wet but not visibly jiggling when you shake the pan.
- Let brownies cool on a wire rack. When cool, remove brownies from pan, wrap in plastic wrap and put back in pan and freeze.
- Remove cookies and cream ice cream from container and smash ice cream into an 8-inch cake pan lined with plastic wrap. Press firmly to fill pan and remove air bubbles.
- Wrap plastic wrap completely over ice cream and freeze for 1-2 hours.
- To assemble, remove brownie round from pan and place on cake plate. Remove ice cream round from pan and place on top of brownie round.
- Working quickly, use a narrow metal spatula to spread whipped topping over cake sides and top. It should spread easily. If desired, place a small amount of whipped topping in a pastry bag and decorate top with swirls or a shell border and decorate with mini oreos.
- Place cake back in freezer until ready to serve. To cut the cake, use a heavy, sharp knife. You will need to press hard to get through the brownie portion. Because you didn't cook it completely, you will be able to cut through the brownie. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Whipping Cream option. If you would like to use fresh whipping cream to frost the cake, you will need 8 ounces heavy whipping cream + 1 teaspoon vanilla an 2 Tablespoons white sugar. Whip together until stiff and frost cake.
- Use good quality ice cream. The quality of the ice cream cake recipe is directly connected to the quality of your ice cream.
- Use a sharp knife. To cut the cake, use a French Chef's Knife or other heavy, sharp knife. You will need to press hard to get through the brownie portion. Because you didn't cook it completely, you will be able to cut through the brownie.
- Warm the knife. Run warm water over the knife to warm it, then wipe off excess water and slice. You can do this between each slice. This will give you clean even slices.
- Stabilize cake before cutting. If you place the ice cream cake on a pedestal cake platter, we recommend sliding the cake onto a cutting board or other low surface before cutting. Since you will press hard while cutting, the pedestal could tip over.
Nutrition
Serving: 1slice | Calories: 337.2kcal | Carbohydrates: 75.08g | Protein: 6.31g | Fat: 19.76g | Saturated Fat: 8.03g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.54g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3.51g | Cholesterol: 52.05mg | Sodium: 94.63mg | Potassium: 235.41mg | Fiber: 0.83g | Sugar: 25.08g | Vitamin A: 498.02IU | Vitamin C: 0.71mg | Calcium: 151.42mg | Iron: 0.11mg
Tried this recipe? Leave a review below, then take a picture and tag us @InFineTaste on Instagram so we can see!
Brooke says
This turned out amazing!!! I accidentally cooked the brownies at 325, but I just added five extra minutes and they turned out just fine. My family loved this cake!
john h says
How to make this a day ahead?
In Fine Taste says
Hi John, just follow the directions for the ice cream cake and freeze it the day before you are ready to serve it.
-Dianna
Cherylann M says
The tip to only bake the brownie for 25 minutes was genius! Years ago I had done a brownie layer and almost couldn't serve it. This worked perfectly. The Oreos I decided to spread flat on the top, frozen in the ice cream, that was a problem, but that was my idea. 😂 Everyone loved it, we'll be trying this again!