Ice Cream Cake

My son broke from tradition this year and rather than a regular cake, he asked me for an ice cream cake for his birthday. He's more of an ice cream fan than a cake fan anyway, so it was fitting. His current favorite flavor of ice cream is mint chocolate chip, so that is what he asked for. To be specific, he asked for a "mint chocolate chip Pokemon ice cream cake." Above is a picture of the cake without the Pokemon cake topper. I looked up a bunch of ice cream cakes online and kind of came up with my own plan that was a combination of a bunch of different ice cream cakes that I found online. 

I saw some gorgeous ice cream cakes in my online searches. I saw a version very similar to the one I made using Neapolitan ice cream sandwiches that was soooo pretty! It would be so cute for a girl's birthday cake. Cookies and cream ice cream sandwiches and a cookies and cream cake would be so good too. I saw a really fun banana split cake ice cream cake too. I love that you can be really creative with these ice cream cakes.

 

Step 1: While cake layer is baking, crush Oreos with a rolling pin. 

 

Step 2: Cut ice cream sandwiches. 

 

Step 2 continued: Place ice cream sandwiches in spring form pan. 

 

Step 3: Spread crushed Oreos and mag shell on bottom of spring form pan. 

Step 4: Spread first layer of ice cream on top of Oreo/magic shell crust.

Step 5: Top with cake layer and gently press onto ice cream layer below it.

 

Step 6: Top cake layer with second layer of ice cream. 

 

Step 7: Top final layer of ice cream with a layer of frozen whipped topping.

 Step 8: Remove from spring form pan and decorate as desired.

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cake

Ingredients:

1 box devil's food cake mix (with eggs, water, and oil called for on package)
Mint chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches (I used 7, see notes below)
17-20 Oreo cookies
1 (7.25 oz) bottle magic shell topping
1 quart (56 fl oz) mint chocolate chip ice cream
1 (8 oz) container whipped topping
Oreo Fudge Covered Mint Creme Sandwich Cookies or additional Oreos, for topping
Dairy whipped cream topping, for decorative topping, if desired
Chocolate syrup, for topping, if desired

Directions:

Step 1: Prepare cake mix according to package directions. Divide the batter into four equal portions. You will only need 1/4 of the cake batter for your ice cream cake. Pour 1/4 of the batter into an 8 inch round cake pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Bake the thin cake layer in a 350 degree F oven for 13-15 minutes, or until cake is done when tested with a toothpick. Let cake cool completely. See my notes for tips on how you can use the extra batter.

While cake is baking, place 17-20 Oreo cookies in a zip top bag and crush with a rolling pin.

Step 2: While the cake is cooling, remove mint chocolate chip ice cream and frozen whipped topping from freezer to soften. Prepare ice cream sandwiches by cutting them into equal pieces (measuring about two inches long and one inch wide). 

You can get rectangular shaped ice cream sandwiches and square shaped ones. I got square shaped ones. I cut mine into thirds. If you are using rectangular shaped ice cream sandwiches, cut them into fourths (in half length-wise and in half width-wise to get four equal sized rectangular pieces).

Place ice cream sandwich pieces inside of a 10-inch spring form pan along the edges. 

Step 3: Mix a little magic shell topping (about 1/4 cup) with your crushed Oreos, until coated. Then pour the Oreo mixture into the middle of your spring form pan and spread until the bottom is evenly covered. Pour a little more magic shell over the Oreos to ensure full coverage. Place in freezer until set.

Step 4: Once ice cream is softened and crust is set, remove ice cream cake from freezer and evenly spread about two to three cups of ice cream on top of the Oreo/magic shell layer. Place in freezer until set.

Step 5: Remove cake from freezer. Add cake layer. Mine just fit into the middle space. Press cake gently down until it is firmly against the ice cream layer below it. Place in freezer until set.

Step 6: Remove cake from freezer. Add second ice cream layer to cake by spreading about two to three more cups of softened ice cream on top of the chocolate cake layer. Place in freezer until set. Put remaining mint chocolate chip ice cream back in the freezer as well.

Step 7: Remove cake from freezer. Evenly spread top with thawed frozen whipped topping until even with the top of the ice cream sandwiches. Place in freezer until set and ready to serve.

Step 8: Just prior to serving, remove ice cream cake from freezer. Remove spring form pan and decorate as desired. I decorated mine with whipped cream topping and fudge covered Oreos. I used 8 fudge covered mint Oreos and 8 sprays of whipped cream topping around the top of my ice cream cake. Serve with additional whipped cream topping and a drizzle of chocolate syrup or magic shell, if desired.

Notes: You can use the extra batter however you like. You could bake the additional batter in 2-3 additional 8-inch round cake pans and use those layers for a traditional cake. Or you could bake the additional batter in a 9x13 inch pan and frost that. Or you could use the extra batter to make cupcakes. Or you could throw it out if you don't want the extra temptation. Ha ha! I probably should have done that.

Instead, I baked my batter into four separate 8 inch round cake pans so I had four thin cake layers. I did it this way because I had never made this before and I wasn't sure if I would be using one or two layers of cake in my ice cream cake. I used one layer for the ice cream cake, and used the extra layers to make two different flavors of ice cream cakes, because I am crazy like that. More on that later. Those ice cream cakes were very basic.

 

 

Above: A peek at the layers inside.

 

 

Above: Yes, I made three ice cream cakes because I am crazy. We had extra flavors of ice cream in our freezer and extra cake layers, so I got creative. Though, I didn't try to be pretty with these ones. This one had a cake layer on the bottom, Moose Tracks peanut butter ice cream, a layer of whipped topping, and then drizzled melted peanut butter and magic shell topping. I figured that this will keep in the freezer for awhile, so why not?

 

 

Above: This one had a cake layer, Double Dribble ice cream (caramel, chocolate, and vanilla swirl ice cream), another cake layer, a layer of whipped topping, and then a drizzle of magic shell.

Taking the Easy Way Out

This year, we were in the middle of moving out of our house and into a new one right around my birthday, so I really didn't have the time or energy to bake myself a birthday cake. My son picked me out a cute cake at the grocery store (a pink and purple princess cake, awwww). However, I also saw these and since they were only about $3 each, I got one for each of my boys as well. They were so cute and I loved the idea because you could easily duplicate it at home.

In fact, it took me back to a cake decorating contest we had for an Family Home Evening activity in one of my single's wards years ago. We were give plain white cakes, frosting, and food coloring and given the task of decorating cakes. One girl cut her cake into pieces and created the cutest hot dog cake with fries and ketchup. I thought it was so creative. I can copy things, but I definitely can't come up with ideas like that on my own.

The fries here were made from simply cutting pound cake into slices and providing a dollop of red frosting for the ketchup to dip them in.

Slightly Different Than Normal

 

Usually, I make this fantastic carrot cake for my husband's birthday. However, I had just had a baby and was looking for ways to simplify things and had also found this very similar (and quicker) recipe. The carrot cake I usually make is a layer cake and I had always wondered if it would work as a sheet cake, but I had never gotten around to trying it out. This recipe was a sheet cake and I felt that would save me time because frosting a layer cake always takes longer than frosting a sheet cake. This carrot cake is every bit as delicious, moist, and wonderful as the layer cake one.

Rather than shredding the carrots, I followed the layer cakes instructions and instead blended the carrots with the other wet ingredients (except the pineapple) to save time. It worked beautifully. This is one delicious cake!

Mrs. Thompson's Carrot Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

3 cups shredded carrots
1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple, well-drained
2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
4 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Frosting:

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3-3/4 cups confectioners' sugar

Directions:

In a large bowl, beat the first five ingredients until well blended. In another bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and cinnamon; gradually beat into carrot mixture.

Transfer to a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.

For frosting, in large bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla until blended. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar until smooth. Spread over cake. Cover and refrigerate leftovers.

Yield: 15 servings.

Nutrition information: 1 piece equals 552 calories, 25 g fat, 81 mg cholesterol, 269 mg sodium, 80 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 5 g protein.

Source: Taste of Home, February/March 2013. You can find it here.

Notes: As I said, I used my blender rather than shredding the carrots. I filled my blender to the 3 cup line with baby carrots and then added the oil and eggs. I then blended it until all the carrots were smoothly blended. This is one fantastic and delicious cake. You will notice from the nutrition information that while it has carrots in it, it doesn't necessarily make it a light cake! However, we only have carrot cake once a year for my husband's birthday, so it's worth the splurge.

 

Above: Ahhhh, the ease of frosting a sheet cake versus a layer cake.

Festive and Easy Cake

 

I love this ice cream cake. I love how easy it is to come up with fun and different variations. Besides that, it is simply easy to make and absolutely delicious!

Ice Cream Cake

Ingredients:

1 box of cake mix (this time, I used spice cake)
Oil, eggs, and water called for on cake mix box
1 quart (or more) of ice cream (I used pumpkin ice cream), softened
1 small container (or more) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions:

Spray two 9x13-inch pans with nonstick cooking spray. Mix cake mix according to directions on box. Divide cake batter evenly between the two 9x13-inch pans.

Bake according to directions on box, except check cakes for doneness with a toothpick after 15 minutes. Bake until toothpick comes out clean (anywhere from 15-25 minutes depending on your oven and altitude). Remove cake from oven when done and allow to cool completely.

Divide softened ice cream evenly and spread over cooled cakes. Put cakes in the freezer until ice cream is set.

Divide whipped topping evenly over set up ice cream layer on cakes. Return cakes to the freezer until whipped topping is set (you can prepare these cakes the day before and keep them in the freezer until ready to serve).

When ready to serve, allow cakes to soften for 10-15 minutes at room temperature. Cut into squares and serve.

Source: My mom has been making these for years, but I am not sure where she found the idea.

Notes: I used only one quart and one small container of whipped topping between the two cakes, but in the future (and for my personal preference), I would use more. You wouldn't need as much as 2 quarts, but I would buy two quarts of ice cream just so I had more flexibility and more choice in how much ice cream to use per cake. As for the whipped topping, in the future, I would personally buy one small container for each cake (so, a total of two).

The cake pictured is a pumpkin spice ice cream cake, but the variations are only limited by your own imagination. Below are some favorite flavor combinations:

Ice Cream Cake Variations:

Peppermint Ice Cream Cake (Peppermint ice cream, chocolate or white cake, frozen whipped topping)
Eggnog Ice Cream Cake (Eggnog ice cream, white cake, frozen whipped topping)
Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cake (Mint chocolate chip ice cream, chocolate cake, frozen whipped topping)

 

Above: This mint chocolate ice cream cake was a big hit. Devil's food cake, mint chocolate ice cream, frozen whipped topping, and chocolate syrup. Good stuff!

Cookies and Cream Ice Cream Cake (Cookies and cream ice cream, chocolate or white cake, frozen whipped topping, crushed Oreos)
Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake (Cookie dough ice cream, white cake, frozen whipped topping, cookie dough crumbles)
Cake Batter Ice Cream Cake (Birthday cake ice cream, Funfetti cake, frozen whipped topping, rainbow sprinkles)
Strawberry Ice Cream Cake (Strawberry ice cream, strawberry cake, frozen whipped topping--tinted pink)
Classic Birthday Cake Ice Cream Cake (Chocolate ice cream, yellow cake, frozen whipped topping flavored with Hershey's syrup)

Seriously, the possibilities are endless! This is only the tip of the iceberg. Get creative and enjoy!

 

 

  

Arrrrrr, Mateys! It be a Birthday Cake!

My son's birthday is this Wednesday. I decided to go for a pirate theme. I found this cake idea on the Betty Crocker website when I was searching for birthday cake ideas for my son last year. However, since he was only turning one year old last year, I didn't think he'd really appreciate the cake then. This year, on the other hand, he's all about the pirates and whenever you ask him what a pirate says, he will answer "Arrrrrrrrr!"

We celebrated his birthday at my mom's house tonight. I will be making another (much simpler) cake for our own small family celebration on Wednesday night). We also did a Caribbean themed dinner--which was fantastic--I'll be blogging those recipes very soon.

This cake doesn't really require a specific recipe...just a game plan and some creativity. I had so much fun making this cake. I was worried that it wouldn't work out, so I made some cupcakes too, but as you can see above, the cake turned out bee-yu-ti-fully. I'm really quite proud of it!

In addition to the Betty Crocker website, I did a Google search for "treasure chest birthday cakes" and found a plethora of ideas to draw from. Some people created cakes that were far too elaborate for my current skill level. There were adorable cakes and absolutely lifelike cakes too. Some people used frosting, and others used fondant. You could honestly go crazy with all of the options. And don't even get me started on pirate ship birthday cakes! If you do a search for those, you'll find a ton of cute cakes. But again, those ones surpassed my skill and energy level...at least for now!

I'll start by sharing the original Betty Crocker recipe and then I'll tell you what changes I made.

Have fun!

1/19/2011 Update:

Here is a picture of the much simplified treasure chest cake that I made on my son's actual birthday when we celebrated with my husband's side of the family:



Above: This is simply a Betty Crocker strawberry cake mix, topped with Duncan Hines whipped white frosting, sprinkled with the generic store-brand vanilla wafers that I made into "sand" by pulsing it in a blender, and topped with a tin treasure chest, coins, and beads that I purchased at a party store (Zurchers). Still pretty cute and a whole lot less time-consuming! Everyone really liked the addition of the vanilla wafers. As my husband pointed out, it is the perfect topping for people who aren't in love with frosting. The cake was still frosted, of course, but the vanilla wafers added a nice texture, a subtle sweetness, and a way to tone down the frosting a little bit.

Treasure Chest Cake

To see the recipe and picture on the Betty Crocker website, click here.

Brimming with candy coins and jewelry, this rich cake is a clever addition to a pirate-themed party.

Makes 15 servings.

Ingredients:

1 box Betty Crocker SuperMoist chocolate fudge cake mix
Water, vegetable oil, and eggs called for on cake mix box
Tray, 24x20 inches
Yellow and orange paste food colors
1 container (1 lb) Betty Crocker Rich & Creamy creamy white frosting
Red pull-and-peel licorice
Gold foil-covered chocolate coins
Candy necklaces
Round hard candies
Gummy ring, halved

Directions:

Heat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit (325 degrees for dark or nonstick pan). Spray bottom only of 13x9 inch pan with baking spray with flour. Make and bake cake mix as directed on box for 13x9 inch pan, using water, oil, and eggs. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

From center of cake, cut one 3-inch crosswise strip. Cut the strip diagonally in half to make two 9-inch triangular wedges. (Discard 1 cake wedge or reserve for another use.)

On tray, place a 9x5 inch cake piece. Stir food colors into frosting to make a golden yellow.

Spread 1 tablespoon of frosting on 1 edge of triangular wedge of cake. Attach wedge, frosting side down, to 9x5 inch cake piece on tray, placing wedge along top edge of larger cake piece. Freeze all cake pieces 1 hour.

Spread 1 tablespoon of frosting on top edge of triangular wedge of cake. Attach remaining 9x5 inch cake piece to cake wedge to look like partially opened treasure chest. Spread remaining frosting over entire cake. Pull fork through frosting to look like wood grain.

Use pull-and-peel licorice to make handles and straps. Fill chest with chocolate coins, candy necklaces, and other hard candies. Add gummy ring half for clasp.

Tips: This treasure chest can be turned into a jewelry box for a princess party. Tint the frosting pink, and use colorful hard candies for gems and strings of candy for necklaces.

You can substitute a white cake mix for the chocolate.

Nutrition information: Calories: 350 (Calories from Fat 160), Total Fat: 18 g (Saturated Fat: 5 g, Trans Fat: 2 1/2 g), Cholesterol: 40 mg; Sodium: 360 mg; Total Carbohydrate: 5 g (Dietary Fiber: 0 g, Sugars: 33 g), Protein: 3 g.

Source: Betty Crocker website.

Notes: See my version of the recipe below.

Treasure Chest Cake--my version

Ingredients:

Betty Crocker cake mix of your choice (I used Devil's Food Cake since that's what I had in my pantry already)
Water, oil, and eggs called for on box
2 large containers of frosting (I used Duncan Hines chocolate frosting because it was the frosting that was on sale!), or homemade frosting of choice
Chocolate gold coins
Rolos
Ring Pops
Metallic beaded necklaces
1-2 rolls of Fruit by the Foot

Directions:

Bake cake according to package directions. Remember to coat pan with Pam Baking Spray with Flour.

Once cake is finished baking, turn over onto a foil-lined baking sheet and allow to cool completely.

Cut a 2-3 inch section out of the middle of the cake. Slice this section diagonally to create two wedges.

Before frosting the cake, experiment with the way you want to place the pieces so that it lays just right to look like a propped open treasure chest.

Place one half of the cake onto your tray, serving platter, or foil-lined baking sheet. Frost this piece. Place the two wedges on top of the cake to help prop up the other half of the cake. Frost these pieces, being very careful not to break the cake apart. This takes a lot of frosting and a careful touch so that you don't turn the wedges into crumbs. This doesn't have to look pretty and it doesn't have to be completely frosted--just enough so that it will hold the top half of the cake in place.

When you are finished frosting the wedges, place the remaining half of the cake on top. Frost the entire cake. Smooth out the frosting and then run a fork over the frosting to look like wood grains.

Cut the Fruit by the Foot to fit your cake. Wrap it around the cake (as shown in the picture) to look like leather chest binding. You can use a fork to push the Fruit by the Foot under the cake and under the top lid of the chest.

Press golden candy coins, Rolos, necklaces, and Ring Pops into the frosting to appear like they are spilling out of the treasure chest. Sprinkle any remaining candy and necklaces around the treasure chest on the tray.

Notes: When I looked at other versions of the treasure chest cake online, I decided that I liked the look of chocolate frosting better because it looked like darker wood...and because I love chocolate frosting on chocolate cake. I also opted to use Fruit by the Foot instead of licorice because I thought it would be easier to handle.

Speaking of handles...I was going to use canned black frosting to create a handle on the treasure chest, and then I decided to skip it altogether. It looks great without a handle anyway! I saw Rolos on another treasure cake picture I found online and liked the look of it because it looked like gold nuggets. We were going to do candy necklaces, but I was having a hard time finding them. I was starting to have second thoughts about whether this cake was going to work or not (I had visions of it crumbling into pieces as I tried to cut it into pieces and reassemble it), so I started looking around for pirate party stuff at a local party store (Zurchers). They had a bag of plastic gold coins and metallic necklaces for $5, so I bought that to use instead of the candy necklaces. Zurchers also had a little treasure map for $3 and I bought that to place the cake on. I figured that my son would have a good time playing with it afterward anyway.

I originally planned to make homemade frosting...but let's face it, life is busy and I'm also pregnant. With a busy Saturday ahead of me combined with pregnancy exhaustion, I had a hunch that I might not want to make homemade frosting. Sure enough, after getting my son to bed later than usual (we've been transitioning him from his crib to a toddler bed), I broke out the canned frosting that I had bought on sale just in case.

I like the notes at the bottom of the Betty Crocker recipe. If I ever have a daughter, it would be fun to make a jewelry box cake. You could use a strawberry cake mix and strawberry canned frosting.

This really was so fun to make. I had a blast doing it...and when I finished...I just stared and stared. I was so proud of myself! Besides, don't we all have a fixation with pirate treasure?