Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake

This creamy and delectable ice cream cake is just like the famous Dairy Queen cake made at home! 5 amazingly indulgent layers, chocolate, fudge, cookie crumb, vanilla, and a fluffy whipped icing that is so good you won’t be able to stop eating it! This ice cream cake is perfect for holiday parties and birthdays!

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Why You Should Make This Cake

• Just like the DQ ice cream cake but made at home!
• Easily customizable you can adapt this recipe to suit your tastes!
• Can be made well in advance and frozen until you are ready to eat!
• Simple, easy to find ingredients, this cake is fun to make!

Try my Homemade Funfetti Layer Cake!

What is an Ice Cream Cake?

This easy ice cream cake recipe is modeled after the Dairy Queen ice cream cake. It’s a full cake made from ice cream, with a crunchy chocolate layer in the middle made from fudge sauce and crumbled oreo cookies.

From top to bottom this cake features a creamy whipped topping, a layer of vanilla ice cream, crumbled oreo crumbs, rich chocolate fudge, and a creamy chocolate ice cream layer on the bottom.

What is in Ice Cream Cake?

• Crushed Oreo cookies (with the cream center)
• Sweet cream butter
• Chocolate ice cream
• Vanilla ice cream
• Hot fudge topping
• Heavy cream
• Powdered sugar
• Vanilla flavoring
• Colorful sprinkles or chocolate shavings

Variations to Try

This cake is easily customizable and can be changed to suit your tastes!

Ice Cream: Of course the classic DQ cake uses chocolate and vanilla ice cream but you can easily change these out for your favorite ice cream flavors. You can even add an additional layer to the cake with a new flavor.

Cookie Layer: The cookie layer on this cake is made from crushed Oreos and hot fudge, try changing these out for some of your preferred cookies and caramel sauce for a unique ice cream cake experience.

Toppings and Decoration: Get creative! You can decorate this cake with any number of different candies like M&Ms, smarties, crushed candy bars, sprinkles, caramel sauce, or chocolate sauce.

Icing: The whipped icing in this recipe is pretty easy to make, but in a pinch I like to use softened cool whip instead, the difference is almost indistinguishable!

Try my Butterfinger Cake!

Homemade Ice Cream Cake Pro Tips

• Allow each of the ice creams to thaw at room temperature for at least 15-20 minutes before assembling the cake. This will make them easier to spread into an even layer.
• Let the layers harden fully before moving onto the next step. If the layers aren’t hardened they will run together.
• Make sure you are including the cream filling in the crushed cookies before baking, it’s important!
• Keep an eye on the cookie layer, it’s so dark it can be hard to tell when it’s over baked.
• Lining the spring form with plastic wrap makes removal easy. You can use aluminum foil as a kind of clamp to hold the plastic wrap in place.
• Do not use chocolate sauce for this recipe, it wont harden, use hot fudge sauce. You may need to warm it in the microwave briefly to make it spreadable.
• Run a knife under warm water briefly to make nice clean slices.

Storage Tips

There is only one correct way to store an ice cream cake. In the freezer! No need to thaw before serving this cake can be served straight from the freezer.

Store sealed in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake

This creamy and delectable ice cream cake is just like the famous Dairy Queen cake made at home! 5 amazingly indulgent layers, chocolate, fudge, cookie crumb, vanilla, and a fluffy whipped icing that is so good you won't be able to stop eating it!

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Ingredients 

Cookie Layer:

• 20 crushed Oreos, Including the cream center
• 4 tablespoons salted sweet cream butter, melted

Ice Cream Layer:

• 1 quart chocolate ice cream
• 1 quart vanilla ice cream, I used vanilla bean

Hot Fudge Layer:

• 11.75 ounces hot fudge topping

Whipped Cream Frosting Layer:

• 2 cups cold heavy cream
• 1¼ cups powdered sugar
• 1½ teaspoons clear vanilla flavoring
• Chocolate or Rainbow sprinkles, optional garnish

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Instructions

• Line the 9 inch springform pan with plastic wrap, making sure to cover the bottom and sides completely.
• Add the crushed oreos to a large mixing bowl and stir in the melted butter. Spread the mixture evenly on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 7-8 minutes. Allow the cookie crumb to cool completely before breaking into pieces.
  
• Allow the chocolate ice cream to sit on the counter for 15-20 minutes to soften. Spread into the bottom of the spring form in an even layer. Place back in the freezer to harden.
  
• Soften the hot fudge in the microwave for 15-20 seconds to make it easier to spread. Spread over the chocolate ice cream in the springform followed by an even layer of cookie crumbs. Place the pan back in the freezer for at least 1 hour to harden.
  
• Allow the vanilla ice cream to sit on the counter at room temperature for at least 15 minutes. Spread an even layer of vanilla ice cream over the cookie crumb layer. Return the cake to the freezer for at least 6 hours.
  
• Add heavy cream to a chilled mixing bowl, align with the powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat with an electric mixer on medium for 3-4 minutes until stiff peaks form.
  
• Remove the cake from the freezer and release the sides of the springform pan. Carefully remove the ice cream cake from the pan and transfer to a cake plate.
• Cover in an even layer of whipped cream frost and top with chocolate sprinkles. Place in the freezer until ready to serve.
  
• Enjoy!