Every now and then we “break the rules” with a special homemade treat like this one that I’m sharing today. That’s because it’s unrealistic to think you’ll never indulge in a sweet treat again (oh, the horror!), and I fully recognize that when there is a special occasion, the homemade from scratch version (even with sugar and a little white flour) is far better than the store bought variety.
So on that note, I present to you…Homemade Ice Cream Cake! And I must share that my husband, who has never been much of a dessert person, was caught red handed having seconds of this cake! I about fell out of my chair when I saw that happen. So for a special celebration or occasional treat, this make-ahead dessert will surely be a crowd pleaser. Enjoy!
Homemade Ice Cream Cake
Ingredients
For the Cake
- 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, I prefer the extra dark variety
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup sugar, + an extra tablespoon
- 3/4 cup milk, can sub water
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup butter, melted (plus extra for greasing, can sub melted coconut oil)
- 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
For the Ice Cream
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup milk
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Grease a rectangular baking dish with butter and set aside. Make sure the bowl from your ice cream maker is freezing cold in your freezer!
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, cocoa, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Make a well (hole) in the center and drop in the milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla extract. Use a fork to mix in the wet ingredients and thoroughly combine the batter, but do not over mix.
- Pour the batter into the baking dish and bake for 16 to 18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center. Let the cake cool as much as possible (ideally completely) before moving on to the next step.
- Once the cake has cooled, set up the ice cream maker. In a large glass measuring cup, measure out and whisk together the cream, milk, syrup, and vanilla extract. Turn on the machine and pour the cream mixture into the freezer bowl through the ingredient spout. Let the machine run until the mixture has thickened and resembles ice cream, about 20 to 30 minutes.
- Carefully spread the ice cream out into one even layer on top of the cooled cake. Cover and place the cake in the freezer and let it set for 3 to 4 hours. Although, I recently only let it set for 2 hours, and the world did not stop turning. :)
- If the ice cream has become frozen solid, let it soften on the counter for 10 or 15 minutes before serving. Add toppings such as dark chocolate shavings and fresh strawberries just before serving.
Optional toppings:
Dark chocolate shavings (use a carrot peeler) and/or dye-free sprinkles, fresh sliced strawberries and/or raspberries.
Recipe Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
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This looks fabulous! I think birthdays are a perfect occasion to indulge in white flour and white sugar. YOLO. ;)
I couldn’t agree more! This is totally what I am going to ask for on my next birthday :)
This looks delicious! Great idea, Lisa!
I love a good ice cream cake!
I’m immersed in sugar-free September right now, but knowing that I def will be able to eat all my fav sweet treats again helps me stick to it. If I told myself I could never eat sugar again I know it would drive me straight to binges and the candy aisle!
Wow, so no natural sweeteners either? You are brave!
Nope! No added sweeteners of any kind. I am still eating fruit though, so it’s not all bad :D
Yum!!!! Can’t wait to make this as soon as my 30 days of real food pledge is done!!!
Lisa, is there any way to do it without Ice Cream Maker? LOOKS YUMMYYYY!!! :)
Two ways, you can use the double coffee can method. The smaller can has ice cream ingredients, the outer can has rock salt and crushed ice, then you simply roll the can back and forth for 20-30 minutes (kids come in handy for this one. You also have to do it in smaller batches.
The second involves a freeze and stir method where you pour the ice cream mix into an oblong cake pan, cover and freeze, stirring every half hour, until set. Helps to use a deep freeze and whole milk. google it
Or there is the classic 2 plastic bag method. Ice and salt go into a gallon sized bag and ice cream ingredients go into a quart sized zipper bag. shake like mad for 5-10 minutes. Make sure and use a good zipper bag and close it tightly or else you might get salt in your ice cream and that’s really unpleasant.
OMG, just when I think I can’t love this blog any more! We break down & buy a Carvel ice cream cake twice a year (my husband’s birthday & our son’s) now I don’t even need to do that! I’m bouncing off the wall with excitement right now!
Yay! I am so glad to hear that!! On all accounts :)
This looks amazing. My sister loves ice cream cake and I would love to make it for her but I don’t have an ice cream maker? Any way to make it without one?
Well, you could certainly buy store bought ice cream, but homemade ice cream is AMAZING. I highly recommend trying it.
I am completely onboard with your philosophy about occasional sweet treats but am curious to know whether you have explored the world of unrefined sugars and alternative flours. If you swapped out the white flour for white spelt you wold pick up some nutrition there. Nutrients in spelt are spread throughout the grain, so even refined spelt has a better nutrient profile than refined wheat. Replacing the white sugar for rapadura, an unrefined sugar, you get all the valuable nutrients and minerals that unrefined sugar actually contains and not just the empty calories of white sugar. In this sort of recipe you wouldn’t need to really play with proportions and a straight swap should work well.
Yes, everything else I do on here is with unrefined sugars and whole-grain flours – so I couldn’t agree more. But I am truly okay with veering away from that (and enjoy the taste) once in a blue moon.
I always loved ice cream cakes, but ever since I started eating healthy, I stopped eating ice cream cakes from the store. This recipe is so being made for my brother’s birthday next week! Another great real food dessert idea is this easy blackberry cobbler: http://naturalchow.com/2014/05/perfect-whole-wheat-blackberry-cobbler/
Yum!! That looks awesome, can’t wait to try it!
Yum! I make a healthier version of an oreo ice cream cake. Crumbled homemade oreo wafers (no filling) become the cake, followed by homemade vanilla ice cream, homemade dark chocolate sauce, and whipped cream. I make it every year on Father’s Day.
Though June is a long way off, so I can’t wait to try your recipe!
This looks lovely, and more healthy than a normal ice cream cake. May I ask what size rectangular pan you baked the cake in, please? Thank you.
Hi Chris – We made this in the “Every Day Large Baker” by Crate and Barrel. Dimensions are 12.75″Wx8″Dx3″H. – Jason
What size baking dish do you use??
Hey Stacie – We made this in the “Every Day Large Baker” by Crate and Barrel. Dimensions are 12.75″Wx8″Dx3″H. – Jason
Can’t wait to try this! A couple of questions: would it work to substitute equal amounts honey for maple syrup (husband with tree nut allergy so we’re pretty sure he’d react to pure maple syrup). He’s also allergic to most whole grains so would it work just as well to use all white flour?
Hi Lynne. We can usually use honey and maple syrup fairly interchangeably though the consistencies are a little different but since we’ve not made substitutions, we can’t make promises. White flour and wheat flour are not usually exchanged 1:1. It would be an experiment…but it might work fine. ;)
What do you think of coconut sugar for the cake? Is this any healthier than white sugar?
Hi Steph. Coconut sugar is a little more nutritious than white sugar and much less sweet. I’ve baked with it pretty successfully but have not tried it in a cake. ~Amy
Thank you for the pan dimensions! Very much appreciated! Excuse me, Off to bake now…
Icecream is favorite of everyone!! I tried this sweet recipe at home and it was divine. But i am fully health conscious so i always prefer to eat healthy food. You can try healthy sweet recipes from innerfight.com/food because they offer easy and quick healthy recipes.
Could this be made a day in advance or will the ice-cream get too hard or freezer burned? Also, would I have to adjust the baking time for a glass pan?
Trying to make ahead since my 2 year old’s birthday is the day before Thanksgiving!
Hi Shay. Apologies, but we are often a bit behind on recipe questions and can’t handle them in real time. ;) Hope you made it and it was successful. For future reference, I would keep it covered in the freezer. ~Amy
I’m very excited to try this! It’s my daughter’s birthday and she requested ice cream cake for her slumber party. In addition to being healthier, it’s much less costly than one from DQ.
Sundays and Kids. Two things that immediately crossed my mind after seeing the photo. This ice cream cake recipe is perfect for Sundays with my son. He loves ice cream cake so much. Gonna try this!
Do you have a good dairy and egg free icecream recipe that would work with this cake. I have tried a couple of coconut milk recipes but they get icy in the freezer. We have found the best way to eat it is right out of the maker like soft serve. Any ideas would be appreciated.
Hi there. Sorry, we do not but I have recently read that arrowroot powder can help make homemade ice cream less icy. It might work that way with the coconut milk version, too.
My husband can’t have chocolate. How does this cake taste without the cocoa?
Hi Michelle. Not sure about that. :)
Where do you find dye-free sprinkles?
Hi. Try here: http://www.indiatree.com/Subcategory_Page.php?Category=NC&SubcatID=41
Made this last night, 3 adults & 12 kids LOVED it !!! Only used 2 eggs instead of 4, and used 8oz of softened cream cheese mixed with 1/2 C honey for the frosting. This will be forever in my recipe book. Easily converted to dutch oven recipe for camping ! Softened the butter and just thew all the ingredients in a bowl and mixed it until well incorporated. Came out Uh-May-Zing !!!
This looks amazing. Any tips if making the cake in 2 rounds instead of a baker? I wanted to do a layered cake. Baking time, etc. thanks!!!
Hi. This should help you adjust the recipe: https://www.thespruce.com/cake-baking-times-per-pan-305281.