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Ice cream cake is hands down one of the best summer desserts. Still, we often avoid making it at home for fear that we will end up with a puddled mess instead of a light, evenly layered cake. If you’ve been wanting to create a homemade ice cream cake, this is the year to finally take the plunge – and we’re here to help!
We’ve pulled together 6 tips to help you easily craft the perfect ice cream cake. These methods will save you from a soupy, melted disaster, ensuring that you get perfectly shaped cakes with crisp, even layers. Go ahead and try it for yourself!
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The Importance of Choosing the Right Pan
There is nothing messier than trying to shape an ice cream cake by hand. To get a perfect ice cream cake, you need to build it in a pan. This helps create your ideal shape with smooth edges while containing any drips.
The easiest option for an ice cream cake is a springform pan. These special pans come in circular or square shapes and are designed with removable sides. The easy-release sides and bottom allow you to build your ice cream cake inside and easily remove it once it’s fully frozen.
Creating Perfectly Spreadable Ice Cream
Many recipes for ice cream cakes tell you to leave your ice cream on the counter for a few minutes to soften up. The problem is that this usually results in melted ice cream around the outer edge of the container while the inside stays rock hard.
A great tip to getting smooth, spreadable ice cream without the mess is to whip the ice cream in a kitchen mixer. Freezing the mixer bowl for a few minutes before using it helps keep the ice cream cold while you mix, keeping melting to a minimum. Whipping your ice cream has another benefit – the process helps mix air into the ice cream, creating a light, fluffy texture in your finished cake.
Freeze Between Layers
Rushing to put together an ice cream cake is a recipe for disaster! These cakes can take up to 3 days to make properly. It’s important to let each layer of ice cream set overnight (or at least for 2 hours) before adding your next layer, or icing with whipped cream.
You want to make sure that all your fillings (cookie crumbles, cake or fudge) and your next layer of ice cream are ready to go before pulling your cake out of the freezer. Layers that haven’t fully frozen will spread into others, leaving you with wobbly or blurred lines when your cake is cut and served.
Finishing Your Cake
To release your cake from the springform pan, all you need to do is gently rub the sides of the pan with a towel soaked in hot water. This process allows only the outer layer of the cake to soften and slide easily out of the pan – no mess!
To decorate, quickly spread cool whipped cream over the cake. If you can’t get the sides perfectly smooth, don’t worry! You can pop your cake back in the freezer until set and then use a metal spatula to smooth it out. Simply warm the spatula with hot water and spread across the whipped cream for smooth, picture-perfect sides.
Cutting the Cake
Once an ice cream cake has frozen completely, it can be a beast to cut! To get clean slices from your cake, keep a glass of hot water by your side. Dip your serving knife into the water between cuts and the warm knife will easily slide through the layers of cake without causing the cake to completely melt.
Freeze Your Plates
Lastly, once your cake is out of the freezer, you want to make sure it stays cold. Keeping your cake on a chilled platter will help slow the melting process as you hand out slices to your guests. By chilling serving plates and bowls, you can also delay melting as your guests eat their slices.
