Homemade Ice Cream Cake
When I was a kid my mom used to make this cake for me my birthday every year. My birthday is in July so a cool treat was always welcome, but this was also, by far, my favorite cake. It’s awesome because you can change the flavor just by choosing your favorite ice cream.
Obviously I always chose some kind of chocolate.
Last month when we were planning my oldest son’s birthday party and I asked him what kind of cake he wanted he said he wanted an ice cream cake.
Not sure where he came up with that because, to be honest, I don’t think I have made this cake since he was like 2. But he did and he wanted strawberry ice cream.
I was super excited, not only is this cake pretty darn easy but it is SO good.
If you are at high altitude (like myself) I highly recommend using my high altitude gluten free angel food cake recipe, it is the only one I have gotten to turn out consistently at both 5500 and 7100 feet. If you are at sea level, the recipe below is the one I used for years before moving to the mountains and it is divine.
FOR THE CAKE- 1½ cups egg whites (10-12 large), room temperature
- 1½ teaspoons cream of tarter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1½ cups sifted powdered sugar
- 1 cup sifted cake flour or sifted all-purpose flour
TO ASSEMBLE - 1 gallon of your favorite ice cream
- 1 quart of heavy cream
- ¼ cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
TO BAKE THE CAKE- Preheat oven to 350˚. Set out your tube pan but do not grease it as this makes it harder for the cake to rise.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment whisk the egg whites, cream of tarter and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Stiff peaks are when you dip the whisk in the whites and pull it out and the whites stand stiffly up without falling over.
- Once you have stiff peaks, put the mixer on medium speed and gradually add the granulated sugar.
- In another large mixing bowl, combine the flour and powdered sugar.
- Then use a spatula to fold ¼ of the flour mixture into the egg whites, repeat with remaining egg whites ¼ at a time and be very gentle so you don’t deflate the whites.
- Pour the mixture into the tube pan and then run your spatula around in the batter to get rid of any air bubbles.
- Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until the top is nice and golden and springs back when gently pushed.
- Immediately invert the cake to cool. Some tube pans have little feet so you can do this directly on the counter but some don’t. If yours does not, an old wine bottle works wonderfully.
TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE - Once completely cooled, loosen the edges of the cake and remove it gently.
- Take a serrated knife and carefully slice the cake into 3 layers.
- Place the bottom layer onto the cake platter you intend to use (or a cake board).
- Cut the ice cream box off the ice cream so you can slice it. Then layer the ice cream all over the bottom cake layer. Repeat with remaining layers and ice cream.
- Once the cake is stacked, whip the heavy cream to stiff peaks (if it is summer you may want to stick the cake in the freezer while you do this to firm it back up), add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and then proceed to cover the entire cake in whipped cream.
- Store the cake in the freezer, again, if it is summer you could probably take the cake out right before serving, my son's birthday being in February in Montana and we got nearly 2 feet of snow that day, it was perfect after being out of the fridge for about 30 minutes.
- Huckleberry Plum Pie - January 1, 2017
- Fresh Mango Sorbet - July 17, 2016
- Steak Caesar Salad - June 8, 2016
