I’ve always been kind of afraid to work with ice cream, if I’m being honest. In my experience, either melts too fast and makes a mess all over my kitchen, or I end up accidentally eating it all. However, this cookie dough ice cream cake has made me rethink all of my past decisions! It’s got everything you could ever want in a dessert: a layer of cool, velvety ice cream, sandwiched between two glorious layers of soft, chewy cake. Oh yeah, it’s also smothered in a thick layer of chocolate ganache, and topped with chocolate chips and actual choc chip cookies.
Look me in the eye and tell me you’re not drooling already!!!
This ice cream cake is the ultimate dessert for the summer. If you’re like me, you’re probably trying to make the most out of the last few weeks of summer. And you should definitely find time to make this cake and treat yourself to a cold, decadent bite of pure chocolate chip cookie heaven.
This cake turned out so well for me and came together with relative ease, which was a little surprising. Usually, when it comes to cakes and other more challenging/complex desserts, I end up dedicating the whole afternoon to complete. For this one, I think it’s because I only baked one layer of cake, and chocolate ganache is way easier to make than normal buttercream. Also, I used store-bought ice cream and cookies from Whole Foods, so that saved me a lot of time! I would highly recommend doing the same, because making a batch of cookies and a whole recipe of ice cream in addition to a whole cake would be insane. But hey, feel free to do so if you want – I would be impressed!
Like I’ve mentioned above, the creation of this cake is a pretty lengthy process. There are some tips I want to share with y’all to ensure maximum ice cream cake success!
How to make a Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Cake:
The butter & sugar mixture starts out exactly how you would start a regular chocolate chip cookie recipe. This is because we’re looking to infuse the flavors of the cookie into the cake layer, so a mix of brown and granulated sugar is ideal here.
Looots of vanilla flavor in this cake… 2 teaspoons, to be exact😆
Buttermilk provides an extra layer of tangy flavor to the cake. Additionally, its elevated acidity compared to whole milk tenderizes the gluten in the batter, giving it a softer and more tender texture. If you don’t have access to buttermilk, you can substitute with regular milk with a teaspoon of lemon juice.
Chocolate chips: use whatever kind you want! I saw a pack of mini chocolate chips at the grocery store, and I thought they were adorable. I would avoid using chocolate chunks, though; those are better suited for normal cookies rather than cake batter.
I am using cookie dough ice cream, but feel free to use whatever flavor you’d like! Heck, you could even use strawberry or pistachio if you wanted. Cookie dough works with the theme of the dessert, and plus, it’s my favorite kind anyways.
A springform pan is crucial in the success of this cake! If you don’t have one already, I highly recommend investing in one (this is the one I have). The removable edges make it very easy to create smooth edges and allow for efficient, crack-less transfer.
- If you have two springform pans, you could divide the batter among the two pans and skip dividing the cake layer in half. However, I only have one, so this is the way I did it. You would probably bake for around 20 minutes, instead of 40.
There are many ways to make ganache, but in my opinion, the microwave method is the easiest (and it still tastes great)! I have tried using a double boiler, but I find it to be a hassle, and you get the same results using a microwave. I explain the process in the recipe card down below, but it’s literally just microwaving the whipping cream, mixing it with the chocolate, and whipping it into a frosting to decorate the cake.
Decorating is my faaavorite part! Frosting an ice cream cake might seem intimidating at first (mainly the melting ice cream issue), but once you “seal in” the ice cream layer with the ganache, you can take your time! However, if you’re going to spend an hour decorating, make sure you put the cake in the freezer for about 20 minutes after half an hour.
- I piped little frosting “mounds” and placed quarter slices of chocolate chip cookies on top. I tried to make them look less like poop emojis (ahem… peep this post)… hopefully it worked! Then, I pressed some chocolate chips on the side, and sprinkled some on top.
Aaaand, we’re done! Just like that… ice cream cakes aren’t so bad, now, are they?? Plus, you get the satisfaction at the end of cutting yourself a huge slice and enjoying it as you stand triumphantly in front of your glorious cake, in the midst of your cake-batter-covered-countertop and the cabinet doors smeared with ganache.
As y’all are reading this, I’m currently at my band’s leadership camp right now, preparing for this season! I know I keep talking about it (sorry… I know it’s annoying), but it’s such a big part of my life. I’m also definitely doing lots of membean (eww) and lots of Khan Academy practice in preparation for my SATs and whatnot.
It’s okay though, I’ll have a nice, cold ice cream cake waiting for me when I get home. And I hope y’all do too, hehe! Tag me @mysouthernsweettooth on Instagram if you try this one! XO
- 1 stick of unsalted butter (1/2 cup)
- ½ cup light or dark brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- ⅔ cup buttermilk
- ¾ cup chocolate chips (I used mini choc chips)
- 2 pints cookie dough ice cream (ok to sub with any other flavor)
- 1½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a 7'' springform pan with parchment paper, and grease the sides. Set aside for later.
- In a large bowl, cream together butter, brown sugar, and granulated sugar, until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one by one, until incorporated; then, mix in vanilla. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix in ⅓ of the dry ingredients into the butter-sugar mixture, then half of the buttermilk; continue alternating until fully combined. Finally, fold in chocolate chips.
- Pour batter into prepared springform pan and bake in preheated oven for 35-40 minutes, until skewer inserted comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely (about 1-2 hours).
- To make the ganache, add chocolate chips into a bowl. Microwave heavy whipping cream for about 1.5 to 2 minutes, until very hot, then pour into bowl with chocolate chips. Cover with a plate and let rest for about 10 minutes, then whisk until smooth. Let cool, then transfer to refrigerator and let set for at least an hour.
- To assemble, remove the cooled cake from the springform pan. Using a serrated knife, score the outside edge of the cake halfway up the side, then carefully cut through the cake along this indentation. Set aside the top layer, then return the bottom layer back to the springform pan. In another bowl, add ice cream and whip with an electric mixer for about a minute, until fluffy. Spread ice cream over the layer of cake in the springform pan. Top with the second layer, and return to the freezer to chill for about 15 minutes.
- Remove the ganache from the freezer, and whip using an electric mixer until stiff peaks form (should take 1-2 minutes). Frost the chilled cake using an offset spatula. Decorate with any extra frosting, chocolate chips, freshly baked cookies, cookie dough, etc. Enjoy!!
2 Comments
making this asap omg!! also i love how the serving size is a whole cake😂😂😂
Hahhh oh yeah I was gonna change that but then I was like ehhhhhh