My daughter just celebrated her birthday with two friends. They decided to have a skating party, which meant no work for me. Which does not compute around here. So I brought the cake.
Rainbow colored polka dots was about perfect for a 13yo party. Fun but not babyish. Who doesn’t love polka dots?
We were leaving on a quick weekend trip, returning on the day of her party, so this do-ahead ice cream cake was just perfect. I’m new to the art of the ice cream cake, and I wasn’t entirely sure it would look as good as it did so I didn’t capture all the steps as well as I would have liked. But I can explain….
It really was quite simple to make the cake and I would totally do it again! Here’s what you need:
- 1 11 inch springform pan (smaller if you prefer)
- 1 package vanilla sandwich cookies
- 1.5 gallons of vanilla ice cream
- 1 box of Trix cereal (or a cheap knock off – I’m not fond of the swirls on current boxes of Trix, but the market only had the “real deal”)
- 1 package of piroutte or other swirly “straw” type cookies
- 1 box of white cake mix, eggs & oil & food coloring for making cake balls
- cake ball maker or cake ball pan
* you could try making the cake, crumbling and mixing it with a little frosting and food coloring to make balls. I was afraid it would be too hard to cut and too sweet if I went that route, plus I’m happy to employ any excuse to use my cake ball maker….
Step 1: Mix cake batter according to package directions and divide into four ziploc bags. Add food coloring to each bag and squish to mix. Snip corner off the bag and pipe batter into pan or cake ball maker and make colorful cake balls! You will have extra cakeballs to freeze and use as you wish. Chill baked cake balls thoroughly before using.
Note: Before proceeding to Step 2: take ice cream out of freezer to soften up
Step 2: Pulse the sandwich cookies in a food processor or blender. Press crumbs into the base of the springform pan.
Step 3: Trim the straw cookies to the height of the springform pan (you can saw them off with a sharp serrated knife). Place cookies, cut edge down around the inside perimeter of the pan. The cookie crumb base will help to anchor them.
Step 4: Stir the softened ice cream until it is smooth and creamy. You want it to be soft enough to spread like a frosting, but not melted. Work fast! Spoon into the crumb/cookie lined pan and spread, gently to cover the cookie crumb base with a half inch layer of ice cream.
Step 5: Arrange your colorful cake balls on top of the layer of ice cream. Not so closely packed that they touch, but don’t be too skimpy. You will use about 15-20 cake balls. If ice cream is too melty, pop back in the freezer at this point to firm up before proceeding.
Step 6: Stir up your ice cream till good and creamy. Spoon over the cake balls, filling in the gaps, and filling almost to the tops of the cookies lining the perimeter.
Step 7: Press Trix cereal balls into the top surface of the cake.
Cover with plastic wrap, freeze for at least 2-3 hours, preferably overnight. Remove from freezer at least 15 minutes prior to serving and release springform pan to “unmold”. Slice with a sharp knife dipped in hot water. Enjoy!
Note: The Gorgeous “Celebrate” Cake topper is from Lisa Leonard – I’m a huge fan of her jewelry and now I am totally thrilled by her line of cake toppers as well.
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