Ice Cream Cake

By mariannefeldman

ICE CREAM CAKE
cooksillustrated/com

Serves 8 to 10. From The Best Make-Ahead Recipe.

WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS:
We tested most everything that made sense in an ice cream cake recipe and thought Oreo cookies worked the best for the crust because their flavor was strong enough to stand up to just about any flavor of ice cream. We produced a few bumpy ice cream cakes before we realized that the ice cream needed to be softened and whipped smooth with a wooden spoon before transferring it to the pan.

If you don’t have a meat mallet, you can use something else with a flat surface (1-cup measuring cup or drinking glass) to smooth the ice cream layers. You can easily pipe decorations or a greeting on the top of this cake after it is completely frozen. Instead of decorating the side of the cake with sprinkles, try using chopped nuts, crushed candies or cookies, or mini chocolate chips. Before removing the cake from the springform pan, run your paring knife under hot tap water for 10 seconds or so. The hot knife will slide easily between the cake and the pan, allowing the sides of the pan to be removed quickly.


TO SERVE RIGHT AWAY: Freeze the cake as directed in step 4 until firm, 4 to 6 hours, then serve as directed in step 5.


INSTRUCTIONS

Ingredients

• INGREDIENTS
• 25 Oreo cookies , broken into rough pieces
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter , melted
• 1 pint strawberry ice cream
• 1 pint vanilla ice cream
• 1 pint chocolate ice cream
• 1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles (see note)

Preparation

Step 1

1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 325 degrees. Pulse the cookies in a food processor until coarsely ground, about 15 short pulses, then let the machine run until the crumbs are uniformly fine, about 15 seconds. With the machine running, pour the butter through the feed tube and continue to process until the mixture resembles wet sand.

2. Transfer 2/3 cup of the crumbs to a 9-inch springform pan and, following the illustrations below, use the bottom of a measuring cup to press the crumbs into an even layer. Bake the crust until it is fragrant and beginning to brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

3. Scoop the strawberry ice cream into a large bowl and use a wooden spoon to soften the ice cream and remove any lumps, working quickly so the ice cream does not melt. With a meat mallet (or other flat surface; see note), spread the softened ice cream evenly over the cooled crust, creating a smooth top. Sprinkle another 2/3 cup of the Oreo crumbs over the ice cream and pack them down lightly. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap and freeze until the ice cream is just firm, about 30 minutes. Repeat with the vanilla ice cream and the remaining 2/3 cup Oreo crumbs, and freeze for another 30 minutes. Finish with the chocolate ice cream, spread evenly into the pan, and smooth the top.

4. TO STORE: Wrap the cake tightly with plastic wrap and then foil and freeze for up to 1 month.

5. TO SERVE: Run a paring knife (see note) between the springform pan and the cake, then remove the sides of the pan. Slide a thin metal spatula between the crust and the pan bottom to loosen, then slide the cake onto a serving platter. Press the sprinkles thoroughly into the side of the cake to cover.

STEP-BY-STEP
Pressing the Crumbs into the Pan


1. Use the bottom of a ramekin, 1-cup measuring cup, or drinking glass to press the crumbs into the bottom of a springform pan. Press the crumbs as far as possible into the edge of the pan.


2. Use a teaspoon to neatly press the crumbs into the edge of the pan to create a clean edge.