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This Brownie Ice Cream Cake is such a fun cake that’s easy to put together! A round cake made with a layer of chunky brownies and ice cream – what’s not to love? Whether you’re hosting a birthday, special occasion or just looking for something unique to make, this cake is guaranteed to be a hit.
Ice Cream Cake with Brownies
I love ice cream cakes but this one? It’s a decadent dream come true! This brownie ice cream cake is has brownies, ice cream, Cool Whip, and sprinkles!
It has lots of steps, but luckily they’re all easy to follow. And don’t worry, I’ll guide you through it. And since we’re using a brownie mix as the cake, this process just got much quicker.
It starts with your favorite ice cream flavor from the grocery store (I used vanilla) or you could make your ice cream from scratch with my no-churn ice cream recipes. Then I made brownies in cake pans to make my layer cake! This is the PERFECT cake recipe when you have a brownie lover in your house.
Ingredients Needed
- Brownie mix: 1 box mix (plus the ingredients to make the brownies) or you can use my homemade brownie mix and follow the directions for the thin 9×13-inch pan size.
- Eggs, Oil, and Water: Use the amounts called for on your brownie mix.
- Ice cream: use any flavored ice cream you have. I used vanilla ice cream but use your favorite flavor or make homemade. (I love using cherry ice cream too!)
- Cool Whip: feel free to dye the whipped topping any color using food coloring. And you can use any flavor or fat-content cool whip.
- Sprinkles: it dresses up this brownie cake beautifully!
How to make brownie ice cream cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F and prepare your round pans for baking. I usually just use parchment paper but nonstick cooking spray works well too. Prepare brownie mix as directed on box.
- Divide brownie batter into two prepared 9-inch or 8-inch cake pans.
- Bake until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs. This should take 20-30 minutes depending on the brand of your brownie mix. While the brownies are baking, let the ice cream sit on the counter for about 15 minutes to soften.
- Cool your brownies completely before assembling the cake. Allow your ice cream to sit out for about 20-30 minutes. You want it soft enough to spread but not liquid.
- Line a round pan with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic wrap overhangs the pan.
- Spread the softened ice cream evenly in the bottom of the cake pan. This is why we used softened ice cream. Refreeze until ready to assemble the cake.
- Place one brownie round on the cake plate. Top with ice cream over the brownie base. Then add the second brownie layer.
- Frost with whipped topping any color sprinkles! Freeze for at least 4 hours before slicing and enjoy!
Expert tips
- You can use 8-inch round cake pans but baking time will be longer.
- It’s best to put the ice cream in the same pan as the brownies baked (a third pan, if you have 3) so it’s the same shape as the cake when assembling.
- You can use any flavor ice cream!
- Substitute fresh whipped cream in place of the cool whip, or use whipped cream frosting.
FAQs
This is a frozen cake so it will last up to a month if wrapped well in an airtight container.
Yes. I baked mine in a 9-inch round cake pan but if you have a smaller size than the baking time will be longer.
Brownie Ice Cream Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 box brownie mix (9×13” pan size), plus eggs, oil, and water called for to make the brownies
- 1 half gallon ice cream
- 1 8 ounce container Cool Whip , defrosted
- Sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two 9-inch round pans with parchment paper or foil and spray with nonstick baking spray.
- Mix ingredients brownies as called for on the box. Divide into the two pans and bake until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs 1-inch from the side. This will take approximately 20-30 minutes depending on brand of brownie mix. Cool completely before assembling cake.
- While the brownies are baking: Let the ice cream sit on the counter for about 15 minutes to soften. Line a 9-inch round pan with plastic wrap. Make sure the plastic wrap overhangs the pan. Spread the softened ice cream evenly in the bottom of the plastic-lined pan. Refreeze until ready to assemble the cake.
- To assemble cake: Place one brownie round on cake plate. Top with re-frozen ice cream and second layer. Frost with whipped topping and add sprinkles, if desired. Freeze at least 4 hours before slicing.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- You can use 8-inch round cake pans but baking time will be longer.
- It’s best to put the ice cream in the same pan as the brownies baked (a third pan, if you have 3) so it’s the same shape as the cake when assembling.
- Feel free to dye the whipped topping any color using food coloring.
- You can use any flavor ice cream
- You can use any flavor or fat-content cool whip.
What a darling cake! And thank you for telling your embarrassing high maintenance cat story – it made me laugh, and I have had a rather embarrassing day so it was a much-needed laugh 🙂 I would have cried if this were my birthday cake and I couldn’t eat it, too!! Poor Jordan!
You’re welcome Jacequeline! I hope your day today is better. 🙂
Your cat and my dog are like the same crazy animal! My lab drinks so much water, he makes himself sick…in the middle of the night (I blame life in the desert.) Even when my husband is away on business the bed is off limits to the dog! I think we both need a piece of this cake some mornings 🙂 I love the ice cream cone on top!
Wow, that is SOME cake! I’m glad Jordan got to eat some eventually:)
I don’t feel so bad anymore about our big, black lab hunkering down under the covers between me and my husband:)
I am cracking up over here! I am familiar with the strategy of moving the cats to the wood floor once I hear the telltale “ulp… ulp…” and going back to sleep. And since we’re telling gross stories, sometimes the other cat would eat it and it’ll be gone by the time I wake up. But I’ve never had the barf anywhere near my head! My cats also were/are sweethearts, so I’ve never called them b****es. Maybe the cake helped make up for the incident? It looks good enough to drown sorrows in. 🙂
Isn’t that “ulp ulp” sound the worst? Especially at 3am? And Callie is definitely NOT a sweetheart…except for about 5 minutes a day. Even then we have to watch out we don’t come back with a bloody stump for a hand…
Yay! I LOVE THIS CAKE. Obsessing over the melted ice cream flourish. Sad Jordan couldn’t eat it on her birthday; maybe Callie is to blame for the sickness–making Jordan sick by using her evil, cat powers and being sick as in cruel and morbid by vomming on your pillow. Maybe she thought you needed a barf deep conditioning mask? Damn them calicos!! Ging would never do that to you 🙂
Thanks Hayley!I’m totally using the “barf deep conditioning mask” phrase, FYI. 🙂
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