How to make the easiest birthday ice cream cake in 4 steps

If a birthday ice cream cake sounds intimidating, then you need to try this recipe. It’s so easy to make and super delicious. It is definitely a crown pleaser and you don’t have to be good at baking either. Take a look!

Full disclosure, I’m not a great baker. I just can’t seem to replicate those perfect cakes that people make on social media. So, this blog post is for all the average bakers who just want to make a decent ice cream cake without all the fancy schmancy stuff. You know what I’m talking about. Let’s get started!

Gather your birthday ice cream cake ingredients

Alright, the ingredient list for this decadent masterpiece is pretty simple. So simple, it might make you shed tears of joy. Here’s what you’ll need:

Boxed cake mix (plus all the ingredients to make the cake)
Magic Shell Chocolate Fudge
Package of Oreos (not double stuffed)
Quart of ice cream (whatever flavor you want)
Powdered sugar
Heavy whipping cream
Frosting, decorating gel and food coloring
Two 8″ or 9″ cake pans

Step #1: Ice cream layer

Line a 9″ or 8″ cake pan with saran wrap. Then, scoop chunks of the ice cream into the cake pan. You can leave the ice cream on the counter for 20 minutes so it softens a little bit. Or you can cut the ice cream into chunks and place it in the pan.

Smooth out the ice cream so it evenly fill the entire cake pan. Fold the excess plastic wrap over the top of the ice cream and place the cake pan in the freezer for at least an hour to harden.

Step #2: Cake layer

Prepare your boxed cake mix according to the directions on the package. Then, pour half of the cake mix into the cake pan and cook according to the directions on the cake mix package. You can cook the other half of the cake mixture in a different pan and give it to the birthday boy or girl to decorate themselves. My son loved that he had his own personal cake to decorate. Once the cake is done, allow it to cool completely.

Step #3: Crunchy Oreo layer

This layer is the best part of the entire cake–besides the ice cream of course. Roughly chop about 20-ish Oreos (or the entire package if you are feeling crazy) and mix it with the entire bottle of Magic Shell in a bowl. When the Magic Shell and Oreo mixture touch the ice cream, it will harden, making a deliciously crunchy layer.

Step #4: Assemble your ice cream cake

Place the boxed cake in the middle of a cake stand. Then, spread the crunchy Oreo layer over the top. Make sure you get right to the edges and smooth it out as best you can. Finally, remove the ice cream layer from the plastic wrap and the cake pan and place it on top as the final layer. Then, frost the cake with whipped cream frosting.

To make the whipped cream frosting, mix two cups of powdered sugar with one pint of whipping cream until it is very stiff. You can also frost the cake with pre-made frosting from the store. Whatever you prefer. Then, just decorate you cake with whatever other decoration you want. Place the cake back in the freezer until you’re ready to eat!

I put a bunch of Oreos on the top of the cake and it looked really cute. Although, it was kind of lop-sided and not frosted perfectly, my son didn’t care. Plus, it was seriously so yummy. Hopefully you have better frosting skills than me, but even if you don’t, you’re going to love this recipe. My other son even asked me to make it for his birthday too! Win!