Homemade ice cream cakes can deliver big flavor with minimal effort. From frozen confections layered with your favorite scoops to creations inspired by beloved childhood treats, each recipe is simple enough for beginners but impressive enough to wow a crowd. No need for fancy equipment or hours in the kitchen—just a few ingredients, a freezer, and a serious love for ice cream. Get ready to chill out with these 10 fun, fuss-free desserts.
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Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Cake
Peyton Beckwith
“This strawberry shortcake ice cream cake, made with ice cream sandwiches, a crunchy strawberry shortcake topping, and fresh strawberries, is a sweet treat.” — Allrecipes producer and recipe developer Nicole McLaughlin.
Ice Cream Pizza
While this isn’t technically an ice cream cake, it has all the makings of crowd-pleasing one: a devil’s food cake base, vanilla ice cream, hot fudge, and a sprinkle nuts. Get creative with the toppings. “Hot fudge and M&M’S are an easy winner,” says our Allrecipes Test Kitchen.
Ice Cream Sandwich Cake
“This easy ice cream cake has layers of ice cream sandwiches, hot fudge, caramel, and whipped topping. It was renamed as ‘The Best Dessert I’ve Ever Eaten’ by my daughter this Memorial Day. My husband doesn’t like when I take this dessert to a large gathering because it means he won’t have any leftovers!” —Allrecipes community member DAYMOMMY
Ice Cream Cake
Dotdash Meredith Food Studios
All you need is five ingredients to make this rich, chocolate-forward dessert: cake mix, water, eggs, vegetable oil, and chocolate ice cream. “This ice cream cake is easy to make with any flavor of ice cream or cake mix you prefer,” says Allrecipes community member winnie the pooh. “Frost with your favorite frosting, fudge topping, crushed Oreos, or anything!”
Easy Incredible Ice Cream Cake
Easy Incredible Ice Cream Cake, another creation by Allrecipes’ own Nicole McLaughlin, takes all of the best elements of homemade ice cream sundaes—vanilla ice cream, crumbled chocolate sandwich cookies, and chocolate shell topping—and pairs them with a thick layer of devil’s food cake.
Pistachio Ice Cream Dessert
A crust made with buttery crackers, pistachio pudding–enriched ice cream, and a finish of crunchy toffee bits give Allrecipes community member tracyc’s Pistachio Ice Cream Dessert lots of complex flavors and satisfy textures.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Cake
How can you go wrong with a mountain of ice cream and chocolate chip cookies crowed with whipped cream and cherries? The answer: You can’t! “SOOOOOOO good and easy to make…and our go-to dessert for birthdays!” says reviewer MOOSMOM. “Have never made with just plain vanilla…we go for more fun ice cream flavors like cookie dough…yum!”
Brownie Ice Cream Cake
“An irresistible brownie ice cream cake recipe. There’s no better taste than the chocolaty madness of brownies, fudge, and ice cream made into a cake.” —Allrecipes community member LIAGIBA
Creamsicle Ice Cream Cake
“Two layers of orange-flavored cake sandwich a layer of vanilla ice cream in this simple recipe, then it’s finished off with some whipped topping for a bit of extra flair. And it tastes like the real deal.” —Mackenzie Schieck
Rainbow Sherbet Cake
Getty Images/Maksim Moiseenko
Sherbet fans, rejoice: This five-ingredient ice cream cake is a pastel-hued delight. “Loved it!” says reviewer hduenas. “Beautiful, delicious and easy to make! Like other reviewers said, definitely thaw the sherbet some to make it easier to spread.”
Bonus: Red, White, and Blue Ice-Cream Cake
If you have the bandwidth to put in five hours of effort (including freezer time), Yewande Komolafe’s dazzling, fruity cake is perfect for summer celebrations such as the Fourth of July. It’s a beauty made with store-bought pound cake, blueberry preserve-spiked vanilla ice cream, raspberry sherbet, whipped cream, a frenzy of fresh fruit, and a homemade raspberry-honey sauce,
