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8 Mouthwatering Ice Cream Cakes You Can Make at Home

A cake with caramel drizzle; a chocolate pretzel cake that's been sliced; a cake cut open to reveal berries in the center
Snixy Kitchen/Half-Baked Harvest

We’ve all eaten a store-bought ice cream cake that wasn’t all that satisfying, but it’s easy to assume that making your own would be too much work. The truth is, all you need is a good recipe and some time to create a delicious, gourmet-looking (and tasting) ice cream cake.

From fresh summer berries to ooey-gooey chocolate and caramel, these recipes are sure to become instant favorites on your table. Store-bought ice cream cakes are so out and making your own custom version is in!

Fudgy Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pretzel Cake

Peanut butter chocolate cake with pretzels on top, sliced; a closeup of a slice on its side
Half-Baked Harvest

It doesn’t get much better than this decadent summer treat! It pulls together some of the best flavor combinations ever. Half pie and half cake, this dessert starts with a salty, crunchy crust made from peanuts and pretzels.

It’s then filled with swirled chocolate-peanut butter ice cream, homemade fudge sauce, vanilla ice cream, and finished off with a chocolate shell topping and pretzels.

Get the Recipe: Half-Baked Harvest

Triple Berry Chocolate Vegan Ice Cream Cake

A chocolate cherry ice cream loaf cake sliced open; an overhead view of the slices
Butternut Bakery

With this recipe, we’re combining two iconic ice cream cake flavors into one delicious (and vegan) recipe. Start with a moist cake with a deep, rich chocolate flavor, add vegan vanilla ice cream, and layer with fresh berries.

Top it off with a smooth ganache made from vegan chocolate and coconut milk for a glossy, expert-looking finish.

Get the Recipe: Butternut Bakery

Neapolitan Brownie Ice Cream Cake

A bare-sided neapolitan ice cream cake on a cake plate with a slice taken out; the same cake but whole
Tutti Dolci

Enjoy the classic summery flavors of Neapolitan ice cream, now in ice cream cake form! Rich, gooey brownies (instead of lighter sponge cake layers) alternate with strawberry and vanilla ice cream layers for the iconic three-flavor combination.

It’s all topped with a pouring of chocolate ganache, swirls of vanilla whipped cream, and fresh sliced strawberries.

Get the Recipe: Tutti Dolci

Triple Layer Roasted Berry Pinata Ice Cream Cake

A cake cut open with berries spilling out of the middle; a whole cake frosted white with berries on top
Half-Baked Harvest

It’s called a “piñata” cake for a good reason. When you cut into this cake, it reveals the “surprise” of a cascading pile of sweet, delicious fresh fruit in the center.

A simple vanilla layer cake gets an extra-fancy treatment with the addition of a layer of sweet ice cream and plenty of berries. A classic cream and berries exterior hides the berry surprise in the center.

Get the Recipe: Half-Baked Harvest

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Ice Cream Cake

A ganache-covered cake with strawberries on top; a slice of chocolate cake with strawberry ice cream in the middle
Handle the Heat

When you just want something that’s not too elaborate, go for this cake! It’s simple and classic in the best way. A moist chocolate layer cake sandwiches a layer of creamy, no-egg strawberry ice cream.

The whole thing is then robed in a layer of rich chocolate ganache to make it feel fancy without too much work or over-the-top decoration.

Get the Recipe: Handle the Heat

Blueberry Ice Cream Pie

A slice of "pie" with a blueberry ice cream filling; the whole pie with a slice cut out
Two Cups Flour

This clever and unique recipe puts a major twist on the classic ice cream cake. Instead of being encased by a layer cake, the ice cream in this dessert sits inside a real pie crust!

The filling itself is everything a berry lover could ask for. A creamy combination of blueberry compote with sweet, homemade vanilla ice cream is enclosed in a flaky, buttery pie crust that’s sturdy enough to stand up to the surprise filling.

Get the Recipe: Two Cups Flour

Tiramisu Ice Cream Cake

A sliced-open tiramisu ice cream cake; an overhead view of a slice on its side with a fork
The View from Great Island

With coffee and Kahlua bringing major flavor, think of this as an ice cream cake for grownups (although you can definitely make a family-friendly version with espresso instead of Kahlua).

Layers of simple vanilla pound cake are soaked with Kahlua, then layered with chocolate and coffee ice creams, and finished with whipped mascarpone and a dusting of cocoa.

Get the Recipe: The View from Great Island

Chocolate Gluten-Free Ice Cream Cake with Caramel

A cake with caramel drizzle all around the sides; an overhead view of slices of chocolate cake with white frosting
Snixy Kitchen

You’ll definitely love this birthday-ready classic with a gluten-free twist! Start with the gluten-free chocolate cake that’s every bit as moist and tender as any recipe you’ve used.

Then, layer with vanilla ice cream swirled with caramel, and finish with a fresh whipped cream coating and more ooey-gooey caramel sauce.

Get the Recipe: Snixy Kitchen


Now that you know how to make your own ice cream cake, you’ll never be stuck buying the mediocre stuff at the store again. Plus, you can tell everyone at the party it was all you. If you’d rather skip the cake and just have the ice cream, we’ve got you covered there, too!

Amanda Prahl Amanda Prahl
Amanda Prahl is a freelance contributor to LifeSavvy. She has an MFA in dramatic writing, a BA in literature, and is a former faculty associate focusing on writing craft and history. Her articles have appeared on HowlRound, Slate, Bustle, BroadwayWorld, and ThoughtCo, among others. Read Full Bio »
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