15 Best Ice Cream Cake Recipes for All Your Summer Celebrations
Why choose one dessert when you can have both? 🍦🍰
Every item on this page was chosen by an editor from The Pioneer Woman. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.
On a hot summer day, is there anything better than a cold, loaded ice cream sundae? How about an over-the-top cake made with ice cream instead? Yes, we're talking ice cream cakes: the highlight of practically every summer birthday party, graduation, and seasonal celebration in history. The flavorsome frozen creations are packed with stacks of sweet, creamy ice cream, and they sometimes even include layers of actual soft cake and crunchy cookie crumbles, too!
Here, you'll find all the refreshing ice cream flavors that make summertime sweet, like mint chocolate chip, pistachio, and lemon curd! Or choose from classic cake flavors, like funfetti, cookies and cream, and black forest cake. If you're looking for a make-ahead dessert for an upcoming summer potluck, there are tons of easy options that you can stash in the freezer, like the scrumptious Snickers ice cream sandwich cake. At the same time, you may not be able to resist waiting to eat these frozen treats, so there are also plenty of no-bake desserts and ice cream cake recipes that can be whipped up the day of, like the tiramisu cake made with store-bought frozen pound cake!
Plus, many of these ice cream cake recipes are complete with festive toppings, like dollops of whipped frosting, chocolate drizzles, colorful sprinkles, and crushed cookies and candies to yield celebration-worthy masterpieces! No matter which frozen summer dessert you choose to make, you can't go wrong with an ice cream cake!
Birthday Ice Cream Cake
What better way to celebrate a summer birthday than with a festive ice cream cake? It features pretty pink strawberry ice cream sandwiched between layers of sprinkle-studded vanilla cake for a colorful birthday-worthy dessert!
Get the Birthday Ice Cream Cake recipe.
Ice Cream Icebox Cake
Blackberry and lemon make for a delightful summer dessert duo in any form, but the addition of ice cream takes it to the next level! The layers of spiced gingersnaps between the blackberry preserves and lemon curd-swirled ice cream also make for a spicy-sweet surprise.
Get the Ice Cream Icebox Cake recipe.
Ice Cream Sandwich Cake
Cooling mint chocolate chip ice cream layered between vanilla and chocolate ice cream sandwiches makes for the perfect sweet antidote to a hot summer day! The ice cream filling also includes extra mint chocolate sandwich cookies for even more minty-fresh flavor.
Get the Ice Cream Sandwich Cake recipe.
Ice Cream Cake
This chocolate and Oreo-based ice cream cake is perfect for summer birthdays and special occasions, but it's so delicious that you'll want to eat it every day! It's stuffed with two types of ice cream, caramel and chocolate sauces, sandwich cookies, and coated in a luscious layer of hard chocolate sundae topping!
Get the Ice Cream Cake recipe.
Animal Cookie Ice Cream Cake
This nostalgic frozen dessert combines the childhood favorite cookie with creamy layers of funfetti and strawberry ice cream. The colorful animal cookies and hot pink, white chocolate ganache make it extra festive and fitting for summer celebrations of any kind!
Get the Animal Cookie Ice Cream Cake recipe at Grandbaby Cakes.
Black Forest Ice Cream Cake
Rich, cherry-studded black forest cake gets a summery upgrade with layers of creamy and cool ice cream! The sheets of simple, brownie-like chocolate cake pair perfectly with the homemade cherry vanilla ice cream.
Get the Black Forest Ice Cream Cake recipe at A Cookie Named Desire.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake
Can't choose between cookie cake and ice cream cake for your warm-weather celebration? This cooling cake combines the two specialty cakes in one with chocolate chip vanilla cake and chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream for the ultimate summer dessert hybrid.
Get the Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake recipe at A Classic Twist.
Strawberry Ice Cream Cake
Take the flavors of classic strawberry shortcake to the next level by adding melt-in-your-mouth Girl Scout Cookie Trefoils and strawberry ice cream to the mix! Finish it with freshly sliced strawberries and fluffy whipped cream for a dreamy finish.
Get the Strawberry Ice Cream Cake recipe at Grandbaby Cakes.
Snickers Ice Cream Sandwich Cake
If you've ever had a Snickers ice cream bar, you know how good the chocolate peanut butter treat tastes in frozen form! This ice cream cake version of the classic candy bar takes it to another (indulgent) level with lots of ice cream sandwiches, fudge, caramel, Cool Whip, crushed peanuts, and chocolate syrup.
Get the Snickers Ice Cream Sandwich Cake recipe at Divas Can Cook.
Pistachio Ice Cream Cake
This gorgeous green ice cream cake will be the star of any summer party! It's surprisingly simple to make with only three main layers: a golden Oreo cookie crust, pistachio ice cream center, and whipped topping.
Get the Pistachio Ice Cream Cake recipe at Amanda's Cookin'.
Chocolate Strawberry Ice Cream Cake
This easy ice cream cake is the homemade version of the refreshing ice cream cakes you remember from childhood, featuring layers of chocolate and vanilla ice cream, strawberry topping, cookie crumbs, and a light and fluffy grocery store-style frosting!
Drumstick Ice Cream Sandwich Cake
If delicious Drumstick ice cream cones were the highlight of your summers growing up, you'll love this ice cream cake take on the classic freezer treat! It's indulgent and irresistible yet refreshing, thanks to layers of drumstick ice cream, caramel, peanuts, and fudge sauce!
Get the Drumstick Ice Cream Cake recipe at Brown Sugar Mama.
S’mores Ice Cream Cake
The warm, gooey s'mores you know and love every summer are just as good in the frozen form of an ice cream cake! After all, how could the combo of graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallow ever not be phenomenal?
Oreo Ice Cream Cake
This Oreo-studded ice cream cake is so delectable it'll have you questioning if it came from your kitchen or the freezer section of your favorite creamery! It's packed with thick layers of chocolate cake, cookies 'n cream ice cream, hot fudge, and lots of Oreo cookies.
Tiramisu Ice Cream Cake
This inventive ice cream cake has all the deliciousness of the Italian coffee dessert with the cooling addition of ice cream! Plus, it's so easy to make with store-bought frozen pound cake, chocolate, and coffee ice cream.
Get the Tiramisu Ice Cream Cake recipe at The View from Great Island.
Grandma’s Best Desserts Will Take You Way Back
The Sweetest Tailgate Desserts to End Game Day
Chocolate Buttercream
Coconut Lovers Will Go Nuts for These Desserts
