15 Easy Ice Cream Cake Recipes

Pick up some ice cream (vanilla, chocolate and whatever else you like), ice cream sandwiches and sauces, and you're ready to assemble.
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Lovely Little Kitchen
Lovely Little Kitchen's Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Slice Cake

Sometimes you feel like trying, sometimes you don’t. This collection of easy ice cream cake recipes is for those days when you want to be rewarded with the maximum amount of joy for doing the least amount of work.

Ice cream cakes can be complicated, with homemade ice cream and scratch-made cake, but we’re not here for that today. We’re here to toss a few pints of ice cream into our grocery carts, slap ’em into a pan with a few other ingredients and get on our merry way. 

A perfect example of an inventive cheat is the Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Slice Cake (see above) from food blogger Lovely Little Kitchen. Store-bought ice cream sandwiches are layered with a chocolate peanut butter ganache and chocolate ice cream, then coated in whipped cream and frozen in a loaf pan. It’s easy but deceptively impressive-looking once it’s sliced up.

Or check out this Easy Ice Cream Sandwich Cake from Brown Eyed Baker (see below). It’s also made with ice cream sandwiches and just five other ingredients ― caramel sauce, hot fudge, whipped topping, peanuts and maraschino cherries. Slap it together, freeze it and you’re ready to party.

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Brown Eyed Baker
Brown Eyed Baker's Easy Ice Cream Sandwich Cake

Want a more traditional ice cream cake? Or something entirely different? Maybe you want an ice cream cake that resembles the legendary strawberry shortcake ice cream bars. Browse the recipes below and you’ll find what you’re looking for.

1
Life, Love And Sugar
Strawberry Crunch Ice Cream Cake
Courtesy of Life, Love and Sugar
2
Life, Love and Sugar
Copycat Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake
Courtesy of Life, Love and Sugar
3
Half Baked Harvest
Nonnie's 6-Ingredient Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Cake
Courtesy of Half Baked Harvest
4
Something Swanky
Nutella Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake
Courtesy of Something Swanky
5
Lovely Little Kitchen
Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream Slice Cake
Courtesy of Lovely Little Kitchen
6
Brown Eyed Baker
Banana Split Ice Cream Cake
Courtesy of Brown Eyed Baker
7
Rainbow Nourishments
Vegan Berry Ice Cream Cake
Courtesy of Rainbow Nourishments
8
Sally's Baking Addiction
Easy 5-Ingredient Ice Cream Cake
Courtesy of Sally's Baking Addiction
9
Grandbaby Cakes
Girl Scout Cookies Mint Chocolate Ice Cream Cake
Courtesy of Grandbaby Cakes
10
Lovely Little Kitchen
Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream Cake
Courtesy of Lovely Little Kitchen
11
What's Cooking Good Looking
Peach and Honey Ice Cream Cake (dairy- and gluten-free)
Courtesy of What's Cooking Good Looking
12
A Classic Twist
Birthday Ice Cream Cake
Courtesy of A Classic Twist
13
Rainbow Nourishments
Ultimate Chocolate Vegan Ice Cream Cake
Courtesy of Rainbow Nourishments
14
Brown Eyed Baker
Easy Ice Cream Sandwich Cake
Courtesy of Brown Eyed Baker
15
Lovely Little Kitchen
Banana Split Ice Cream Cake
Courtesy of Lovely Little Kitchen

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Before You Go

Small Kitchen Appliances That Will Save You Tons Of Space
Always Pan(01 of12)
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Nothing says small kitchen-friendly like a multipurpose pan that does almost everything. The Always Pan from Our Place is designed to replace eigh traditional pieces of cookware, including a fry pan, sauté pan, steamer and skillet. It has a non-toxic, nonstick ceramic coating and is suitable for all types of cooktops. (credit:Our Place)
A Breville Nespresso Essenza mini espresso machine(02 of12)
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Just because you're low on counter space doesn't mean you have to be low on energy. This compact, single-serve Nespresso machine includes a complimentary starter set of capsules so you can get your day started faster. It comes in black and white and measures 8 by 4.3 by 12.8 inches. (credit:Amazon)
A mini two-cup rice cooker(03 of12)
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The key to shopping for a small kitchen is to prioritize mini appliances, such as this rice cooker that comes in eight colors. It cooks two cups of rice, which is smaller than the average 5.5 cups in typical cookers. But it doesn't just cook rice; you can also use it to make two cups of oatmeal, stew, soup, quinoa or pasta. All you have to do is add water and your grain or food of choice, press the "cook" button and it will be ready in less than 20 minutes. (credit:Amazon)
A bright yellow toaster(04 of12)
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Both functional and eye-pleasing, this bright toaster take up minimal space on your counter and fits two slices at once. It measures 5.3 by 9.4 by 7 inches. It also comes with seven browning shade settings, a removable crumb tray and defrost, reheat and cancel buttons. (credit:Amazon)
A compact air fryer(05 of12)
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Air fryers can be a bit clunky and take up way too much counter space, but this one is specifically designed to be compact and best for small meals. It fits up to 1 1/2 pounds of food and has adjustable cooking controls suitable for whatever you're making. (credit:Amazon)
A mini waffle maker(06 of12)
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You've likely seen this mini waffle maker everywhere, and if not, today's your lucky day. You can make 4-inch waffles with it in just minutes. The length of the machine itself is only six inches, so it will fit perfectly on your kitchen counter with room to spare. Color and design options are plentiful and include mini waffles as seen in the photo here, copper, orange, pineapple, pink and rainbow. (credit:Amazon)
A breakfast sandwich maker(07 of12)
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There's no need for a griddle and pans. Making your bacon, egg and cheese in the morning will be a whole lot easier with this tiny sandwich maker. Simply build the layers of your desired sandwich on each level of the machine and in five minutes, breakfast is ready. It's even dishwasher-safe and has removable parts for hassle-free cleanup. It comes in black, coral, mint, silver and red. (credit:Amazon)
An electric hot pot(08 of12)
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Don't have a stove? No problem. Your cooking needs will be met with this electric hot pot, in which you can sauté foods like steak, chicken, fried rice, noodles and eggs. It even comes with a silicone spatula and an egg rack. It holds up 1.5 liters and comes in a compact size for smaller spaces, and the non-stick liner inside makes cleanup simple. Color options are green and purple. (credit:Amazon)
A rapid egg cooker(09 of12)
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If you haven't quite mastered the art of hard boiled eggs, this egg cooker will do the job for you. It fits up to 12 eggs and requires little monitoring to get your eggs just how you like them. You can also produce soft-boiled eggs, poached eggs, scrambled eggs and individual omelets. It stands 9 inches high and 8 inches wide and comes in purple, red, black, white, cream, aqua and yellow. (credit:Amazon)
A Cuisinart Mini-Prep Plus 4-cup food processor(10 of12)
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This small food processor does a variety of tasks, from chopping vegetables to grinding cheese. It comes with a 24-ounce work bowl with a handle and has an auto-reversible smart blade. (credit:Amazon)
A Kitchenaid Artisan Mini Plus tilt-head stand mixer(11 of12)
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If a handheld mixer just won't cut it and you really want to splurge on a stand mixer, consider this Kitchenaid version that comes in a mini 3.5-quart size (average stand mixers are 5-7 quarts). It has a tilt-head design and 67 touchpoints around the quartz stainless steel bowl for better mixing results. It also comes with a flex edge beater, coated dough hook and 6-wire whip. Color options include matte black, silver, ice, red and matte avocado cream. (credit:Amazon)
A handheld electric can opener(12 of12)
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Get rid of your space-stealing countertop can opener and try this ergonomic, hands-free one instead. It's AA-battery operated (pick up some here) and it's built for safety as the blade automatically cuts along the side of can you're opening. (credit:Amazon)

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