January 12, 2021

Homemade Neapolitan Ice Cream Cake

Chocolate fudge and chocolate cookie crumbs sandwiched between vanilla and strawberry ice creams, then finished with frozen whipped topping. This Homemade Neapolitan Ice Cream Cake is easy to customize and ridiculously easy to make!

Origins

My husband and I started dating about a month before his birthday. When his birthday came around, I wanted to impress him with a homemade dinner and birthday cake. At the time, I did not know that he wasn’t a big fan of cakes.

When I asked him about his favorite cake, he said he liked ice cream cake. I decided I would figure out how to make one myself. This was pre-Pinterest and pre-Googling recipes any time I thought of something I wanted. (**Editor’s note – this was 2010…and am pretty sure Google was around**) So, I thought of the Birthday cakes I grew up with, from Dairy Queen, and decided to make a copycat version.

For the next five or six years, I made my husband an ice cream cake for his birthday. So, I had plenty of opportunities to experiment and perfect a consistent version.

Fast forward 10 years… we have two 2 kids … one has a birthday 3 weeks before and one has a birthday the day after my husband’s birthday. Given that my husband doesn’t really care about cake, and would prefer I not make them for him at all, my cake making ambitions have been directed to my kids.

This year my son asked for a strawberry, chocolate, vanilla ice cream cake for his birthday, so I had the opportunity to make it again!

Homemade Neapolitan Ice Cream Cake

I first published my homemade ice cream cake recipe when I started my blog. The photo is of the cake in my freezer, because I didn’t ever actually expect to share it. I think I took it to show my mom maybe?

So, I am updating the recipe and post here now to better help you make a homemade ice cream cake!

What kind of pan do I use?

Use a 9″ springform pan. You want to line the bottom with plastic wrap to prevent the melted ice cream from seeping out, and use parchment paper up the sides, as the cake may be taller than the sides of the pan.

Should I use homemade or store bought ice cream for ice cream cake?

This is up to you! I use store bought as it’s so quick and so easy with this cake. If you’re feeling like going the extra mile, here are some great recipes to consider:

Barefeet in the Kitchen: Homemade Ice Cream
Allrecipes: Very Chocolate Ice Cream
The Endless Meal: The Best Strawberry Ice Cream

Fudge filling

Could you make your own hot fudge? Sure! Again, I think the jarred version is easy, and good. But, if you want to make your own, Averie Cooks has a temping recipe.

Cookie crumb filling

I use about 20 Oreo cookies, with the filling removed, to make the crumb filling. BUT, this is a thick filling. When you cut the cake, it does not stay together perfectly. HOWEVER, you get way more bites of cookie with ice cream than if you were to make a thinner filling layer.

If you want your slices to stay together, try 10 Oreo cookies. Or, try mixing the fudge and oreos together.

Frosting

Frozen whipped topping. I have tried melting ice cream and freezing it around the sides, using buttercream, using a mixture of all three … hands down, no doubt about it, frozen whipped topping works the best.

This cake is easy to customize and easy to make! So next time you want an ice cream cake, you can make it yourself, exactly how you want!

Easy Homemade Ice Cream Cake

No ratings yet

Course: Dessert

Prep Time: 20

Pin Recipe for Later

Ingredients

1.5 quarts strawberry ice cream
1.5 quarts vanilla ice cream
11 ounce jar of hot fudge topping
10-20 Oreo cookies
16 ounce container frozen whipped topping thawed

Instructions

Line the inside and sides of a 9 inch springform pan with plastic wrap, making sure all areas are covered.
Use parchment paper to make a round sleeve around the inside of the springform pan (sleeve should be at least 1" taller than the sides of the pan).
Melt strawberry ice cream to a consistency that is able to be spread. I either let it sit out for an hour or two, or put it in the microwave in 20 second intervals.
Pour the strawberry ice cream into the bottom of the pan. Freeze for at least 1 hour.
Remove pan from freezer. Melt hot fudge according to package directions and pour over flavored ice cream.
Remove cream from center of Oreos (I break them apart by hand and use a knife to remove the cream. Process Oreos in food processor until they turn into fine crumbles. Spread Oreos over fudge layer. NOTE: If you want a thick cookie layer, use 20 cookies (this is what I like). If you want a thinner layer that best adheres to the top layer of ice cream, use about 10 cookies.
Melt the container of vanilla ice cream. Spread ice cream over Oreo layer.
Freeze for at least 4 hours.
Remove from freezer. Remove outside of springform pan. Move cake to cardboard cake round.
Use thawed whipped cream to frost outside of cake. Decorate with sprinkles if desired. Return cake to freezer for at 1 hour before writing on cake (gel icing works best for writing on this cake).