Easy Ice Cream Cake

Monday was Ryan’s birthday and there is nothing he likes more than mint chocolate chip ice cream. Every year, in celebration of his birthday, the kids and I surprise him with some sort of chocolaty-mint dessert. In addition to homemade masterpieces, past years have included, Jenny Cookies’ mint chocolate chip cake, High 5 Pie’s raspberry mint chocolate whip pie and Trophy Cupcakes’ chocolate chip mint cupcakes.

This year I was admittedly behind the eight ball for Ryan’s birthday dessert. We had been in Lake Chelan the prior week and spent the weekend camping (see post here), but NYT Cooking came to my rescue. On Sunday, NYT Cooking fortuitously posted on my Instagram feed @itsalislagle’s Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cake that only takes four store-bought ingredients and 30 minutes (plus freezing time) to make. Sold! I was able to run to the grocery store when we got home from our camping trip and make the cake before I went to bed on Sunday evening.

Yes, my handwriting & decorating skills with Magic Shell need work but the cake tasted amazing and you don’t have to take the time baking cake layers that more traditional ice cream cake recipes include. For Ryan’s birthday cake, I inversed the layers from those shown in @itsalislagle’s Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cake recipe (i.e., I used green chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches for the middle layer and white-colored mint chocolate chip ice cream for the surrounding layers).

Ryan loves chocolate chip mint but I encourage you to get creative! Swap out the mint cookies for oreos, chocolate chip cookies, pretzels or NYT Cooking suggested broken waffle cone pieces; the mint ice cream sandwiches for Neapolitan, the traditional variety with vanilla ice cream, I have seen strawberry cheesecake at QFC, cookies and cream at Safeway, and Lucerne has a fun birthday variety; and the mint-chip ice cream for coffee, peanut butter or strawberry ice cream — or any combination that sounds good to you or the person you are trying to celebrate. 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 10 oz package of chocolate mint cookies coarsely crushed (I used Keebler Grasshopper Cookies)
• 2 (1.5-quart) cartons mint chocolate chip ice cream (I used Breyers white Mint Chocolate Chip variety)
• 1 package Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Sandwiches with at least 10 full-size rectangular sandwiches (I used Safeway’s Signature Select brand)
•  Store-bought Magic Shell for serving (or any fudge sauce)

DIRECTIONS

1. Line an at least 2 3/8 inch deep pan with two layers of plastic wrap, leaving a few inches of overhang on all sides. The pan I used was 9 3/8 x 9 3/8 inch whereas the original recipe called for a 9 x 13 inch. The critical part of pan selection is just that it is deep enough – any length and width will work.
2. Open the two ice cream containers. Place one 1.5 quart on the counter and let soften until it resembles thick cake batter, 5 to 10 minutes; you’ll use this ice cream first. Place the other container in the refrigerator to soften while you build the first half of the cake. (Ice cream will reach the desired consistency in the refrigerator in 20 to 30 minutes.)
3. Scatter the crushed cookies in a thin, even layer across the bottom of the pan. Spoon the first softened container of ice cream over the cookies and spread into an even layer. Press down as you go to adhere the ice cream to the cookies. If at any point the ice cream is melting to liquid, pop the cake and ice cream in the freezer to firm to a spoonable consistency.
4. Place the pan in the freezer while you unwrap the sandwiches. Top the ice cream with a layer of ice cream sandwiches, cutting some as needed to fill the layer to the edges.
5. Spoon the remaining ice cream over the top and spread into an even layer. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours or up to 1 week.
6. To serve, use the plastic overhang to remove the cake from the pan. Cut into squares or rectangles and serve with a drizzle of hot fudge or Magic Shell. If you’re finding the cake too solid to cut, don’t wait for it to soften: Warm your knife by running it under hot water and wiping it dry between cuts.

Recipe Credit: New York Times Cooking’s Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Cake by Ali Slagle