Need more vegan chocolate desserts? Try my vegan double chocolate cookies, vegan brownies, and edible brownie batter next. As kids, my siblings and I would always get an ice cream cake on our birthdays. Now that I’m older, I’ve wanted to re-create the tradition with my family, especially my nieces and nephews! Of course, nowadays, big get-togethers usually mean dietary restrictions. To accommodate my family that’s vegan or dairy intolerant, all I had to do was make a few vegan substitutions. Easy peasy!
Why I love this recipe
THE best birthday cake. Ice cream cakes are the epitome of parties. Everyone wants them, and they never last long (at least not in my house!). Surprisingly easy to make. If you ever thought ice cream cakes could only be made by professionals, my recipe will convince you otherwise. They’re better when homemade. Sorry Dairy Queen, nothing beats a homemade cake. Easy to customize. Make any of my vegan cake recipes and layer any flavor of ice cream. There are endless ways to make it work.
Ingredients needed
All-purpose flour. Sifted to ensure there are no clumps. Feel free to use gluten-free flour if needed, but make sure it has xanthan gum. Cocoa powder. I used 100% unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa powder. Like the flour, sift it well to ensure there are no clumps. Sugar. Either white or brown sugar can be used. Baking soda. Reacts with vinegar to help the cake rise. Vinegar. White vinegar or apple cider vinegar is best. If you don’t have vinegar, you can use lemon juice. Vanilla extract. A must for any cake! Oil. Stick with a neutral-flavored oil, like avocado oil. Water. To mix everything. Almond milk can also be used, but I didn’t find it necessary. Chocolate frosting. A thin layer helps the ice cream stick to the cake. Use a store-bought frosting or make my dairy-free frosting. Vegan ice cream. Use any vegan ice cream of your choice. I prefer using vanilla since it compliments the chocolate cake. Vanilla frosting. Optional, but you can never have too much frosting.
How to make a vegan ice cream cake
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Step 1- Prep. Preheat the oven and grease two 8-inch springform cake pans. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients, then the wet, and stir into a cake batter. Step 2- Bake. Pour the batter mixture into the two pans and bake until a toothpick comes out mostly clean. Let them cool completely in the fridge. Once they’re cool, let them sit at room temperature until assembly time. Step 3- Re-freeze the ice cream. Let the ice cream soften at room temperature. Line a cake pan with parchment paper, spread the ice cream into an even layer, and freeze until firm. Step 4- Assemble. Add a thin layer of chocolate frosting to each cake layer. Place one cake on a flat surface (frosting side up), and add the ice cream layer. Place the second cake (frosting side down) on top. Add the white frosting and re-freeze until firm. Step 5- Serve. Chill the cake briefly, then slice, serve, and enjoy!
Arman’s recipe tips
Work in batches. Ideally, the cake and ice cream layers should be made 1 to 2 days before you’re ready to serve. I prefer coconut ice creams. Some brands are notorious for being icy and not creamy enough, so I usually stick to ones made with coconut milk or coconut cream. When in doubt, make my coconut ice cream (it needs just 3 ingredients!). Use a warm, slightly wet knife when slicing the cake so you get clean, even cuts.
Storage instructions
To store: Keep the cake in the fridge for 30 minutes before you’re ready to serve. This allows the ice cream to soften slightly without melting.
Chocolate. Replace the vanilla ice cream with chocolate ice cream. Frost the exterior with chocolate frosting. Strawberry shortcake. Make a vegan strawberry cake and use strawberry ice cream. Oreo. Use Oreo ice cream and add crushed vegan chocolate sandwich cookies in between the cake layers. Reese’s. Make my chocolate peanut butter cake and fill it with peanut butter ice cream and crushed peanut butter cups. Mint chocolate chip. Make a mint chocolate cake, fill it with mint chocolate chip ice cream, and use my peppermint frosting recipe.
To freeze: Leftover ice cream cake can be stored in an airtight container in the freezer for 2 months.
Frequently asked questions
More vegan cake recipes
Vegan coffee cake Vegan carrot cake Vegan lemon cake Vegan German chocolate cake
