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Just one slice of this Carrot Cake Ice Cream Cake Recipe will wow anyone! Especially yourself when you made it completely from scratch, even the ice cream. Whether you make this with my carrot cake recipe or your favorite flavor, you’ll learn how to make an ice cream cake the easy way!.
Carrot Cake Ice Cream Cake
You are not going to believe me when I say this, but this is the BEST carrot cake ice cream cake I have ever made. It’s basically my Best Carrot Cake Recipe but with homemade ice cream layers.
I find that this layered ice cream cake recipe is perfect for when you want homemade ice cream AND cake. But let’s be honest here… when are you NOT in the mood for ice cream cake? You are going to be so proud of yourself after making this cheesecake ice cream recipe.
Why you’ll love this recipe
- An ice cream cake recipe is perfect for any occasion – and this recipe is easy to make from scratch with no churn ice cream!
- It’s a fun new way to make carrot cake – like those carrot cake cheesecakes you see but with ice cream instead!
- This easy to follow ice cream cake recipe includes other variations to switch things up!
Ingredients Needed
- Sweetened condensed milk: if you’re a regular here then you know how much I love sweetened condensed milk
- Cream cheese: my secret to achieving the creamiest homemade ice cream
- Cold heavy whipping cream: You’re going to make whipped cream for the ice cream and for the frosting.
- Vegetable oil: perfect for making all your baked desserts moist and so soft to the bite
- Applesauce: using unsweetened applesauce adds moisture to the cake with a bit less oil.
- Brown sugar and Granulated sugar: to sweeten the cake – I love using both. Brown sugar adds moisture to any recipe.
- Cinnamon: this is the highlight of the carrot cake for me
- Carrots: freshly shred your carrots instead of store-bought
- Chopped pecans (optional): this will elevate your cake with a yummy nutty flavor
How to make an Ice Cream Cake:
- Beat heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Beat cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth with a hand mixer. Beat in sweetened condensed milk. Switch to a wooden spoon or spatula and stir in vanilla. Fold in whipped cream.
- Line a round cake pan with plastic wrap, making sure some of it hangs over the sides. Place ice cream in the prepared pan. Cover and freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Stir the eggs, oil, applesauce, and vanilla together. Then stir in the sugars. Add salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon and stir until they are just mixed in.
- Add flour and stir until smooth. Stir in pecans (if using) and carrots.
- Pour the cake batter evenly into pan(s). Bake at 350°F for about 30-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Once the cake layers cool we’re going to torte the cake, which means cut the cake layer in half.
- Then assemble the cake: remove ice cream from the pan and remove plastic; place it on top of the cake layer. Top with a second cake layer. Do a thin layer of frosting all over the cake (the “crumb coat”) to pick up any stray crumbs. Freeze at least one hour. Do a second coat of frosting, thicker, over the first coat. Decorate as desired.
Expert Tips
- To decorate your ice cream layered cake, add some chopped toasted pecans to the outside of the cake.
- Have an extra 5 minutes to elevate your ice cream layered cake? Try this quick and easy 5 Minute Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe.
- Skip making your own ice cream and use one container of vanilla ice cream instead.
- You can bake the cake in two 8-inch cake pans if you don’t want to deal with torting your cake layer.
FAQs
The frosting is made out of cream cheese!
Cake layers and ice cream can be frozen separately up to a month before assembling the cake. Freeze the cake layers wrapped well in plastic wrap.
Yes! Feel free to use any of your favorite ice cream flavors for this ice cream cake recipe.
Carrot Cake Ice Cream Cake
Ingredients
For the Ice Cream:
- ½ (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk (just over ½ cup)
- 4 ounces (113g) cream cheese
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
For the Cake:
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup (118ml) vegetable oil
- 4 ounces unsweetened applesauce (by weight; just under half cup)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (150g) packed brown sugar
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup flour
- 1 heaping cup shredded carrots from about 2 med/large carrots
- ½ cup chopped pecans optional
For Frosting:
- 2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
- 3 tablespoons (21g) powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Chopped pecans optional
Instructions
Ice Cream:
- Beat heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form.
- Beat cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth with a hand mixer. Beat in sweetened condensed milk. Switch to a wooden spoon or spatula and stir in vanilla. Fold in whipped cream.
- Line an 8-inch round cake pan with plastic wrap, making sure some of it hangs over the sides. Place ice cream in the prepared pan. Cover and freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Make the Cake
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour one or two 8-inch cake pans.
- Stir together eggs, oil, applesauce, and vanilla. Stir in sugars. Add salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon and stir until they are just mixed in. Add flour and stir until smooth. Stir in pecans (if using) and carrots.
- Pour batter evenly into pan(s).
- Bake for 20-40 minutes (depending on number of pans and pan size) until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool completely before removing from pans.
Assemble the Cake
- Add cold heavy cream to a large bowl and whip until stiff peaks form, adding in powdered sugar and vanilla during mixing.
- If you used one cake pan, torte the cake by cutting it in half horizontally. Place one half on the cake plate.
- Remove ice cream from pan and remove plastic; place it on top the cake layer. Top with second cake layer.
- Do a thin layer of frosting all over the cake (the "crumb coat") to pick up any stray crumbs. Freeze at least one hour.
- Do a second coat of frosting, thicker, over the first coat. Decorate as desired. Optional: add some chopped toasted pecans to the outside of the cake.
- Serve immediately or freeze. Once the frosting is frozen you can cover the cake with plastic wrap and keep in the freezer for up to a month.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- Cake layers and ice cream can be frozen separately up to a month before assembling cake. Freeze cake layers well wrapped in plastic wrap.
- If you prefer, substitute two 8-ounce containers cool whip in place of the 2 cups heavy whipping cream in the ice cream.
- You can make the cake in one 8×3-inch round cake pan (3-inch sides; the cake gets tall) or two 8-inch round pans. You can also use one 9-inch round pan or two 6-inch round pans.
Delicious! Turned out better than I anticipated. The cream cheese / ice cream layer is โtop notchโ. My cake was done right at 20 minutes and I separated into two pans.
Dorothy, could crushed pineapple be substituted for the applesauce?
Yes!
Hi Dorothy,
Now I know this sounds ambitious, but do you think this recipe could work as a roll cake? I planned on making your roll carrot cake for Easter, and I saw a recipe video for a chocolate neopolitan roll ice cream cake and the idea of combining this recipe with the roll carrot cake blossomed. Thinking if I follow the cake recipe for the roll cake, and make a generous amount of ice cream it might just work? What are your thoughts?
Thanks,
Sarah
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