BEST STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE ICE CREAM CAKE
When the long, hot days of summer are raging on, few things are better than hearing the jingle of the ice cream truck pulling up. If you were anything like me as a child, you reached for the strawberry shortcake novelty bar every. single. time. A combination of strawberry and vanilla ice cream coated in shortcake crumbs, this nostalgic treat has inspired many of our other favorite summer dessert recipes (we’re looking at you, strawberry crunch poke cake). But, when we’re craving a crowd-pleasing, no-bake dessert, we turn to this strawberry shortcake ice cream cake. Like all icebox cakes, it’s an ideal make-ahead treat that you can assemble days in advance, then serve at your July 4th party or summer cookout. Here’s everything you need to know:
Top tips for making strawberry shortcake ice cream cake:
— Leave the cookies as-is. There’s no need to scrape out the cream insides of your golden sandwich cookies—they’ll help the base stay together (plus, they taste delicious).
— No food processor? No problem! Use a plastic bag and rolling pin to crush the cookies instead.
— Get clean slices. For extra-precise cake slices, run a chef's knife under hot water before cutting each piece. This also allows you to cut just one or two servings off the entire batch if you're eating it throughout the week.
Variations.
If you want to mix up the flavors of this recipe, you can use the same proportions to try a chocolate-pistachio version, a peanut butter-banana version, and more. Just swap out the cookies and ice cream flavors in equal proportions.
Make ahead and storage.
Because of the relatively long chill time, this ice cream cake is an ideal make-ahead dessert. After it’s assembled, freeze it for at least 4 hours or until firm. If you want to give yourself even more time, you can also cover it and freeze for up to 1 week.
Made this grown-up version of the nostalgic summer treat? Let us know how it went in the comments below!
Yields: 9-12 servings
Prep Time: 30 mins
Total Time: 5 hours 45 mins
Ingredients
- 30
golden sandwich cookies, divided
- 1/4 tsp.
kosher salt
- 3 tbsp.
butter, melted
- 5 1/2 c.
vanilla ice cream, slightly softened, divided
- 4 c.
strawberry ice cream, slightly softened
- 1 1/2 c.
freeze-dried strawberries, divided
Directions
- Line the bottom and sides of an 8”-x-8” baking pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2” overhang on each side.
- In a food processor, blitz 20 golden sandwich cookies and salt to fine crumbs. Add melted butter and pulse until crumbs are the texture of wet sand. Press evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan and freeze for 15 minutes.
- In a large bowl, mix 4 cups vanilla ice cream until smooth and spread on partially frozen crust. Freeze for at least 30 minutes more.
- In the same bowl, mix strawberry ice cream until smooth. Stir in ½ cup freeze-dried strawberries. Spread on vanilla layer. Freeze for 30 minutes more.
- Pulse remaining 10 sandwich cookies and remaining 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries in the food processor until they form pea-sized crumbs.
- In the same bowl, mix the remaining 1 ½ cups vanilla ice cream until smooth and spread on strawberry layer. Sprinkle the crumbs evenly over top, pressing down to ensure they stick.
- Freeze at least 4 hours or until firm, or cover and freeze up to 1 week. Lift the cake out of the pan using the paper overhang. With a sharp knife, cut into 9 square or 12 rectangular pieces and serve.