December 24, 2014

Peppermint Ice Cream Cake


I have a history with ice cream cakes.  I love them.  I love ice cream.  Regular cake: I could take or leave.  Pie: I'll more often than not just leave.  Cookies are good and all.  Fudge is great.  But ice cream is best.

I've had this ice cream cake idea in my head for over 2 years.  I try to just make ice cream cakes for occasions.  Not for a regular old Tuesday.  Because we will eat the whole thing all at once and that will be it. So, every time an opportunity appears, I ask Scott what kind of ice cream cake he wants.  I give options.  Red velvet or peppermint? Vanilla or peppermint? Birthday cake or peppermint? And he never, ever picks peppermint because…well, I guess he doesn't like peppermint? I don't know.  But for Christmas tomorrow, I decided I'd had enough.  We would have Peppermint Oreo Ice Cream Cake and that would be that.  I have a feeling he'll enjoy it.

This cake can be put together many different ways.  You could layer cookies and hot fudge between the ice cream and Cool Whip, instead of just putting them on the bottom and top.  You could throw some peppermint brownie chunks in there.  Or peppermint fudge.  Or you could top it with crushed candy canes (I don't like candy canes, oddly enough).  Also,  you could switch up the ice cream..stores always have a freezer case full of peppermint and candy cane ice cream this time of year.  I just don't happen to like pepperminty pink ice cream.  However, if you do, go for it.  The sky is kind of the limit with this recipe.  Let me know if you try it and tell me what you did!

Another selling point:  You can make one of these and store it in the freezer (covered well) forever.  Though, it probably won't last very long if you remember that it's there.



Peppermint Oreo Ice Cream Cake
makes a 9x13 pan (I used a 9x6 pan this time and it was just a little thicker)

1 container (1.5 quarts) vanilla or peppermint ice cream, softened (I used vanilla and stirred in a teaspoon of peppermint extract)
1 container Cool Whip, softened
1 package of Candy Cane Oreos, crushed (or those candy cane JoJos I saw at Trader Joe's the other day)
2 T. butter, melted
Peppermint hot fudge (see yesterday's recipe)
Crushed candy canes or peppermint candies, optional

Stir the crushed Oreos with the 2 T. of butter and press into the bottom of the pan.  You may want to reserve some for sprinkling or layering.  Drizzle with a few tablespoons of the hot fudge. Freeze the "crust" in the pan for about 20 minutes so it sets.

Spread your softened ice cream onto the Oreo crust.  Drizzle with a few more tablespoons of hot fudge.  Put the pan back in the freezer for 20-30 minutes.

Spread your softened Cool Whip onto the ice cream layer.  Drizzle with a few final tablespoons of hot fudge and sprinkle crushed Oreos or crushed peppermint candy on the top.  Freeze for at least another hour, covered.

Remove from the freezer at least 15 minutes before serving so it has time to soften just bit.

6 comments:

  1. When my currently 12 year old sister was born, someone gave us a very similar crushed-oreo crust ice cream cake, using mint chocolate chip ice cream, and it was so epic that I remember it vividly to this day!

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  2. That looks...delicious. Except every time someone talks about ice cream cake I get confused because when I was growing up, ice cream cake was actual cake....with a layer of ice cream in the middle, then frosted, then frozen. It wasn't just ice cream, haha. Still though, peppermint and chocolate...the dream team. I do love that pink peppermint ice cream too though...it's a childhood memory thing, it was my favorite growing up.

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  3. I'm with Angi, ice cream cake for me always had a layer of cake and ice cream then frosted. This does look tasty though.

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  4. I've never actually made an ice cream cake before, but this sounds pretty simple! And delicious, I LOVE peppermint everything, especially this time of year!

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  5. Wow, this looks amazing!! I feel like I'd get such funny looks bringing ice cream cake to Christmas in Connecticut when it's 30 degrees, but I'd still like to try! Maybe I could make it become an SC tradition :)

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