Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake

Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake

A fairly traditional birthday cake at my house was Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake from ColdStone. Several times, I tried to make it myself, but didn’t have the ganache chocolate outside layer! Definitely not as tasty!! However, it is rewarding to make an ice cream cake all on your own!

This cake is an intermediate level cake, but it is not impossible. There are several steps that take a couple of days to complete, just because you are working with melting ice cream. BUT do not be intimidated. You can do this!! Read through the entire recipe at least one time before starting the cake.

Tricks for a Successful Ice Cream Cake:

• Bake your cake first, cover it twice with plastic wrap and freeze it. This keeps your cake fresh and also helps the ice cream layer stay frozen.
• Use the same cake pan for your ice cream that you used to make your cakes. That helps the ice cream layer fit perfectly on top of the cake layer.
• Make sure you have enough freezer space to hold your entire layered cake covered with pourable ganache—so it can harden quickly!
• Have everything prepared before you take the ice cream out of the freezer. And work quickly.
• A time saver, but not nearly as delicious, is to buy your cookie dough ice cream at the store. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, this is your only option. You can buy the level of quality ice cream that you desire.

Ingredients Needed for a Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake:

Dark Chocolate Cake Layer:

• All-purpose flour
• Granulated sugar
• Ghirardelli Majestic Cocoa Powder: My favorite cocoa powder. It’s dark chocolate, but not too dark. It tastes like real chocolate. It’s found at specialty baking stores, cash & carry stores, or Amazon.
• Baking soda, Baking powder, and salt
• Buttermilk or Greek yogurt + milk: A room temperature ingredient.
• Vegetable oil
• Eggs: This is a half batch from cakebycourtney.com original recipe, so I use one egg and one egg yolk because the extra fat is important for this cake recipe. Be sure the eggs are room temperature.
• Vanilla
• Hot water: The temperature is important for this cake. Add the hot water to the liquid mixture just before you are going to pour it into the dry ingredients.

Ice Cream Layers:

Use 2 quarts store-bought cookie dough ice cream or churn your own with these ingredients:

Home-Churned Cookie Dough Ice Cream:

Ice Cream Base:

• Granulated sugar:
• Dry milk: Important for adding creaminess to the ice cream.
• Xanthan Gum: An important ingredient for keeping the ice crystals from forming. This ingredient is especially important for an ice cream cake because it comes in and out of the freezer often.
• Light corn syrup
• Whole milk and Heavy cream: If you are interested in a dairy-free ice cream, see my post Almond Brittle with Salted Ganache for a non-dairy ice cream base.
• Vanilla

Cookie Dough:

• Unsalted butter: A room temperature ingredient
• Brown sugar
• Vanilla
• All-purpose flour
• Salt
• Milk
• Mini chocolate chips

Ice Cream Fudge:

• Quality semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Heavy cream

Brown Sugar Frosting:

• Brown sugar
• Unsalted butter
• Salt
• Powdered Sugar

Pourable Ganache:

• Quality semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Heavy cream
• Unsalted butter

How to Make the Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake:

Dark Chocolate Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 360° F. Spray two 8-inch cake pans with non-stick spray, add a parchment circle and spray again.
2. Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Mix on low until combined.
3. In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk, oil, eggs, vanilla and hot water. Whisk together.
4. While mixing dry ingredients on low speed, slowly add wet mixture. Mix just until ingredients combine. Scrape bowl and fold with a rubber spatula.
5. Divide cake batter between the two cake pans.
6. Bake at 360° F for 16-18 minutes or until middle of cake bounces back or toothpick comes out with small crumbs.
7. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then cool on wire rack until completely cool. Double wrap with plastic wrap and freeze until ready to assemble the ice cream cake.

Ice Cream Base (if making home-churned ice cream):

1. Combine sugar, dry milk and xanthan gum. Stir well and set aside.
2. Add corn syrup and whole milk to medium saucepan. Stir and add sugar mixture. Immediately whisk vigorously until smooth.
3. Set the saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally and adjusting heat to prevent a simmer, until the sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and add heavy cream. Whisk to combine.
5. Transfer to a container and refrigerate until very chilled, at least 8 hours, but best for 24 hours. Stir before adding to ice cream maker.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (for home-churned ice cream and top of cake):

1. In bowl, combine butter and brown sugar. Beat at medium speed for about 1 minute, or until light and fluffy.
2. Add vanilla, flour, salt, and mix until combined.
3. Gradually add milk and mix. Fold in chocolate chips.
4. Use ¼ teaspoon to scoop small amount of cookie dough. Place 96 dough pieces (48 for each ice cream layer) on tray and freeze completely. Use small cookie scoop to create 6-8 scoops for top of cake. Freeze or refrigerate until needed.

Ice Cream Fudge (for home-churned ice cream):

1. Just before ready to churn ice cream: In microwave safe bowl, heat cream for 30 seconds. Pour over chocolate chips. Stir until combined and resembles thick pudding.
2. Heat again for 15 seconds if necessary to melt the chocolate completely. Set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes so it does not melt the ice cream.

Prepare Ice Cream Layers:

1. Prepare two 8” round cake pans by lining with wax paper or parchment along bottom and up sides. Set aside.
2. If using store-bought ice cream, soften slightly and scoop into prepared cake pans (1 quart per pan). Smooth top, cover with wax paper and freeze for at least 6 hours. Then follow Crumb Coat Brown Sugar Frosting instructions.
3. For home-churned ice cream: Stir chilled ice cream base. Measure 3 cups ice cream base and add ¼ teaspoon vanilla. Stir thoroughly. Pour chilled ice cream base into ice cream maker and churn until soft-served stage. Pour and scoop ice cream into bottom of one pan. Sprinkle with 48 cookie dough bits and drizzle with half the ice cream fudge. Swirl slightly with spatula. Smooth top. Smooth wax paper edges with a butter knife so ice cream freezes smoothly along the wax paper and crevices are not created. Cover the top of the ice cream completely with wax paper or parchment paper to seal from the air and place in freezer for at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours before assembling the cake.
4. Repeat for second cake pan with another 3 cups of ice cream base, ¼ teaspoons vanilla, 48 cookie dough bits, and remaining half of the ice cream fudge. Freeze for at least 6 hours before assembling the cake.

Crumb Coat Brown Sugar Frosting and Cake Assembly:

1. When ice cream layers have set sufficiently, prepare crumb coat frosting. Soften butter for 15 seconds in medium-sized microwave safe bowl. Then, heat brown sugar and water in microwave bowl for 30 seconds, or until sugar dissolves. Stir at halfway. Set aside.
2. Cream softened butter with hand mixer. Add salt and powdered sugar. Mix on low setting until combined. With mixer on low, drizzle brown sugar mixture into powdered sugar mixture. Beat for a minute or two, then scrape bowl. Mix for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. Set aside.
3. Working quickly, assemble cake on 8” cake board attached with one scotch tape roll to a 10” board for support. Add a swipe of chocolate frosting to the 8” board. Place one 8” chocolate cake on board. Remove wax paper and place one 8” ice cream circle on chocolate cake. Repeat with one more 8” chocolate cake and one more 8” ice cream circle on top. Let sit in freezer for at least 15 minutes to harden ice cream.
4. Quickly crumb coat the outside of the layered cake with a thin layer of brown sugar frosting, using about half the frosting. Start with the sides and then the top. Work quickly to smooth the frosting, but especially cover all the pieces of the cake with frosting. It will begin to freeze. Do the best you can, but don’t stress about smoothing and leveling the frosting. Return cake to freezer to chill for 15-20 minutes.
5. Quickly frost the outside of the layer cake with another thin coat of frosting, using the remaining frosting. Start on the sides and make them even and vertical. Then frost the top to make the cake level. Smooth rough spots as best you can before the frosting is too frozen to fix. Return the cake to the freezer for another 20 minutes.

Pourable Ganache and Finishing the Cake:

1. While the cake is chilling, prepare pourable ganache. In microwave safe bowl, heat cream for 1 minute. Pour over chocolate chips and small pieces of butter. Stir until combined and resembles thick pudding.
2. Heat again for 15-30 seconds if necessary to melt the chocolate and butter completely. Set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes.
3. Prepare pouring space by lining countertop with wax paper or parchment paper. Turn one smaller cake pan or bowl upside-down in the middle of the paper. Remove the 10” cake board from the cake. Place the chilled ice cream cake (with 8” cake board still under the cake) on the cake pan. Stir the pourable ganache and begin to pour the ganache in the middle top of the cake. Continue pouring along the edges—encouraging the ganache to move down the sides of the cake until the top and sides are completely covered with chocolate. Use a metal spatula to lightly smooth the ganache where necessary. It will be setting up fast with the cold cake. Touch the ganache as little as possible for a smooth surface look.
4. Add chocolate chips to bottom edge of cake for a fun design with a cupped hand slightly tossing/slightly pressing the chips into the soft chocolate.
5. Return the cake to the freezer—allowing it to sit on another upside-down cake pan or bowl on top of a wax paper lined freezer shelf until completely solidified, at least 30 minutes.
6. Scoop up remaining ganache from the wax paper or parchment paper and reserve for your use. Place cookie dough scoops on top of the cake for decor. Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips. Return to freezer until ready to serve. Remove ice cream cake from the freezer 20-30 minutes before ready to serve.

This Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake really is to die for. It is so very good!

–Kim

Print Recipe

5 from 1 vote

Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake

Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake with dark chocolate cake layers, cookie dough ice cream layers and brown sugar frosting, covered with chocolate ganache and topped with chocolate chips and scoops of cookie dough. It looks just like a Cold Stone Ice Cream cake—only made in your kitchen!

Prep Time2 hours hrs

Cook Time16 minutes mins

Freeze Time8 hours hrs

Course: Dessert

Keyword: cake, cookie dough, ganache, ice cream

Servings: 12

Author: Kim Melanson

Equipment

• 2 8" cake pans

Ingredients

Dark Chocolate Cake Layer:

• (based on cakebycourtney.com high-altitude chocolate cake)
• 1 cup minus 1 Tablespoon (112.5g) all-purpose flour
• 1 cup minus 1 Tablespoon (187.5g) granulated sugar
• 6 Tablespoons (44g) Ghirardelli Majestic Cocoa Powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ cup (120g) buttermilk (or 60 g milk + 60 g plain Greek yogurt) room temperature
• ¼ cup (58g) vegetable oil
• 1 large egg + 1 egg yolk room temperature
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• ½ cup (118g) hot water

Ice Cream Layers:

• Use 2 quarts store-bought cookie dough ice cream
• or churn your own as follows:

Home-Churned Cookie Dough Ice Cream:

• (for 1 quart—one ice cream layer; make twice for this cake)
• 3 cups Ice Cream Base (recipe below)
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla
• 48 quarter teaspoon frozen cookie dough balls (recipe below)
• half the recipe of Ice Cream Fudge (recipe below)

Ice Cream Base: (half recipe needed for 1 quart of ice cream/one ice cream layer)

• (reprinted Salt&Straw Ice Cream Base Recipe)
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 Tablespoons dry milk
• ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
• 4 Tablespoons light corn syrup
• 2 ⅔ cups whole milk
• 2 ⅔ cups heavy cream

Cookie Dough (approx. half recipe needed for 1 quart of ice cream/one ice cream layer):

• ½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• ¾ cup (165g) brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 1 ½ cup (180g) all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 Tablespoons milk add a little more if needed
• 1 cup (150g) mini chocolate chips

Ice Cream Fudge: (half recipe needed for 1 quart of ice cream/one ice cream layer)

• ½ cup (75g) quality semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 Tablespoons (29g) heavy cream

Brown Sugar Frosting:

• ¾ cup (165g) brown sugar packed
• 7 teaspoons water
• 1 ⅓ cup (301g) unsalted butter
• generous pinch of salt
• 4 ½ (563g) powdered sugar

Pourable Ganache:

• 2 cup (300g) quality semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup (230g) heavy cream
• 8 Tablespoons unsalted butter cut into small pieces
• mini Chocolate Chips for base of cake

Instructions

Dark Chocolate Cake:

• Preheat the oven to 360° F. Spray two 8-inch cake pans with non-stick spray, add a parchment circle and spray again.
• Combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Mix on low until combined.
• In a separate bowl, combine buttermilk, oil, eggs, vanilla and hot water. Whisk together.
• While mixing dry ingredients on low speed, slowly add wet mixture. Mix just until ingredients combine. Scrape bowl and fold with a rubber spatula.
• Divide cake batter between the two cake pans.
• Bake at 360° F for 16-18 minutes or until middle of cake bounces back or toothpick comes out with small crumbs.
• Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then cool on wire rack until completely cool. Double wrap with plastic wrap and freeze until ready to assemble the ice cream cake.

Ice Cream Base (if making home-churned ice cream):

• Combine sugar, dry milk and xanthan gum. Stir well and set aside.
• Add corn syrup and whole milk to medium saucepan. Stir and add sugar mixture. Immediately whisk vigorously until smooth.
• Set the saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally and adjusting heat to prevent a simmer, until the sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes.
• Remove from heat and add heavy cream. Whisk to combine.
• Transfer to a container and refrigerate until very chilled, at least 8 hours, but best for 24 hours. Stir before adding to ice cream maker.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough (for home-churned ice cream and top of cake):

• In bowl, combine butter and brown sugar. Beat at medium speed for about 1 minute, or until light and fluffy.
• Add vanilla, flour, salt, and mix until combined.
• Gradually add milk and mix. Fold in chocolate chips.
• Use ¼ teaspoon to scoop small amount of cookie dough. Place 96 dough pieces (48 for each ice cream layer) on tray and freeze completely. Use small cookie scoop to create 6-8 scoops for top of cake. Freeze or refrigerate until needed.

Ice Cream Fudge (for home-churned ice cream):

• Just before ready to churn ice cream: In microwave safe bowl, heat cream for 30 seconds. Pour over chocolate chips. Stir until combined and resembles thick pudding. Heat again for 15 seconds if necessary to melt the chocolate completely. Set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes so it does not melt the ice cream.

Prepare Ice Cream Layers:

• Prepare two 8” round cake pans by lining with wax paper or parchment along bottom and up sides. Set aside.
• If using store-bought ice cream, soften slightly and scoop into prepared cake pans (1 quart per pan). Smooth top, Smooth wax paper edges with a butter knife so ice cream freezes smoothly along the wax paper and crevices are not created. Cover the top of the ice cream completely with wax paper or parchment paper to seal from the air and place in freezer for at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours before assembling the cake. Repeat for two pans. Then follow Crumb Coat Brown Sugar Frosting instructions.
• For home-churned ice cream: Stir chilled ice cream base. Measure 3 cups ice cream base and add ¼ teaspoon vanilla. Stir thoroughly. Pour chilled ice cream base into ice cream maker and churn until soft-served stage. Pour and scoop ice cream into bottom of one pan. Sprinkle with 48 cookie dough bits and drizzle with half the ice cream fudge. Swirl slightly with spatula. Smooth top. Smooth wax paper edges with a butter knife so ice cream freezes smoothly along the wax paper and crevices are not created. Cover the top of the ice cream completely with wax paper or parchment paper to seal from the air and place in freezer for at least 6 hours or up to 24 hours before assembling the cake.
• Repeat for second cake pan with another 3 cups of ice cream base, ¼ teaspoons vanilla, 48 cookie dough bits, and remaining half of the ice cream fudge. Freeze for at least 6 hours before assembling the cake.

Crumb Coat Brown Sugar Frosting and Cake Assembly:

• When ice cream layers have set sufficiently, prepare crumb coat frosting. Soften butter for 15 seconds in medium-sized microwave safe bowl. Then, heat brown sugar and water in microwave bowl for 30 seconds, or until sugar dissolves. Stir at halfway. Set aside.
• Cream softened butter with hand mixer. Add salt and powdered sugar. Mix on low setting until combined. With mixer on low, drizzle brown sugar mixture into powdered sugar mixture. Beat for a minute or two, then scrape bowl. Mix for 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. Set aside.
• Working quickly, assemble cake on 8” cake board attached with one scotch tape roll to a 10” board for support. Add a swipe of chocolate frosting to the 8” board. Place one 8” chocolate cake on board. Remove wax paper and place one 8” ice cream circle on chocolate cake. Repeat with one more 8” chocolate cake and one more 8” ice cream circle on top. Let sit in freezer for at least 15 minutes to harden ice cream, but not longer.
• Quickly crumb coat the outside of the layered cake with a thin layer of brown sugar frosting, using about half the frosting. Start with the sides and then the top. Work quickly to smooth the frosting, but especially cover all the pieces of the cake with frosting. It will begin to freeze. Do the best you can, but don’t stress about smoothing and leveling the frosting. Return cake to freezer to chill for 15-20 minutes, but not longer.
• Quickly frost the outside of the layer cake with another thin coat of frosting, using the remaining frosting. Start on the sides and make them even and vertical. Then frost the top to make the cake level. Smooth rough spots as best you can before the frosting is too frozen to fix. Return the cake to the freezer for another 20 minutes.

Pourable Ganache and Finishing the Cake:

• While the cake is chilling, prepare pourable ganache. In microwave safe bowl, heat cream for 1 minute. Pour over chocolate chips and small pieces of butter. Stir until combined and resembles thick pudding.
• Heat again for 15-30 seconds if necessary to melt the chocolate and butter completely. Set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes.
• Prepare pouring space by lining countertop with wax paper or parchment paper. Turn one smaller cake pan or bowl upside-down in the middle of the paper. Remove the 10” cake board from the cake. Place the chilled ice cream cake (with 8” cake board still under the cake) on the cake pan. Stir the pourable ganache and begin to pour the ganache in the middle top of the cake. Continue pouring along the edges—encouraging the ganache to move down the sides of the cake until the top and sides are completely covered with chocolate. Use a metal spatula to lightly smooth the ganache where necessary. It will be setting up fast with the cold cake. Touch the ganache as little as possible for a smooth surface look.
• Add chocolate chips to bottom edge of cake for a fun design with a cupped hand slightly tossing/slightly pressing the chips into the soft chocolate.
• Return the cake to the freezer—allowing it to sit on another upside-down cake pan or bowl on top of a wax paper lined freezer shelf until completely solidified, at least 30 minutes.
• Scoop up remaining ganache from the wax paper or parchment paper and reserve for your use. Place cookie dough scoops on top of the cake for decor. Sprinkle with mini chocolate chips. Return to freezer until ready to serve. Remove ice cream cake from the freezer 20-30 minutes before ready to serve.