A soft and chewy brownie topped with a layer of homemade Oreo ice cream, frosted in fluffy whipped cream and blanketed in rich chocolate ganache!
Ice cream cake has always had a special place in my heart. Growing up, I feel like I had it all the time whether it was at friends’ birthday parties or holiday gatherings, like the 4th of July. It had the perfect ratio of cake to ice cream, and I don’t know why it’s been so many years since I’ve had a slice of this time-honored treat.
Welp, today that dry (and sad) streak is finally ending…
Not only is this Oreo Ice Cream Cake an absolute bombshell, but it looks just as glorious as it tastes. With a rich and chewy brownie base loaded with chocolate chips, a cool and ultra creamy layer of homemade cookies n’ cream ice cream, a gown of fluffy whipped cream, and silky satiny chocolate ganache, this definitely ain’t your typical ice cream cake. As my boyfriend says “It’s a MASTERPIECE!!!”
One of the things that I love about ice cream cakes is that the flavor combinations are literally endless! You can mix and match so many different cake and ice cream flavors. Of course, being the Oreo addict that I am, I just HAD to do an Oreo Ice Cream Cake.
Now technically, this ice cream cake doesn’t contain actual cake. Instead of baking up a chocolate cake, I decided to go with a deliciously dense and chewy brownie. And to make things a little bit easier on myself, I went with a box brownie mix. Not only are they a terrific shortcut, but they can be just as delicious as made-from-scratch recipes. The only thing I added to the batter was some chocolate chips since the brownies weren’t chocolatey enough on their own. OBVIOUSLY.
For those of you who might’ve been shaking their heads at the fact that I used a box brownie mix, maybe I can earn some respect for the fact that I made the ice cream instead of buying it. While you could definitely make this recipe even easier by using store-bought ice cream, I HIGHLY recommend making it instead. Not only is this the easiest ice cream recipe EVER, but no store-bought ice cream is gonna come close to how creamy and fluffy this homemade cookies n’ cream ice cream is. I can promise you that.
This ice cream recipe only requires a stand mixer or a hand beater. No ice cream maker needed, which means NO excuses!! You’ll start by whipping up two cups of heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Then you’ll add a can of sweetened condensed milk and a couple of teaspoons of vanilla. Toss in some chopped Oreos, and you have your homemade cookies n’ cream ice cream!
Now that you’ve got your ice cream, you’ll pour it into an 8-inch cake pan that’s lined with plastic wrap. Make sure that there’s extra plastic wrap hanging over the sides so that you can wrap the entire cake at the end. I also recommend a cake pan with tall sides, so that you can build the ice cream cake inside of the pan, keeping all of the layers firmly together. The ice cream layer needs to freeze for AT LEAST 4 hours.
Once the ice cream layer is firm and solid, you can make up the fudgey crunchy layer by placing some chocolate chips into a bowl along with some corn syrup. Heat some heavy cream either in the microwave or on the stove until it begins to simmer, then pour the hot cream over the chocolate. Allow the cream to soften the chocolate for a few minutes, then stir until smooth. After you’ve added the chopped Oreos, allow the mixture to cool to room temperature before spreading it on top of the ice cream layer.
After the fudgey mixture has been evenly spread on top of the ice cream, place the completely cooled brownie right on top. Pull the plastic wrap over the brownie layer, making sure that everything is wrapped tightly, and chill in the freezer for at least 2 hours.
Once the cake feels completely firm, pull it out of the freezer and flip it out onto a serving dish. If it feels like it’s stuck in the pan, take a butter knife and run it along the sides of the pan to loosen everything. Once you’ve flipped it onto a plate, (ice cream layer on top) remove the plastic wrap, then place it back into the freezer while you make the whipped cream.
The key to making good whipped cream is by starting with a nicely-chilled bowl and whisk. Not only does it whip up faster, but the the results are fluffier! Once the cream has been whipped to soft peaks, add the powdered sugar and vanilla, and continue whipping until stiff peaks form.
Now it’s time to frost the cake!
Using an offset spatula or a knife, frost the entire cake with a thin layer of whipped cream. This first layer will act as your crumb coat so don’t worry about covering every little dark spot or making it completely smooth. You also need to work quickly at this stage since you don’t want the ice cream to melt. Try to frost it within 4-5 minutes, if you can.
Once you’ve got the crumb coat on, return the cake back to the freezer for at least 30 minutes. Once the crumb coat layer is solid, frost the cake with the final layer of frosting. Again, work quickly to prevent the cake from melting. Place the cake back into the freezer while you make the ganache and Oreo whipped cream.
The ganache is made very similar to the fudgey layer, however there’s no corn syrup. Just heat up some cream and pour it over some chocolate chips, stirring everything together until smooth. This ganache needs to cool to about room temperature before it’s ready to be drizzled on top of the cake. While it’s cooling, you can make the Oreo whipped cream.
Even with two coats of whipped cream, you’ll still have plenty of whipped cream leftover. So the next step is to make Oreo whipped cream! All you have to do is finely-crush a few Oreos then stir them into the remaining whipped cream. You can also leave the whipped cream as is, but I like the contrast that the Oreo whipped cream adds. Place the Oreo whipped cream into a pastry bag fitted with a star tip–I used Wilton’s 1M tip.
Now it’s time for the fun part–DECORATING!!!
Remove the cake from the freezer. Using a spoon, slowly drizzle spoonfuls of the ganache along the top edges of the cake, allowing it to dribble down the sides. If you find that the ganache is dribbling too fast, place the cake back into the freezer and allow the ganache to thicken up a little more. If the ganache seems to thick or “gloopy”, warm it in the microwave at 5-10 second increments, until it’s thinned out to a more pourable consistency.
Once the sides are done, pour the rest of the ganache on top of the cake, and smooth it out evenly. Return the cake back to the freezer for about 5 minutes to all the ganache to set up.
After the ganache has set, pipe rosettes of Oreo whipped cream along the top border of the cake. And because this cake just isn’t Oreolicious enough, don’t forget to top the it with a few more Oreos…
Oreo Ice Cream Cake
Ingredients
Brownie Layer:
- 1 Box Brownie Mix, plus ingredients needed to make it
- ½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Cookies n' Cream Ice Cream Layer:
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 15 Oreos, coarsely chopped
Fudgey Oreo Layer:
- 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- 4 Tablespoons corn syrup
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 12 Oreos, coarsely chopped
Whipped Cream Frosting and Oreo Whipped Cream
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 3 Oreos, finely-crushed
Chocolate Ganache:
- ⅔ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ½ cup heavy cream
For Decorating:
- 12 Oreos
Instructions
Make the Brownie Layer:
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line an 8-inch cake pan with parchment paper; spray with nonstick cooking spray.
- Prepare brownie batter according to the instructions on the back of the box. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake for 37-45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with few crumbs attached. Allow to cool completely.
Make the Ice Cream Layer:
- Line an 8-inch cake pan with plastic wrap, leaving overhang on the sides.
- In the chilled bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
- Add the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and chopped Oreos. Fold everything together until just combined.
- Pour ice cream mixture into prepared pan, and spread evenly with a spatula. Get rid of any air bubbles by lifting the pan 1-2 inches above the counter and dropping it. This will also create a more even layer. Chill in the freezer for at least 4 hours, or until completely hardened.
Make the Fudgey Oreo Layer:
- Place the chocolate chips and corn syrup into a medium bowl.
- Pour heavy cream into a glass measuring cup and heat in the microwave until it begins to simmer. Check it every 15-30 seconds so that it doesn't bubble over.
- Pour hot cream over chocolate chips, and allow to sit for a few minutes. Stir until completely smooth. Stir in the chopped Oreos. Allow to cool to room temperature.
Assemble the Cake:
- Once the ice cream has hardened, spread the fudgey Oreo filling evenly on top. Place the brownie on top, then pull up the sides of the plastic wrap to wrap the whole cake. Return to the freezer for at least 6 hours.
Make the Whipped Cream:
- In the chilled bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla, and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
Decorating the Cake:
- Unwrap the frozen cake, and invert it out of the pan onto a serving plate. Remove the plastic wrap from the top of the ice cream.
- Frost the cake with a thin layer of whipped cream--this will be the crumb coat. Be sure to work quickly so that the ice cream doesn’t melt. Place cake back into freezer for about 30 minutes to firm up. Remove cake from the freezer and frost with a second and final layer of whipped cream. Return cake to freezer.
- Stir the 3 finely-crushed Oreos into the rest of the whipped cream, and transfer to a piping bag fitted with a star tip. I used Wilton's 1M tip.
- Make the ganache by placing the chocolate chips into a medium bowl; set aside. Pour heavy cream into a glass measuring cup, and heat in the microwave until it just begins to boil. Pour hot cream over the chocolate chips, cover with plastic wrap, and allow it to sit for 4-5 minutes. Remove plastic wrap, and stir until smooth. Allow to cool to room temperature.
- Remove cake from the freezer, and drizzle the chocolate ganache along the top edges of the cake, allowing the ganache to dribble down the sides. Spread the rest of the ganache evenly on top of the cake. Return cake to freezer for 5 minutes to set ganache.
- Using the Oreo whipped cream, pipe rosettes on top of the cake along the border. Insert Oreo cookies between the rosettes. Serve immediately or store in the freezer.