Layers of moist vanilla cake between unbelievably creamy layers of white chocolate cheesecake ice cream, iced with whipped cream frosting and cloaked in a dreamy white chocolate ganache. The perfect patriotic treat to celebrate the 4th of July!

The official first day of summer might’ve been a few days ago, but here in the Pacific Northwest, the summer heat doesn’t usually kick in until the 4th of July. So seeing as this festive firework-filled holiday is JUST around the corner, I decided to create a dessert that’s not only patriotic, but also provides the most delicious way to cool down.

Friends, I give you the Red, White and Blue Ice Cream Cake!

This superbly patriotic ice cream cake contains sweet vanilla cake layered between supremely creamy white chocolate cheesecake ice cream as well as whipped cream frosting, white chocolate ganache and patriotic sprinkles. It’s a showstopper for both the eyes AND the tastebuds!

Luckily, this showstopper is actually quite easy to make. I promise! It might look intimidating, but I made sure to include a few shortcuts to make the process way more stress-free. Plus, it’s an ice cream cake, which means that you can make it up ahead of time and store it in the freezer for as long as you want.

Step 1: Make the Cake.

Although some might consider it “cheating”, I am a huge believer in using box cake mixes when a recipe involves several different components. Not only do these cake mixes reduce the workload by a ton, but they taste fantastic and bake up incredibly moist.

For this cake, I went with Pillsbury’s white cake mix, and followed the instructions for using all egg whites. Leaving out the egg yolks makes for a much whiter cake, and it’s still just as moist. Once the cakes have cooled off completely, I like to use a cake leveler to cut the humps off the tops of the cakes. This creates more even “picturesque” layers and it makes the cake more stable. If you don’t have a cake leveler, a sharp works just as well!

Step 2: Make the Ice Cream.

If you can believe it, the ice cream is almost just as simple to make as the cake. That’s because it uses the no-churn method, which means few ingredients and no special equipment.

To start things off, you’ll whip up 2 cups of heavy cream in the chilled bowl of a stand mixer until stiff peaks form. Then you’ll transfer this whipped cream to a separate bowl in the refrigerator.

Next, you’ll melt 5 ounces of chopped white chocolate in the microwave until smooth. Add a can of sweetened condensed milk, stir, then return to the microwave for 15-20 more seconds. Once the mixture is completely smooth, set this mixture aside for about 15 minutes to allow it to cool off slightly.

Now you’ll beat a package of cream cheese and a teaspoon of vanilla in the mixer until light and creamy. Add the slightly-cooled white chocolate mixture, and continue beating until everything is incorporated. Make sure there are no lumps, and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl a couple of times between mixings. Add a cup of the whipped cream, mixing until combined. Then fold in the rest of the whipped cream. Divide the ice cream in half, and dye one half blue and the other half red.

The BEST way to dye the Ice Cream.

To prevent over-stirring and deflating the ice cream, here’s a tip. Instead of adding color to all of the ice cream, transfer about a tablespoon of the ice cream to a small bowl and stir the food coloring into that. Once the food coloring is completely mixed in, fold that dyed portion into the rest of the ice cream. If you need to add more food coloring, repeat this same process with another tablespoon of the ice cream. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, I used Wilton’s gel colors in the colors Sky Blue and Red.

Step 3: Assemble the Cake.

To assemble the cake, make sure to first line the cake pan with plastic wrap. Also, leave enough hangover around the sides so that you can completely wrap the cake. I also recommend using an 8-inch cake pan with deep sides since the cake will end up being kind of tall. In fact, I ended up using two cake pans since I couldn’t fit the last layer in.

If your cake pans aren’t as tall as mine, you can divide the cake and ice cream layers evenly. Just place one cake layer into a plastic wrap-lined cake pan, and spread the red ice cream on top. Do the same thing with the second layer of cake and blue ice cream, but in another cake pan. Once both ice creams have frozen solid, remove them from the pan, peel off the plastic wrap, and stack them on top of each other.

Step 4: Frosting the Cake.

The best kind of icing for ice cream cakes is whipped cream. It’s not too rich, and it glides onto the ice cream so well. The key is to frost the cake when it is completely frozen solid to prevent the ice cream from melting into the whipped cream. You also need to work rather quickly since it’s ice cream. Duh!!!

As with most cakes, you’ll want to start off with a crumb coat. This layer of frosting doesn’t have to be perfect. It’s just the base that will create a smooth finish for the final layer. After you’ve added the crumb coat, return the cake to the freezer for at least 30 minutes to firm up. Remove the cake from the freezer, and spread the second/final layer of frosting. If you have a small turntable or Lazy Susan to spin the cake as you’re frosting, it makes the process a lot quicker. Once you’ve got a completely smooth layer of frosting (in this case whipped cream) on the cake, return it to the freezer for at least 30 minutes.

Step 5: Making the Ganache.

Since this is a white chocolate ganache, the chocolate to heavy cream ratio will be higher, which means MORE chocolate than cream. You’ll start by heating 1/4 cup of heavy cream in the microwave until it beings to bubble along the edges. Pour this hot cream over 5 ounces of chopped white chocolate and allow it to sit for a few minutes. Stir the chocolate into the cream until smooth. If you still see lumps, heat it in the microwave for about 10-15 more seconds.

Now depending on the type of white chocolate you use, it probably won’t be as white. It usually tends to be kind of yellow in color, so I like to add white liquid color. You can find it at most craft stores next to the food colors in the baking section. Not only does it whiten the chocolate, but it also makes it more opaque. To dye the ganache, I used Wilton’s food gel color in the color, Sky Blue.

Step 6: Drizzling the Ganache.

Now that you’ve got your ganache, you can test it out on the cake. Remove the cake from the freezer and use a spoon to drizzle some ganache down the side of the cake. If it runs down the cake really fast, the ganache is still too warm and needs to thicken up a little more. Place the cake back into the freezer and refrigerate the ganache to cool it off quicker. If the ganache seems gloopy, heat it in the microwave for just a few seconds.

I’ve found that the best technique for drip cakes is to place the ganache into a glass measuring cup, and keep the spout close to the top edges of the cake as you pour the ganache out. Again, this is when a turntable comes in very handy! Once you’ve got all of the sides drizzled, spread the rest of the ganache evenly on top of the cake. Return the cake back to the freezer.

Step 7: Decorate the Cake.

The last and easiest step is decorating the cake. Place the rest of the whipped cream into a piping bag fitted with a star tip (I used Wilton’s 1M tip) and pipe a fluffy border along the top of the cake. Finally, round up your favorite red, white, and blue sprinkles, and go to town on it. Go buckwild!

Happy 4th of July, Everyone!!!!