hwtm icons row

Peppermint Ice Cream Cake {SO GOOD!}

Quick Jump To » Comments

candy cane ice cream cake

Buttery chocolate cookie crust + gooey hot fudge + wonderfully refreshing peppermint ice cream + creamy whipped topping = HEAVEN! Honestly, this chocolate-meets-peppermint dessert is so good you won’t know what hit you!

Added bonus: it’s easy too, and the steps are pretty quick… but it does require quite few hours of freezer time between the steps, so it’s best made the day before your party (or you can be an early riser and start it super-early the day-of). Either way… the end result is worth the wait!

candy cane ice cream cake

Read on for the full recipe & step-by-step tutorial…

candy cane ice cream cake

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 gallon Peppermint Ice Cream, softened
  • 2 cups Frozen Whipped Topping, thawed (+ extra for serving)
  • 2 lbs Creme-filled Chocolate Sandwich Cookies, crushed
  • 1/2 cup Butter, melted
  • 2 cups Hot Fudge (+ extra for serving)
  • Peppermint Candies or Candy Canes, crushed

Directions:

1. Mix melted butter and crushed cookies, then press the mixture firmly into the bottom of an ungreased cake pan (9″ springform round or 13×9″ rectangular pan).

candy cane ice cream cake

2. In a separate bowl, combine the softened ice cream and whipped topping. Mix well.

candy cane ice cream cake

3. Add the ice cream mixture to the pan and spread evenly across the cookie crust.

(Freeze for 3 hours or until firm.)

candy cane ice cream cake

4. Next, pour 2 cups of hot fudge sauce on top of the frozen ice cream. Warm the hot fudge slightly to make spreading easier, and completely cover the top of the ice cream.

candy cane ice cream cake

5. Sprinkle crushed candy canes over the top of the fudge, then return the cake to the freezer. Freeze at least 8 hours.

6. Remove the cake from the freezer when ready to serve. If you’re using a round springform pan, remove the cake from the pan and transfer to a plate or cake stand. You should end up with something like this:

candy cane ice cream cake

  • The ice cream cake is good on its own and can easily be served as-is, BUT

candy cane ice cream cake

…it’s even BETTER with: a generous drizzle of gooey hot fudge sauce, a dollop of whipped topping, and a few more crushed candy sprinkles. YUM!

candy cane ice cream cake

7. Serve immediately and prepare for loads of compliments. We’re not kidding… it’s really THAT good! Sonny & I couldn’t resist either… here’s what happened right after we finished shooting the tutorial:

candy cane ice cream cake

Additional Tips:

  • Feel free to use Light Peppermint Ice Cream and Light Whipped Topping. That’s what we used for this version and it still tasted fantastic!
  • Even if they start out white, most peppermint ice creams will turn pink once you mix them with the whipped topping, due to the food coloring “ribbon swirls” that are usually in the ice cream. If you want to avoid pink, look for a version of peppermint ice cream that ONLY has hard candy cane pieces in it and not ribbon swirls. (The pink color really doesn’t bother us though – and it actually makes this a great dessert option for Valentine’s Day too!)
  • Not a huge peppermint fan? Try a chocolate-meets-cherry version instead: Swap out the peppermint ice cream for Cherry Garcia, sprinkle the cake with crushed cherry-flavored candies instead of candy canes, and drizzle white dessert plates with cherry dessert sauce for an ambitious presentation. (And don’t forget to add the cherry on top!)

23 Comments

  1. Rowaida Flayhan December 23, 2009 at 10:47 pm

    Hi Jennifer, Love this recipes so easy and looks yummy.
    Love your blog and also your tweets are amazing,
    Thank you for being such an inspiration.
    Best Wishes!
    Merry Christmas!

  2. Tara December 23, 2009 at 10:50 pm

    Yummmmmmyyyyyyyy!!!!! I love the step by step photos too. This fabulous dessert will be making its debut at my house soon!!

  3. turisuna December 24, 2009 at 9:39 am

    Wow this site is great, you give lots of sweet things here, especially this peppermint ice cream cake, it looks soooo yummyyyy, can’t stand to try your tips, thanks a lot :)

  4. Elsa December 24, 2009 at 1:28 pm

    I hope you did not eat all of it. Your family will surely enjoy this Christmas Eve. It is a show stopper! Nice work!

  5. bunnyb December 25, 2009 at 1:42 am

    Yum!! I love mint ice cream.

  6. Sara Bradshaw December 25, 2009 at 1:37 pm

    Thought I would share with you some photos of my little sister’s wedding. Have a great Christmas x

  7. 31everything December 25, 2009 at 5:12 pm

    It looks yummiest on the fork :)
    Merry Christmas :)

  8. Kelly@ColorSizzle December 27, 2009 at 12:32 pm

    This looks delicious! Great idea for New Year’s Eve!

  9. dining room table December 27, 2009 at 7:21 pm

    This is the simplest yet the tastiest cake ever! I love it! I don’t have to use the oven and make this mixing thing that I never perfected.

  10. Little Birdie Secrets December 27, 2009 at 10:20 pm

    Looks HEAVENLY!

  11. Katie Cannon December 27, 2009 at 11:09 pm

    I never seem to have chocolate cookies lying around BUT I do ALWAYS seem to have graham crackers. I use this recipe for an excellent chocolate crust (graham crackers + cocoa powder) Hope this helps someone!

  12. Dina January 4, 2010 at 8:06 pm

    Delicious,everyone loved it. I had a hard time getting the hot fudge to spread evenly and I wasn’t happy with the presentation. The taste was great!

  13. Robyn January 14, 2010 at 8:58 pm

    I made this dessert for a pink and brown themed baby shower. It was a big hit!! Thanks so much the great recipe.

  14. Sara February 7, 2010 at 5:51 pm

    Yummy … i wana go make the cake now ,,, mmmm : )

  15. Natalie July 13, 2010 at 10:08 pm

    That looks so yummy! I want some now.

  16. buy rift account July 7, 2011 at 1:19 am

    Love this one.. i was drooling just by looking at those pictures.=)

  17. Linda November 7, 2011 at 10:13 am

    Oh dear Lord does that look incredible. I’m 9 months pregnant and seriously ready to eat my computer screen. You’re killing me!

  18. raychelyoung January 12, 2012 at 8:40 pm

    <3

  19. Cathy December 24, 2013 at 3:19 pm

    Do you really use 2 lbs Creme-filled Chocolate Sandwich Cookies? Seem like to much! I only use 1 lb. cookies.

  20. Angel Vicky December 26, 2013 at 1:56 am

    i am so in love with this ice cream cake..I must try this one..so yummy..just like the chocolate ice cream that I found at http://www.gourmandia.com

Comments are closed.

hi there - meet jenn

Browse Party Ideas: