Triple Berry Ice Cream Cake.
This triple berry ice cream cake is perfect for a summer holiday dessert! It’s red, white and blue, cold and refreshing, delicious and must be made ahead of time. Serves a crowd – who always enjoys it!
I am back with everyone’s favorite ice cream cake!
This triple berry ice cream cake is the perfect dessert to serve for the fourth of July. It’s red white and blue, chilled and refreshing for the hottest of summer days and uses lots of fresh, vibrant berries. It is a hit every time!
Let’s rewind. Last year Lacy made this ice cream cake for the 4th of July and I posted it on instagram – and you guys went crazy. It is so incredibly easy and delicious, so I made a few versions of the next couple of months and landed on the perfect holiday ice cream cake.
The ice cream cake can’t be beat, because you make the ENTIRE thing ahead of time. The whole thing, aside from maybe a drizzle of chocolate and sprinkle of cookies. It’s very easy and a great thing to bring to a party (as long as there is freezer space!) because it appears fancy, tastes fabulous and serves a crowd.
I have so many flavor combos that I love for this cake (hello, coffee oreo), but I must say that I was very excited to throw together a summer version that takes on some red white and blue vibes. Perfect for a summer BBQ or get together! Memorial day or 4th of July – or just during peak berry season when the fruit is tasting like candy.
To make this triple berry ice cream cake, I slightly complicate things more than I do with the original. Now, you can always buy a strawberry and blueberry ice cream. I searched high and low and could not find a blueberry version that was available to everyone. Strawberry, sure. But not blueberry. So after many tests, I made my own fruit sauces and used vanilla ice cream.
I LOVE this method, because the fruit is so super fresh and sweet. I like a combo of strawberry, blueberry AND raspberry, but you don’t have to do all three.
The blueberry and strawberry/raspberry sauces elevate the vanilla ice cream so much – they almost makes this cake feel sundae-like. I also like to add the strawberries and blueberries, and then save some of the puree for serving. It’s incredibly berry-forward which is what I LOVE.
The berries taste lovely against the chocolate from the ice cream sandwiches. YES! The middle of this “cake” is just layered ice cream sandwiches, which is cheating in the best way possible. Because I use vanilla ice cream AND the classic sandwiches (you can always use a fancy flavor if you’d like!), I cut down on the ice cream too. The original recipe uses two half gallons of ice cream. In this recipe, I only use one. We’re adding to each layer with our homemade berry sauce so it’s more than enough ice cream.
Another switch up I did? Use crushed vanilla oreos instead of the classic. I liked using the vanilla oreos to hold on to some of that red, white and blue. You could also use crushed graham crackers or even the classic oreos if you don’t mind chocolate cookies.
This cake is SIMPLE. The directions look long and intimidating down below, but that’s because 1. I wanted to give you all the details in how to easily make this so you can serve it perfect and 2. I’m wordy and can never be concise. You know.
I like to do both berry sauces because it brings the red, white and blue colors – but it’s not like that is 100% necessary! You can always change up the ice cream flavors, change up the fruit – it’s really whatever you would like this to be. It’s a blank slate. And since the ice cream sandwiches are traditional and plain, they go with just about everything! It’s fun, festive and ideal for summer.
Triple Berry Ice Cream Cake
Triple Berry Ice Cream Cake
Ingredients
blueberry sauce
- 1 cup blueberries
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 lemon, juiced
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 tablespoon water
strawberry sauce
ice cream cake
- 1 14 oz package of vanilla sandwich cookies, like golden oreos, plus more for topping
- ½ gallon vanilla ice cream
- 12 classic rectangle ice cream sandwiches
- 6 ounces white chocolate
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- fresh berries, optional for serving
- fresh mint, optional for serving
Instructions
- To make the blueberry sauce, combine the ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the blueberries break down and burst and the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour in a jar or bowl - let it cool completely. You can cover this and store it in the fridge until you use it.
- To make the strawberry/raspberry sauce, combine the ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the berries break down and burst and the mixture thickens, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour in a jar or bowl - let it cool completely. You can cover this and store it in the fridge until you use it.
- Line a 9x13 inch dish or pan with 2 layers of plastic wrap, letting it hang over the edges. This is important and helps you remove the ice cream cake to slice!
- Set the ice cream out - you want it to soften enough to be “spreadable.” It should not be liquid, but should be thick and starting to melt like frosting.
- Coarsely crush the oreos. You can do this in a resealable bag and crush with your hands or a rolling pin. You can also toss them in your food processor and pulse a few times. You don’t want small crumbs, but larger chunks.
- Place the crushed cookies all over the bottom of the pan in the plastic wrap. Spread them evenly to create a crust. Take half of the ice cream and spoon it on top of the cookies. I spoon it all over, then use a large spoon to spread it around. You don’t want to spread it too much and lift all the cookies - but don’t worry, a few cookies will lift! It’s no big deal, the cake will still turn out. Spread half (or a little more) of the strawberry/raspberry (or blueberry!) sauce on top of the ice cream. It doesn’t matter which one.
- Stick the cake in the freezer for a minute while you unwrap the ice cream sandwiches. Remove the cake and then stick the sandwiches on top in a single layer. The last two sandwiches will fit if they are cut in half. They should cover the cake completely.
- Spread the rest of the ice cream over the sandwiches. Top with half the blueberry sauce (or strawberry, if you used the blueberry first.) Cover the dish in plastic wrap tightly. Place in the freezer and freeze for at least 2 hours or even overnight. You can make this a few days ahead of time too!
- Remove the cake 20 minutes or so before serving. Melt together the 6 ounces of white chocolate and the coconut oil. I do this in a bowl in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring after each, until melted. I use the coconut oil so the chocolate firms up at room temp.
- Remove the cake from the pan by the plastic wrap overhand. Drizzle the melted chocolate over top. Sprinkle with extra crushed cookies if you wish. I like to serve this with the extra strawberry and blueberry sauces for serving. I also like to do fresh mint or berries. Slice and serve!
Did you make this recipe?
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I appreciate you so much!
I adore this.
4 Comments on “Triple Berry Ice Cream Cake.”
This looks delicious!
I think that you meant ‘strawberries’ as an ingredient in the strawberry sauce.
STRAWBERRY SAUCE
2 cups chopped blueberries
yesss thank you so much!! xo
I love it
Do you realize your strawberry mix says cook til blueberries burst. The blueberries are in the frig. lol. Looks delish and can’t wait to make.