Ice Cream Sandwich Cake Recipe

This Ice Cream Sandwich Cake Recipe is an easy dessert made with ice cream sandwiches, Cool Whip and chocolate syrup. Perfect on a hot summer day and the easiest birthday cake you’ll ever make!

I made a super easy ice cream sandwich cake for my daughter’s birthday party this year. She’s not a fan of birthday cake, but she absolutely loves ice cream for dessert.

The ice cream cake was a hit with the whole family, and it’s become one of the kids’ favorite no bake desserts. There’s no cooking, baking, mixing or anything — all you do is assemble the cake and freeze it!

If you love ice cream, try my coffee ice cream, chocolate peanut butter ice cream, Oreo ice cream and more easy dessert recipes in my desserts archives.

Ingredients

All you need are 3 simple ingredients for this simple dessert. You can find them in your local grocery store.

• Vanilla ice cream sandwiches — or your favorite flavor
• Cool Whip — thawed — or any brand whipped topping or whipped cream to layer the sandwiches. You will use the whole tub of Cool Whip for this recipe.
• Chocolate syrup — to help hold sandwiches in place
• Rainbow sprinkles — or your favorite toppings

You will also need a loaf pan and parchment paper to assemble the cake.

How to Make an Ice Cream Sandwich Cake

First, place 2 pieces of parchment paper, overlapping, in a loaf pan. This makes it a lot easier to remove the cake later!

Then, place 4 ice cream sandwiches in a single layer in the loaf pan. You may need to trim the edges of sandwiches in the first layer, but you can use these to fill out the sides.

Now, spread a layer of whipped topping on top of the ice cream sandwiches. It doesn’t have to be super thick, just thick enough to cover the sandwiches.

You can save the thickest layer of whipped cream or topping for the top of the cake.

Next, drizzle a little bit of chocolate sauce over the Cool Whip. This just helps to keep the layers of sandwiches in place.

It also adds extra chocolate flavor, which is never a bad thing. Yum!

Now, you just add the second layer of sandwiches, followed by whipped topping and more syrup.

You will have 3 layers of ice cream sandwiches when you are done assembling the cake. Once you add the final layer of ice cream sandwiches, you just spread the remaining whipped topping on the top layer of the cake.

Add colorful jimmies, sprinkles or candy on top of the Cool Whip for decoration.

How Long to Freeze

Pop this easy ice cream cake into the freezer for about 2 hours, or until it’s set. The cake should be firm enough to slice.

How to Store Homemade Ice Cream Cake

Store this simple ice cream sandwich cake in the freezer until ready to serve. Place leftover ice cream sandwich cake in an airtight container or wrap the cake with plastic wrap and aluminum foil. The cake should keep for a few weeks in the freezer.

Recipe Variations

You can make this icebox cake with any flavor of ice cream sandwiches. Neapolitan ice cream sandwiches, chocolate ice cream sandwiches or cookies and cream ice cream sandwiches are great choices for this delicious dessert.

Try caramel sauce, butterscotch syrup or strawberry syrup in place of chocolate sauce. Add chocolate chips, crushed Oreo cookies, M&M candies, chopped candy bars or Reese’s pieces for decoration.

If you need a larger cake, use a 9 x 13-inch pan and as many sandwiches as you can.

Tips and Tricks

You’re working with ice cream, so you have to move quickly so it doesn’t melt.

• Have sandwiches unwrapped and ready to go for quick assembly
• Make sure the Cool Whip is thawed
• Get someone to help layer ice cream sandwiches to make things go fast — kids love helping!
• Remove the cake from the pan and place on a platter for easy slicing. You can do this ahead of time and place back in freezer if you want
• To make an ice cream sandwich cake in a 13×9 pan, double the ingredients

This indulgent ice cream cake is the perfect dessert for any occasion. We have served it for birthdays, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day as well as different family gatherings, and it’s a real crowd pleaser!

Please leave a star rating and/or comment if you try it!

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Recipe first published in 2020 and updated in 2023.