Simple Homemade Vegan Ice Cream Cake

Here is the ULTIMATE summer dessert. No need to turn the oven on to create this epic dessert. This Vegan Ice Cream Cake is decadent, creamy central, pure bliss and the perfect treat for any summer celebration! This vegan cake has LAYERS and each layer is very much necessary in creating this dessert. There is the cookie crumble base, which adds a crunch and a salty sweetness. Then there are two layers of chocolate fudge. One layer on top of the cookie base and then one on top of the ice cream layer. The ice cream layer is obviously the star of this dessert and will alter the overall flavour of the gluten free ice cream cake. If you choose coffee (as I did)- you get a coffee-flavoured cake. But you could also use vanilla and the cake would be just as amazing! The final layer of this vegan ice cream cake is a little sprinkle of the cookie base layer on top of the last fudge layer to balance the cake to perfection. If your mouth isn’t watering yet- ice cream cake isn’t for you.

Why You’ll Love This Gluten Free Ice Cream Cake

• If you are unable to enjoy an epic ice cream cake from Dairy Queen, there is no need to miss out when you have this VEGAN ice cream cake in your back pocket.
• This vegan cake lasts for quite awhile in the freezer. So you can easily make it ahead of time of any celebration and simply let it thaw for 10-20 minutes to thaw before slicing it up and enjoying!
• Change up the ice cream flavour in this cake. Any flavour will be perfection- except tiger ice cream because that is just kinda sick. Use your favourite vegan ice cream flavour in the middle of this gluten free ice cream cake and it will knock your socks right off!

How To Make A Vegan Ice Cream Cake

I think it’s safe to say most of us grew up with Dairy Queen ice cream cakes at birthday parties. They were the dessert every kid wanted at their parties. Well, friends, there is a new badass ice cream cake in town and it’s this vegan ice cream cake.

1. The base of this gluten free ice cream cake is a crumbly cocoa mixture that isn’t overly sweet but mimics the Dairy Queen hard chocolate crust. Keep a handful of this crumb base to sprinkle on the top of the cake.
2. The fudgy second layer is next. It’s creamy thanks to a mix of coconut cream and melted dark chocolate. You only use half of this mixture because it’s also the top layer.
3. The middle layer is the best layer. The ice cream layer. Choose vanilla, choose coffee, choose whatever. You can use between 500mL-1000mL of ice cream depending on the size of spring form pan you use and how thick you want the layer to be. I used a 7″ pan and used closer to 800mL (roughly). So buy 2 pints and then decide while you are making this vegan cake.
4. The wait time. Let the ice cream set for at least 10 minutes before you add the last chocolate layer. Then add the reserved cookie crumble on top. All in all the preparation for this vegan ice cream cake takes 30 minutes, but the freezer time is closer to 4.5 hours, or overnight.

Many moons ago my mom used to make a homemade ice cream cake for family birthdays. It wasn’t vegan or gluten-free but a few months ago, I found myself dreaming about that cake and knew I needed to recreate it. It was very special having Mom in town when I did recreate the ice cream cake so she could try it. And she loved it! She’s also a huge coffee fan so anything coffee is usually going to vibe perfectly with her. I will say Adam and I had a good chuckle because she decided to eat this gluten free ice cream cake sans fork! Mom ate it more like an ice cream sandwich. It was pretty adorable and it actually kinda worked! It just got a little messier than if you enjoyed it with a fork- but who cares?!

Easy Vegan Cake Recipes

• Vanilla Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream
• Blueberry Cheesecake Bars
• Vegan Coffee Cake

The Best Vegan Ice Cream

• So Delicious (Coconut Base)
• Cosmic Bliss (Formally Coconut Bliss)
• NadaMoo

So eat this vegan ice cream cake however you want, with a fork, with a spoon, or with your fingers- it all tastes the same and it all tastes amazing. This mouthwatering gluten free ice cream cake is bound to put smiles on the faces of anyone who bites into it- which makes it a great cake to make for any celebration.

Print

Vegan Ice Cream Cake

A creamy, and chocolate loaded ice cream cake that will knock your socks off!

Prep Time 30 minutes

passive time 4 hours

Total Time 4 hours 30 minutes

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

Bottom Layer

• 1 1/2 cups almond flour
• 3 tbsp cocoa powder
• 8 tablespoons coconut oil (melted)
• 4 tablespoons coconut sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• pinch of sea salt

Second Layer/ Top Layer

• 1 cup coconut cream
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 100 g dark chocolate
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil

Ice Cream/ Middle Layer

• 500-1000 mL Vegan Coffee Ice Cream ( this depends on how thick you want the ice cream layer to be but I used a 7" springform pan and wanted a thick layer so I used closer to 1000ml)

Instructions

Bottom Layer

• Mix together all of the bottom layer ingredients until it sticks together.
• Add a piece of parchment paper to the bottom of a 7″ springform pan (See notes about what springform pan to use). Set aside 1/4 cup of the bottom layer to sprinkle on the top of the ice cream cake at the end. Add the rest of the bottom layer mixture to the parchment paper and press down hard on the mixture so that it sticks together.
• Place in the freezer for 10-20 minutes while you prepare the second layer.

Second/ Top Layer

• Melt the 1 teaspoon of coconut oil in a pan over low heat. Then add the 100g of dark chocolate to the pan to melt. Once melted, add the coconut cream and the maple syrup to the chocolate mixture and thoroughly combine. Once combined, take off the heat. It should be thick and creamy.
• At this point, take your ice cream out of the freezer to let it thaw and get a little soft so it is easier to spread on.
• Remove the bottom layer from the freezer and add 1/4-1/2 cup of the chocolate/coconut layer to the top of the bottom layer. It should just be a thin layer. Place back in the freezer for 20 minutes. Set the rest of the chocolate/coconut mixture to the side. Leave it to sit out on the counter until you need it next.

Ice Cream Layer

• After 20 minutes, remove the cake from the freezer. Add the ice cream to a blender and blend until smooth so it is easier to spread. Begin adding the ice cream on top of the chocolate/coconut layer. I used a metal spoon to help spread it smoothly and evenly. My ice cream was quite soft and blended (but not runny) at this point which made it easier to spread. It is your choice whether you want to use 500-1000 mL of ice cream. I found in the 7" springform pan about a pint and a half was perfect.
• Place back in the freezer for 2-3 hours, or until frozen.

Top Layer

• Remove the cake from the freezer, and begin spreading the last layer of the chocolate/coconut mixture on top of the ice cream layer. Spread it evenly and then top with the 1/4 cup of the base mixture you set aside at the beginning.
• Place back in the freezer for 1 hour.
• Let the cake thaw for 10-20 minutes before enjoying.

Notes

I tried this cake in two different springform pans. Initially, I used an 8″ springform pan, which just resulted in thinner layers, but I did use closer to 1000ml of ice cream. Next, I used a 7″ springform pan and I was most pleased with the ratios when using this size. I only used 500ml of ice cream and it was perfect. So my recipe is based off using a 28cm springform pan. The base layer and chocolate/coconut layer will still work in an 8″ springform pan they will just be thinner. But it is all about preference, just know that the ratios here are based on my 28cm pan.

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