Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Cake

When the long, hot days of summer are raging on, few things are better than hearing the jingle of the ice cream truck pulling up. If you were anything like me as a child, you reached for the strawberry shortcake novelty bar every. single. time. A combination of strawberry and vanilla ice cream coated in shortcake crumbs, this nostalgic treat has inspired many of our other favorite summer dessert recipes (we’re looking at you, strawberry crunch poke cake). But, when we’re craving a crowd-pleasing, no-bake dessert, we turn to this strawberry shortcake ice cream cake. Like all icebox cakes, it’s an ideal make-ahead treat that you can assemble days in advance, then serve at your July 4th party or summer cookout. Here’s everything you need to know:

What People Are Saying:
“Made this for Father's Day. It was so yummy!” - OrangeUmbrella

How To Make Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Cake

INGREDIENTS

• Golden Sandwich Cookies: There’s no need to scrape out the cream insides of your golden sandwich cookies—they’ll help the base stay together (plus, they taste delicious).
• Kosher Salt & Butter: To turn our sandwich cookies into a crust, we will pulse them in a food processor with a bit of salt (to enhance their flavor) and melted butter. This will bind our crust together, and create a buttery base.
• Vanilla & Strawberry Ice Cream: To mimic the strawberry shortcake bar, I’m using strawberry ice cream and vanilla ice cream in layers. Use your favorite ice cream here; if you need inspo, check out our vanilla ice cream taste test!
• Freeze-Dried Strawberries: While you could just add more crushed-up cookies on top, I decided to add freeze-dried strawberries to the mix. They really help to enforce the strawberry flavor, and create an eye-catching presentation

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

First, line the bottom and sides of an 8”-x-8” baking pan with parchment paper, making sure to leave a 2” overhang on each side.

Then, in a food processor, blitz 20 golden sandwich cookies and salt until they look like fine crumbs. Add the melted butter, and pulse until the crumbs resemble wet sand. Add to the baking pan, and press evenly into the bottom. Then, freeze for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix 4 cups of vanilla ice cream until smooth and spreadable. Then add on top of the crust, spreading in an even layer. Freeze for at least 30 minutes.

In the same bowl, mix together the strawberry ice cream until smooth. Stir in 1/2 cup of the freeze-dried strawberries, making sure they are evenly distributed. Spread the ice cream on top of the vanilla layer in an even layer, then freeze for 30 minutes.

While that’s freezing, pulse the remaining 10 sandwich cookies with the remaining freeze-dried strawberries in the food processor. Pulse until the mixture forms into pea-sized crumbs.

In the same bowl, mix the remaining vanilla ice cream until smooth, then spread on top of the frozen strawberry layer. Sprinkle the crumbs evenly over the top, pressing down to ensure they stick to the ice cream.

Add back to the freezer, then freeze for at least 4 hours. You want it to be firm, so keep going as long as needed. If you really want to get ahead, you can cover and freeze for up to 1 week! When you’re ready to serve, lift the cake out of the pan using the paper overhang. Then, using a sharp knife, cut it into 9 square or 8 rectangular pieces, then serve!

The full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• No food processor? No problem! Use a plastic bag and rolling pin to crush the cookies instead.
• Get clean slices. For extra-precise cake slices, run a chef's knife under hot water before cutting each piece. This also allows you to cut just one or two servings off the entire batch if you're eating it throughout the week.

Variations

If you want to mix up the flavors of this recipe, you can use the same proportions to try a chocolate-pistachio version, a peanut butter-banana version, and more. Just swap out the cookies and ice cream flavors in equal proportions.

Make Ahead & Storage

Because of the relatively long chill time, this ice cream cake is an ideal make-ahead dessert. After it’s assembled, freeze it for at least 4 hours or until firm. If you want to give yourself even more time, you can also cover it and freeze for up to 1 week.