Ice cream cakes are fun to make at home because it is easy to customize them with your favorite flavors of cake and ice cream, so you’re not bound to the small handful of options that they have at the nearest ice cream shop. It isn’t difficult to stack up the layers of cake and ice cream, whether you’re making a sheet cake or a round cake, but it can be difficult to get the frosting just right so that your cake looks picture perfect when you’re ready to start serving. h
Ice cream cakes can be difficult to frost, especially if you are working with a layer cake that has one or more exposed layers of ice cream. Buttercream frostings don’t always want to stick to those moist, cold layers. Buttercream frostings also have a tendency to harden and crack when stored in the freezer for more than a couple of hours, because butter will become quite brittle as it freezes. This might not be a problem if you’re going to serve your cake right away, but if you are planning to prepare your cake a day or two in advance, you might not get the look that you’re going for.
The best way to frost an ice cream cake is with Lightly Sweetened Whipped Cream. Whipped cream can be colored and used for decorating just like buttercream frosting can be, particularly if you add a little extra sugar to give it a bit of extra stability. It will hold up in the freezer without cracking or changing consistency, so your cake will look just as good as the day you frosted it – even if you prepared it a couple of days in advance. Whipped cream also has a nice light texture that adds a lovely textural contrast to a dense, frozen ice cream cake.
Kaylene @ The Links Site
July 29, 2014I usually make my niece and nephew’s birthday cakes so this tip could really come in handy – thank you!
Joan
June 29, 2018That makes complete sense. I’m going to whip up my whipped cream frosting for my ice cream cake right now – for consumption tomorrow night! : -)