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This fried ice cream cake is an easy but decadent frozen dessert. You will love the sweet and crunchy cornflake topping!
Featured with this recipe
This fried ice cream cake screams summer! You are going to love all the flavors and textures going on here. It’s cold and sweet with a perfectly crunchy topping and bursting with churro flavor. If you are looking for the perfect summertime dessert to take to your next potluck, your search is over.
We love fried ice cream! This “non-fried” version tastes just as good. This fried ice cream cake can make enough for a crowd using a cake pan rather than having to fry individual balls of ice cream. It takes very little preparation and the clean-up is a breeze!
Ingredients
This fried ice cream cake is full of sweetness with a soft crunchy topping! It is the perfect combination of sweet and savory all in one bite. With only a few ingredients to keep on hand, you can make this dessert over and over again!
- Ice cream – We usually opt for vanilla. We like using vanilla beans because of the flavor but French vanilla still tastes great. You can also use a cinnamon swirl ice cream or churro ice cream.
- Corn Flakes cereal – This is what makes the crunchy topping, well… crunchy!
- Butter and sugar – Butter and sugar hold the crunchy topping together so it doesn’t just crumble and flake off the ice cream.
- Cinnamon – Cinnamon rounds out the flavor and makes
- Toppings – Whipped cream, chocolate fudge sauce, caramel, honey, and/or maraschino cherries
Steps to Make Fried Ice Cream Cake
This fried ice cream cake comes together quickly and easily in just minutes to assemble! Freeze overnight and enjoy your dessert ice cream the next day. It is the best combination and so simple to make!
- Soften – Soften ice cream in the refrigerator while preparing the other ingredients.
- Simmer – In a medium-sized saucepan, combine butter and sugar and bring to a simmer.
- Cornflake mixture – Remove from heat and add crushed cornflakes and cinnamon. Stir gently until all of the crushed cornflakes are covered in the cereal mixture. Place half of the cornflake mixture in a 9×13 glass baking dish and press down evenly along the bottom of the dish.
- Assemble – Spoon softened ice cream over the top and carefully smooth over with a spatula or knife. Next, evenly sprinkle the remaining mixture over the top of the ice cream for distribution.
- Freezer – Cover and freeze for 6 plus hours or overnight until it is completely frozen. Cut into serving-sized squares and top with desired toppings.
- Toppings – Whipped cream, cinnamon sugar, and cherries are classic topping choices. Drizzle with chocolate sauce and/or caramel topping.
The Sweet, Crunchy, “Fried” Topping
For this recipe, we use a Corn Flakes topping but you can easily swap it out with a different kind of cereal. Try it with Rice Krispies, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Frosted Flakes, Cinnamon Frosted Flakes, or Honey Bunches of Oats.
Types of Ice Cream for Fried Ice Cream Cake
You can make all kinds of creative variations when it comes to ice cream cake! Choose your favorite flavor of ice cream for this fried ice cream cake or try one of our favorite ways to create the best fried ice cream cake dessert!
- Cinnamon churro – If you love churros as much as we do, you need to try this Cinnamon Churro Fried Ice Cream variation. The thing that puts this dessert over the top is the churro ice cream. We found some Cinnamon Churro ice cream at our local Albertsons store. It is a cinnamon churro ice cream with a honey bun swirl and actual churro pieces. Now imagine that with crunchy fried cinnamon-sugar layers and you have churro-fried ice cream. YUM! For this recipe, just simply swap out the vanilla ice cream for churro ice cream.
- Raspberry – Our Raspberry Fried Ice Cream Cake is a fruity twist on this traditional ice cream cake. You can use raspberry, huckleberry, blackberry, or any kind of fruity berry ice cream for this recipe. We also use cinnamon Frosted Flakes for this recipe to make it even easier. Give it a try!
- Vanilla – This is always a traditional way of enjoying fried ice cream cake. It is light, always available, and will never let you down. Vanilla ice cream allows all the crunch and cinnamon flavors and texture to meld together while holding it in between. It is a family favorite!
- Chocolate – Classic chocolate ice cream is a great addition for all those chocolate lovers.
Tips for Fried Ice Cream Cake
Follow these helpful tips to make the best-fried ice cream cake! It is simple to make from bottom to top. Layer the ice cream and then the cornflake mixture as a crust on top of the cake. You can’t go wrong with this fried ice cream cake!
- Preparing – Make sure to leave out the ice cream to soften before assembling it. Not too soft though that it becomes runny.
- Plastic wrap – Align the pan with plastic wrap or parchment paper to help lift the cake out of the pan. It is also easier to clean up.
- Food processor – Use a food processor to help crunch and blend the cereal with other ingredients.
- Ice cream and cereal – Try another flavor of ice cream or cereal variations!
- Shape – Change the shape of the fried ice cream cake to a spring form cake for a round cake instead of a rectangle cake.
- Toppings – Drizzle caramel, honey, or whipped cream with a cherry on top!
- Cutting – This fried ice cream cake is going to be on the hard side and may be difficult to cut at first. Use a clean, sharp knife to slice the cake into squares. You can also use an ice cream scoop if that is easier and less of a mess!
- Serving – Once you take the frozen cake out of the freezer be sure to enjoy it quickly. Use bowls or plates to serve this delicious cake for dessert.
“Nothing better than ice cream & churros in our opinion! This was a hit with some friends of ours. We will be making this all the time!”
-Kristyn
Frequently Asked Questions
In the 1980s Mexican restaurants added fried ice cream with two cinnamon tortilla chips on the side as their signature dessert.
A traditional fried ice cream is coated in batter and deep-fried with ice cream and a crust on the outside.
This is a cereal mixture that is crushed and blended together for a crunchy outside texture. You can use cereal, graham crackers, or cookies smashed together with melted butter.
Yes! Make sure the cereal is gluten-free before adding it to the dessert. All other ingredients used are GF.
Making Ahead and Storing
This fried ice cream cake is the perfect dessert to make ahead and store in a freezer. Make ahead, keep frozen, and serve when ready! It is that simple and delicious every time. We love making this for special occasions and birthday parties!
- Making ahead – Simply make it ahead of time and place a lid or plastic wrap overtop.
- Freezing – Keep this ice cream cake in the freezer until you are ready to enjoy it. Wrap it tightly to avoid any freezer burn. It will last in the freezer for three to four days.
- Serving – Since this cake is a frozen cake, all you need to do is slice and serve for family and friends to enjoy! Add toppings of choice.
More Tasty Ice Cream Treats
It is always fun to enjoy ice cream in various ways and these ice cream desserts are top-notch! They are perfect for feeding a crowd and enjoying several different flavors in each one. Use cake pans, cookies, or a pie pan to make these sweet desserts come to life!
How to Make Fried Ice Cream Cake
Fried Ice Cream Cake
Equipment
- Sauce pan
- 9×13 Baking Pan
- Spatula
Ingredients
- ½ gallon Vanilla Ice Cream (softened)
- ½ cup butter
- ¾ cup sugar
- 3 cups crushed corn flakes crushed
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Optional Toppings:
- whipped cream
- cinnamon/sugar mixture
- maraschino cherries
- hot fudge sauce
- caramel sauce
- honey
Instructions
- Soften ice cream in the refrigerator. In a medium-sized saucepan, combine butter and sugar and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 2-3 minutes stirring constantly.
- Remove from heat and add crushed cornflakes and cinnamon. Stir gently until all of the crushed cornflakes are covered in the mixture. Place half of the cornflake mixture in a 9×13 glass baking dish and press down evenly along the bottom of the dish.
- Spoon softened ice cream over the top and carefully smooth over with a spatula or knife. Then, evenly sprinkle the remaining mixture over the top of the ice cream.
- Cover and freeze for 6+ hours or overnight. Cut into serving-sized squares and top with desired toppings.
Hello! I have your cookbook and have a recipe for the no fried fried ice cream with a raspberry sauce included. Is this the same recipe? Unfortunately we have misplaced the book and so we have been searching high and low for that specific recipe!
We don’t have that recipe on our site yet, but I have the book right here so I’ll give it to ya!
1 C Butter
1 C Brown Sugar
3 C Crispy Rice Cereal
1 C Sweetened Coconut Flakes
1/2 C Chopped Pecans
1/2 Gallon Vanilla Ice Cream
In a saucepan over medium heat melt butter. Add brown sugar and mix until dissolved. In a large bowl, combine cereal, coconut, and nuts. Pour melted butter and brown sugar over cereal mixture and stir until coated. Press half of cereal mix into the bottom of a 9×13 pan. Cut ice cream in 1 inch slices and spread evenly over mixture in pan. Spread remaining cereal mixture evenly over ice cream. Place in freezer for at least one hour. Cut into squares and serve with raspberry sauce.
Raspberry Sauce
2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
3/4 C Water
1 Pint Fresh or Frozen Raspberries
1/3 C Sugar
1/3 C Orange Juice
In a small bowl, whisk water and cornstarch until blended. In a medium saucepan, combine raspberries, sugar, and orange juice. Slowly add cornstarch mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 3-5 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened.
Love the crunchy with the soft ice cream. Such a fun dessert to make. It looks so fancy too.
Nothing better than ice cream & churros in our opinion! This was a hit with some friends of ours. We will be making this all the time!
You had me at churro!! This is the greatest idea ever!! My family loves it!
This is my new favorite! It’s perfect! It tasted so delicious and really easy to make! Well done!
This is so fabulous! My family gives this two thumbs up!
This is absolutely amazing and timely for fall! Can’t wait to make this lots!
Where is the Albertson’s that you get your ice cream? Does any other store carry this ice cream? What else could you use in place of if you can’t find the brand you used?
Hi Cathy- You can find it at Safeway, ACME Markets, Jewel-Osco, Vons, Randalls, Shaw’s Supermarket, Star Market, Tom Thumb and Vons. Our Albertsons is in Idaho but they are common in the Pacific Northwest. I don’t know of any brand that makes churro ice cream like this. Hopefully you can find some in one of these stores! It’s AMAZING!
Can you think of another ice cream that you could use as a substitute?