• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About Me
    • Contact
  • Recipes
    • Recipes Visual Index
    • How to Make Ice Cream without an Ice Cream Maker
    • Kitchen Cheat Sheet
    • Kitchen & Pantry Essentials
  • Services
    • Contact
  • eBook Store

A Cookie Named Desire

menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Recipes
  • Services
  • eBook Store
  • Store
    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home - Ice Cream

    Published: May 2, 2020 · Modified: Oct 5, 2021 by Amanda Powell · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Birthday Cake Ice Cream

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    An ultra-creamy birthday cake ice cream made with real cake batter. You don't need to wait for anyone's birthday to indulge in this deliciously popular treat! 

    cake batter ice cream in cones

    What is birthday cake ice cream

    This is a super creamy ice cream that tastes just like your favorite childhood birthday cake with all the sprinkles. It is packed with flavor and the perfect way to cool down, or just to treat yourself. You definitely don't need to wait until someone's birthday to have a scoop... or two... or three. 

    ingredients for birthday cake ice cream

    How to make cake batter ice cream

    We start with my favorite creamy vanilla ice cream recipe. What I love about it is that it is so flavorful, and is made to be easy to scoop as long as you churn it enough. 

    Then, we add in cake batter part of the recipe. You can do this one of two ways - or a bit of both. 

    • Add cake mix (I prefer funfetti)
    • Add cake batter extract

    I use the cake mix for two reasons. It thickens the ice cream base which helps make it more scoopable, and it gives the best flavor. 

    The cake batter extract also works. It tends to dye whatever you put it in yellow, so you should also keep that in mind. Funfetti cake mix can also dye your ice cream from the sprinkles dye incorporating into the ice cream base. I tend to remove the sprinkles and add them at the end. 

    How to make an ice cream birthday cake

    I love using this birthday ice cream to make an ice cream cake. It is like the perfect cake/ice cream inception. Of course, you can mix and match ice cream and cake flavors with what you love best! 

    1. First, start off making your cake. It should be two thin-ish layer about 1 to 1.5 inches thick. You can do this by baking the layers separately, or baking it as one thick cake which you then cut in half. 
    2. Then, you need to make your ice cream. After churning your ice cream, you should place it in a plastic wrap-lined cake pan the same size as what you used to bake the cake. Freeze until solid. 
    3. Sandwich the ice cream between the cake layers. You can add frosting and other mix-ins between the cake and ice cream. 
    4. Ice the cake as you normally would, or leave naked! 

    ice cream in cones in a row close up

    Is cake batter ice cream safe during pregnancy?

    You can absolutely eat this particular birthday cake ice cream recipe! The eggs are heated through, and the cake batter is heated enough to make it safe to consume as well. There aren't any serious risks to eating this ice cream beyond a sugar rush or tummy ache from eating too much! 

    Tools you'll need

    You will need a few special tools to make this recipe. Namely, an ice cream machine. I've got two types listed that I've personally used. 

     

    • Nostalgia Ice Cream Machine - This was my first ice cream machine. What I loved is that I didn't have to do much to prepare in advance and you don't need to make your ice cream in batches. Unfortunately, though, it does require quite a lot of ice and salt for it to work, so you need to have a good stock of that available. 
    • Cuisinart Ice Cream Machine - This is the ice cream maker I use now. I love that it works better to get good overrun (the air in the ice cream that makes it light and nice to scoop). However, you need to prepare your machine ahead of time because the insert needs to be frozen at least 24 hours ahead of time. I just keep mine in the freezer permanently. You also need to make your ice cream in batches because it can only churn small amounts at once. 
    • Ice Cream Containers - You can use pretty much any airtight container, but I absolutely love my Tovolo ice cream containers. They give a really great seal which is important for maintaining the deliciousness of the ice cream. 
    • Ice Cream Scoop - This is hands down the best ice cream scoop ever. The handle retains heat and it travels down to the scoop making it so easy to get delicious scoops every time without killing your arm. 

    scoops of ice cream in cup with spoon

    Fun add-ins to try

    There are so many fun things you can add to your ice cream to make it even better! Here are some of my favorites! I recommend sprinkling them in small amounts in layers as you add your churned ice cream to the container. 

    • Pound cake or vanilla cake - This is my favorite one. It's a great way to add more dimension and cake flavor! If you don't want to make a whole cake to add to your ice cream, try my vanilla mug cake. 
    • Cinnamon rolls - Cut up, these are just so mouthwatering
    • Brownie batter or chopped brownies - The chocolate adds nice contrast and texture. I really recommend this one. 
    • Vanilla buttercream or strawberry frosting - Frosting adds so much fun to your ice cream! Vanilla and strawberry are personal favorites, but you can experiment with what you love most. 

    ice cream cone upside down with ice cream in cup with cherry

    Recipes you may like

    Cake batter fans will love my edible cake batter cookie dough, birthday cheesecake, and my cake batter milkshake. Ice cream lovers will love this coffee oreo ice cream, churro ice cream, blueberry ice cream pie, maple bourbon bacon ice cream, and this chocolate peanut butter ice cream cake. 

    scoops of ice cream in cup with spoon

    Birthday Cake Ice Cream

    Amanda Powell
    Velvety birthday ice cream that tastes just like your favorite childhood cake!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 35 mins
    Cook Time 20 mins
    Additional Time 4 hrs 30 mins
    Course ice cream
    Cuisine American
    Servings 12 servings
    Calories 138 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 3 cups 750 mL whole milk
    • 1 ½ cups 360 mL heavy cream
    • 1 cup 200 g sugar, divided
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 2 tablespoons corn syrup
    • 4 large egg yolks room temperature
    • 1 teaspoon corn starch
    • ¾ cup 90 g funfetti cake flour
    • 1 tablespoon vanilla
    • 2 - 4 tablespoons sprinkles

    Instructions
     

    • Prepare your ice cream maker as needed. For some, that may mean freezing your insert for at least 24 hours.
    • Make a large bowl of ice water that is mostly ice. and Take our a large gallon freezer bag.
    • Mix together the milk, heavy cream, and half the sugar together in a large saucepan.
    • Stir well, preferably with a wooden spoon, and heat on medium-high heat. Continue stirring until the mixture is steaming and small bubbles form on the edges, but do not allow it to boil.
    • Mix together the salt, corn syrup, egg yolks, corn starch, and remaining sugar together in a small bowl.
    • Gently stir in one cup of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, beating well as you pour.
    • Slowly drizzle the egg mixture into the saucepan while stirring well.
    • Stir the mixture, scraping the sides and bottom of the saucepan to prevent the milk burning. Continue to cook until the mixture thickens. You will know it is finished when you can run a finger down the back of your wooden spoon and a line remains.
    • Stir in the cake mix.
    • Carefully pour the ice cream base into the gallon bag. Sit the bag in the ice water, leaving the top of the bag mostly open, but taking care that no ice water gets into the bag. Allow it to cool completely.
    • Add in the vanilla.
    • Place the cooled ice cream base into the refrigerator to cool completely.
    • Add the ice cream into the ice cream machine and churn according to manufacturer instructions (you may need to do this in batches). Five minutes before you are finished churning, add in the sprinkles.
    • Store the ice cream in an airtight container.

    Notes

    Do not let the gallon bag close all the way before the ice cream base is chilled, we want the steam to be able to escape.
    Check out the blog post for add-in ideas, plus other important tips and answers to common questions. If your question isn't answered, comment below!

    Nutrition

    Serving: 0.5cupCalories: 138kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 5gFat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 86mgSodium: 236mgSugar: 5g
    Keyword birthday cake, cake batter, ice cream
    Tried this recipe?Tag me on Instagram! @acookienameddesire #acookienameddesire

    More Ice Cream Recipes

    • donut ice cream sandwich covered in chocolate
      Donut Ice Cream Sandwich
    • ice cream scoop full of strawberry cheesecake ice cream
      Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
    • close up shot of finished ice cream sandwich
      Churro Ice Cream Sandwich
    • sugar cookies sandwiching ice cream in pan with parchment paper on bottom
      Sugar Cookie Ice Cream Sandwich

    About Amanda Powell

    Baker, photographer, and sometimes world traveler behind A Cookie Named Desire. Obsessed with helping people live life sweetly with delicious food to share with the special people in your life and creating lasting memories.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Renee says

      May 05, 2020 at 8:10 am

      I think it's definitely time to dust off my ice cream maker. This sounds phenomenal.

      Reply
      • Amanda Powell says

        May 06, 2020 at 3:14 pm

        I hope you like it! I love turning it into milkshakes!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    Connect With Me!

    • Bloglovin
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    headshot of author with a cow

    Hi, I'm Amanda! I am the baker and photographer behind A Cookie Named Desire. I'm a world traveler (sometimes) with a major weakness for cookies and cheese. While I'm mostly self-taught, I recently received a degree in Food Science!

    More about me →

    Reader Favorites

    • S'mores Stuffed Cookies
      S'mores Cookies Recipe
    • homemade cookies scattered out on baking sheet
      Milano Cookies Recipe
    • cookies piled together on rack
      Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • avocado chocolate peanut butter smoothie in a glass
      Avocado Chocolate Peanut Butter Smoothie
    • Making salt water taffy at home is actually easier than you think
      How to Make Salt Water Taffy
    • finished jelly donut shots on a tray
      Jelly Donut Shot

    Winter Favorites

    • finished hot chocolate in mug with whipped cream
      Homemade Hot Chocolate
    • I love this gingerbread cake and those little gingerbread cookies! This cake is not only gluten-free, but it is super moist and has a ton of fresh ginger flavor. Can also be made with regular all-purppose flour with no recipe adjustments!
      Gingerbread Cake
    • 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies stacked with bite eaten from one cookie
      3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies
    • edible brownie batter in bowl topped with fudge sauce and sprinkles
      Edible Brownie Batter

    Footer

    ^ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Accessibility

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • Services
    • About Me

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.