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When was the last time you had an ice cream cake? Usually limited to birthdays or other special celebrations, most of us typically only get to enjoy ice cream cake on rare occasions. But it’s August, so why not trade in your average cup or cone for a slice of ice cream cake?
I tried cakes from six major ice cream retailers to deliver the scoop on the best ones. Can you guess which one takes the cake?
How I Tested the Ice Cream Cakes
Because each brand offers so many different types of cakes and flavors, I decided to limit myself to as classic of ice cream cake flavors as possible, which, based on my many years of ice cream cake consumption, means some variation of chocolate, vanilla, and chocolate cookies. I decided not to include cakes with actual cake in them, as not all of the brands I wanted to try offer them. Finally, although there are lots of local ice cream shops that I’m sure make a delicious cake, I decided to limit my test to larger nationwide chains that are accessible to most of our readers.
I judged each cake based on the quality and flavor of the ice cream itself, the distribution and quality of the filling, the icing, and the overall visual appeal. There was one clear winner. Let’s take a look.
The Best Store-Bought Ice Cream Cake: Fudgie the Whale from Carvel
Sue me for choosing arguably the most well-known ice cream cake as my number-one choice! But it was really Fudgie who won me over. This was my first time trying Carvel’s iconic Fudgie the Whale cake, who is more than 40 years old. (Fun fact: The Fudgie mold moonlights as Santa during Christmastime.)
True to his name, Fudgie has a higher proportion of chocolate-to-vanilla ice cream, along with a solid layer of chocolate crunch. The entire cake has a glossy coating of chocolate fudge that somehow doesn’t freeze, but rather oozes all over. This fudge ties everything together and tastes way better than the traditional whipped icing.
I could have used just a little more cake crunch in the middle layer, but between the fudge layer and the fun shape, you really can’t go wrong with Fudgie the Whale.
The Takeaway
Although they all have their strengths and weaknesses, it’s hard to go wrong with an ice cream cake. Whether it comes from nostalgia, novelty, or just a love of ice cream, ice cream cakes spark a special brand of joy in the people you choose to share them with.
SaveComments We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing. Credit: Katrina Wittkamp/Getty Images Raise your hand if you, like me, assumed that picking up an
ice cream cake meant submitting an order form to the ice cream shop way ahead of when you actually want it. Friends, I am delighted to announce that you can actually just stop into your local grocery store, head to the freezer case, and pick one up whenever the mood strikes. I recently tried a few grocery store options with my family on a random Tuesday night, and three of the
treats served up equal parts nostalgia and delight. While these would all be great options for any last-minute celebration, I heartily recommend adding a “just because” ice cream cake to your summer bucket list. Let’s take a look at the winners,
shall we? Carvel makes a variety of ice cream cakes available in the freezer section, including strawberry crunch and cookie dough, but I opted for this classic version. This is what I think of when I think of ice cream cake: a base layer of chocolate ice cream, a layer of chocolate cookie crumbs, then vanilla ice cream on top. The whole thing is covered in whipped topping and confetti sprinkles, and even
has “Happy Birthday” written in red gel icing. It’s nostalgia on a plate. One bite of this cake instantly transported me to my BFF’s backyard in a wet bathing suit with my towel wrapped around me, face and fingers sticky with fudge and sprinkles, not worried about it in the slightest because we are all jumping back in the pool immediately after. Perhaps related, this was my 10-year old daughter’s top choice. If you’ve got peanut butter cup lovers in your house, this is the ice cream cake for them. A layer of peanut butter cups runs through the chocolate ice cream base, which is iced with whipped peanut butter frosting, and decorated with an extra drizzle of fudge sauce and crushed peanut butter cups. The chocolate ice cream wasn’t as rich as the one in the basic Carvel
cake, but I think that’s actually a good thing. Peanut butter and chocolate desserts can sometimes be super rich and almost too decadent. This option felt balanced. The marbled chocolate drizzle over the top is a nice touch and feels a little more elevated. This was my 14-year-old son’s choice, and likely a good bet if you’re serving a bunch of teens. This cake was a significant departure from the
other two. As a coffee ice cream lover, I was immediately intrigued by the idea of a cake made up of “coffee-flavored ice cream rippled with chocolate and toasted almonds on a fudge-topped chocolate cookie crust.” This was definitely a more sophisticated ice cream cake, including the more careful packaging to preserve the presentation. My favorite part was the cookie crust. It brought a little nostalgia to the
whole thing, which made it fun to eat. If I needed a quick grocery store dessert for an event, I wouldn’t hesitate to stop and pick one of these up. My husband was definitely also a fan. Buy: Jon Donaire Mudd Pie Ice Cream Cake; mine cost
$14.81 when I ordered it via Amazon. It’s no longer available there, but you can buy it at Instacart, where prices vary by location. Is there a store-bought ice cream cake that you swear by? Tell us about it in the comments below!1. Carvel Round Ice Cream Confetti Cake
2. Reese’s Premium Peanut Butter Ice
Cream Cake
3. Jon Donaire Mudd Pie Ice Cream Cake