Mini Ice Cream Cakes
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Mini Ice Cream Cakes are so easy to make & perfect for parties or keeping in the freezer for a sweet treat! Just bake up mini chocolate cupcakes, then top them with your favorite ice cream & pop them in the freezer. Before serving, top them with whipped cream, chocolate syrup & sprinkles!
Kids and adults alike will rave about these Mini Ice Cream Cakes for years to come! They’re so much fun and the recipe can easily be prepped days or even weeks in advance.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Albertsons Companies. The opinions and text are all mine.
What was your favorite cake growing up? You know that one cake you requested every year for your birthday. For my brother, it was a giant cookie cake and for my husband Kurt, it’s carrot cake. For me, my birthday cake was (and still is!) an ice cream cake.
Yes, my birthday is in December so it seems really impractical to have a cake made of ice cream in the middle of winter. But as someone who loves ice cream, I consider it a year-round dessert!
I wanted to make an ice cream cake for 4th of July this year, but with dozens of people coming, I wasn’t sure I could make one big enough for everyone. That’s when the idea for Mini Ice Cream Cakes came in to play! This recipe makes 48 mini cakes, perfect for a big party or for storing in the fridge so you always have a sweet treat on hand!
The great thing about these mini ice cream cakes vs. one large ice cream cake is that these little guys will stay good in the freezer for two months! A standard store bought ice cream cake will only last 7 days in the freezer.
The other great thing about these cakes is how easy they are to make. I used a box chocolate cake mix to whip up the cake batter in less than 5 minutes, then added a tablespoon of batter to 48 lined muffin tins.
After extensive testing, I can tell you that one tablespoon of batter makes the perfect size cupcake to ice cream ratio for these mini cakes!
I then two different flavors of ice cream to top the chocolate cupcakes. One more great thing about this recipe, you can make different flavors! I made half with salted caramel ice cream and the other half with cookies and cream ice cream.
Almost everyone at the 4th of July party tried one of each and the votes were split down the middle. I mean really, how can you chose between salted caramel goodness and classic cookies and cream?
These Mini Ice Cream Cakes can be eaten right out of the cupcake wrapper with or without toppings. They can also be served on a plate, out of the wrapper, with a fork and the toppings of your choice.
I added whipped cream and chocolate syrup. For the 4th, I also added some patriotic sprinkles! Such a delicious and fun little dessert!
Table of contents
How to make them
- Prepare one standard size (15.25 oz) box of chocolate cake mix, or prepare your favorite chocolate cake recipe.
- Sally’s Baking Addiction has a delicious chocolate cake recipe that I love!
- Line 4 (12 count) muffin tins with cupcake liners.
- Quick Tip! If you don’t have four muffin tins, you can bake the cupcakes in batches. Two batches if you have two muffin tins or four batches if you only have one muffin tin.
- Add one tablespoon of chocolate cake batter to each of the 48 cupcake liners.
- Bake the cupcakes for 14 minutes.
- Remove the cupcakes from the oven and transfer them to a large rimmed baking sheet. Place them in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Remove the cupcakes from the freezer and top each one with the ice cream flavor(s) of your choice.
- Quick Tip! Make sure the ice cream is softened, but not melted before adding it to the cupcakes. To do this, remove the ice cream from the freezer 15 minutes before removing the cupcakes.
- Place the mini cakes back in the freezer for at least 2 hours.
- If you’re not planning to eat the cakes within 24 hours, place them in an airtight container or plastic freezer bag to prevent freezer burn on the ice cream.
- When ready to serve the ice cream cakes, remove from the freezer and add toppings, like whipped cream, chocolate syrup and sprinkles. If you’re hosting a party, you can also set up a topping bar and let your guests top their mini cakes with the toppings of their choice!
How long will they last in the freezer?
These Mini Ice Cream Cakes will last in the freezer for 2 months if properly stored. To properly store them, place them in a freezer-safe plastic zipper bag or an airtight container.
What toppings can you add?
Just like an ice cream sundae, these ice cream cakes can be topped with your favorite sundae toppings! Here are a few ideas to get you started.
- Chocolate Sauce or Hot Fudge Sauce
- Caramel Sauce
- Whipped Cream
- Sprinkles
- Chocolate Cookie Crumbles
- Maraschino Cherries
- Nuts – almonds, peanuts, cashews or walnuts
- Fruit – sliced bananas, strawberries or blueberries
More sweet treats to try
- Frozen Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
- Meme’s Pink Lemonade Pie
- Nutella Chocolate Chip Cookie Cups
- Grilled Berry S’Mores
- Lemon Cupcakes with Lemon Buttercream Frosting
Mini Ice Cream Cakes
Ingredients
- 15.25 oz box chocolate cake mix, prepared according to package directions
- 4 pints ice cream, flavors of your choice – softened at room temperature for 10-15 minutes
Optional Toppings
- whipped cream
- Hershey syrup
- sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Prepare the boxed chocolate cake mix according to package instructions.
- Add 48 cupcake liners to four (12 count) muffin tins.
- Fill each cupcake liner with 1 tablespoon of cake batter.
- Place the cupcakes in the oven and bake for 14 minutes.
- Remove the cupcakes from the oven and place on a rimmed baking sheet.
- Place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
- Remove the cupcakes from the freezer and top with the softened ice cream.
- Place the mini ice cream cakes on the baking sheet back into the freezer for at least 2 hours.
- Remove from the freezer and add the toppings of your choice before serving.
Notes
- The pints of ice cream can all be the same flavor, or pick 2-4 different flavors, if you’d like!
- Nutritional information provided does not include the optional toppings.
- If you’re not planning to eat the cakes within 24 hours of making them, place them in an airtight container or plastic freezer bag to prevent freezer burn on the ice cream.
- The ice cream cakes will stay good in the freezer in an airtight container or freezer bag for 2 months.
- When making the cupcakes, if you do not have four muffin tins, simply prepare the cupcakes in batches, either 12 at a time with one muffin tin or 24 at a time with two muffin tins.
Nutrition Facts
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