I took my viral cocktail cakes and gave them a summer upgrade with this easy recipe for individual ice cream cocktail cakes. Moist chocolate cake topped with your favorite ice cream, a layer of Magic Shell and rainbow sprinkles, all served in a cocktail glass. Make them ahead and stash in the freezer for the ultimate summer treat!
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Ever since I shared my cocktail cakes, my elevated take on the viral dot cakes, I’ve been dreaming up the next version. And with hot summer days fast approaching, I took some inspo from my favorite shortcut ice cream cake and the result is something I am completely obsessed with.
Introducing: Ice Cream Cocktail Cakes.
Moist chocolate cake that freezes and still maintains an ideal, tender crumb, topped with your favorite ice cream, a layer of Magic Shell and, of course, sprinkles!
They’re perfect for summer dinner parties, birthday celebrations, backyard barbecues and beyond. And the best part? You can make these individual desserts completely ahead of time and stash them in the freezer until you’re ready to serve.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Start With My Favorite Chocolate Cake
Pure chocolatey goodness that pairs perfectly with a scoop of ice cream? Say less! For these ice cream cocktail cakes, we need a cake that freezes beautifully and still maintains a moist, tender crumb straight from the freezer (and that’s not as simple as it sounds!). So I’ve scaled down and adjusted the recipe for my triple chocolate cake specifically for this purpose, baking it in a standard 13×9-inch pan (no jelly roll pan needed!) into a layer that’s only 1/2-inch thick.
Behind the Scenes: Test Kitchen Notes
It took two rounds to nail this one. Round 1 produced a delicious cake but it was too thick for the cocktail glasses, which meant the ice cream ratio was completely off. Round 2, I scaled everything down and landed on a cake that’s thin but not too thin, and incredibly moist, even after freezing. Totally worth that extra test batch!
A few ingredient notes worth knowing:
- Sour cream is my secret weapon here. Just like in my easy coconut cake, carrot cake and German chocolate cake, sour cream adds incredible moisture and a subtle tang. It’s also what keeps cake tender straight from the freezer rather than turning dry and crumbly.
- Whole milk keeps the batter smooth and the finished cake tender. Don’t swap for a lower-fat milk here.
- Butter at room temperature. Cold butter won’t cream properly and you’ll end up with a lumpy batter. Check out my foolproof trick for perfectly softened butter in under 10 minutes.
If you’re planning on freezing these mini ice cream cakes to serve later, make sure your chocolate cake has cooled completely before assembling and stashing in the freezer. Freezing warm cake traps steam inside, which turns into ice crystals and will affect the texture.
Choose Your Ice Cream
Any flavor works here and I mean any. Classic vanilla is a natural fit with the chocolate cake (think chocolate-dipped cone vibes), but this is also your chance to get a little creative:
- Mint chip (another one of my favorites!)
- Coffee
- Strawberry: Try it with my no-churn strawberry ice cream for a completely homemade version!
- Cookies and cream
- Cookie dough (my kids love this version!)
If you’ve ever made my cookie ice cream sandwiches, you’ll know that using softened ice cream makes assembly SO MUCH easier. I like to pull mine from the freezer about 5 to 10 minutes ahead of time so it’s easy to scoop and, most importantly, spread into an even layer.
How to Assemble Ice Cream Cocktail Cakes
Once your cake is completely cooled, remove it from the pan and transfer it to a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. This makes stamping out your rounds and cleanup a breeze! Press your cocktail glass directly into the cake to stamp out your rounds. No knife required. Place one cake round in the bottom of each glass.
An offset spatula works really well to spread the softened ice cream into an even layer. Then, I like to use a liquid measuring cup to easily pour the chocolate shell topping over the ice cream. Work quickly here as the chocolate sets fast and you want the sprinkles to adhere before it hardens. Rainbow nonpareils are classic, but themed sprinkles for holidays or parties work great, too.
Serve the ice cream cakes immediately or transfer them to the freezer until the ice cream has frozen solid, about 1 hour.
Party tip: Make them ahead! They’ll keep in the freezer for up to 1 week. Just cover tightly with plastic wrap and pull straight from the freezer when you’re ready to serve. No thawing required!
More Frozen Desserts You’ll Love
Equipment
Ingredients
For the chocolate cake:
- Cooking spray
- 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temp
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup whole milk
For assembly:
- 2 cups ice cream of choice, softened
- 1/3 cup homemade or store-bought Magic Shell ice cream topping
- Rainbow sprinkles
Instructions
Make the chocolate cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 13×9-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and baking powder with ½ teaspoon kosher salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg 1 egg then beat in the sour cream and vanilla extract until combined.
- Alternately add the milk and flour mixture in three increments until combined.
- Transfer the batter into the prepared cake pan, spreading it into an even layer.
- Bake the cake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Let the cake cool completely.
Assemble the ice cream cocktail cakes:
- Once the cake has cooled, use the cocktail glasses to stamp out cake into the bottom of each glass.
- Add the softened ice cream to each cocktail glass, spreading it until it’s 1/8-inch just below the top of the glass. (This gives you room to add the Magic Shell topping.)
- Spread the Magic Shell topping on the ice cream, and while it is still wet, quickly add the sprinkles on top.
- Serve the cakes immediately or transfer them to the freezer until the ice cream has frozen solid, about 1 hour.
Kelly’s Notes
- This recipe has been scaled down and adjusted from my Best Chocolate Cake so that it yields a very moist, tender chocolate cake (in a conveniently available 13×9-inch pan) that’s only 1/2-inch thick and stays moist and tender even when frozen.
- Homemade Magic Shell: Melt ½ cup of chocolate chips with 1 teaspoon of coconut oil, stir until smooth and drizzle over the ice cream.
- Container options: Coupe cocktail glasses are my favorite but ramekins, small mason jars or any small cup work, too.
- Make ahead: Assemble completely and freeze for up to 1 week. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and serve straight from the freezer. No thawing required!
- ★ Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
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