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3-Ingredient 4th of July Ice Cream "Cake"

By Cindy Rahe
Created January 10, 2017
Fussy Fourth of July desserts are so not worth your time. Soak up every bit of sunshine and serve up slices of this frosty “cake” topped with whipped cream and berries.
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The Fourth of July was one of my all-time favorite holidays as a kid because we always visited my aunts, uncles and cousins to participate in their small town’s charming, patriotic festivities. I loved how carefree everything felt. From the fireworks and the parade floats to the tasty food, it seemed like everything came together so effortlessly—like magic!

Now that I’m an adult, I know there’s A LOT of work that goes into all that magic, so I truly appreciate a treat that comes together fast during busy holidays. There’s no fun in being stressed and missing all of the excitement! That’s why I love this Red, White and Blue “Cake.” It’s a guaranteed show-stopper with colorful, frosty layers of ice cream and sorbet, but is prepped with very little fuss, making it a perfect dessert for the Fourth.

To start, you’ll need two pints of ice cream and one pint of sorbet. I love the combo of creamy vanilla and blueberry ice creams together with a zippy raspberry sorbet. Plus, the colors are especially patriotic!

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Next, spray an eight-inch round cake pan (or a springform pan) with cooking spray and line the pan with parchment paper. This may seem arbitrary, but the spray helps keep the parchment from slipping when you spread the ice cream into the pan.

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Now, it’s time to start layering! First up is the raspberry sorbet (make sure it’s softened and spreadable!). Spread the sorbet into the pan and stick it in the freezer for about an hour, or until firm. Repeat this process with the vanilla ice cream and blueberry ice cream, making sure to freeze the cake for about an hour after adding each layer.

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This ensures you’ll get those pretty-looking stripes!

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After all of the layers have been added, freeze the whole cake for several hours. Once it’s frozen and plated, decorate it simply with sweetened whipped cream and bright berries. Ta-da!

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Ingredients

    • 1pint raspberry sorbet
    • 1pint vanilla ice cream
    • 1pint blueberry ice cream
    • Whipped cream, berries, sparkler candles, if desired

Directions

  • 1Spray 8-inch round cake pan (or springform pan) with cooking spray; line with a parchment paper circle on bottom and parchment paper strips around side.
  • 2Soften raspberry sorbet at room temperature about 10 minutes or until just spreadable. Spread evenly in bottom of pan; place in freezer for about 1 hour or until firm.
  • 3Repeat this step with vanilla ice cream — the idea is that the white is in the center of the red and blue — freeze again until firm, and finish with the final layer of blueberry ice cream; freeze the whole cake for several hours — at least 4 — until very firm.
  • 4Once the entire cake is firm, gently lower the bottom of the pan into a bowl of warm water to loosen the parchment paper and lightly melt the edges of the ice cream cake. Place a cake plate over the top of the pan. Gently turn the cake pan and plate upside down, and shake gently to loosen. It should plop onto the cake plate. OR, if you use a springform pan, gently release the form (after dipping in warm water to loosen), and place the cake onto a cake plate, while leaving the springform base in place for easier transfer. Either serve immediately, or refreeze the whole cake until ready to serve. Decorate with whipped cream, berries and sparkler candles.

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