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What Is Oreo® Ice Cream Cake?

A.M. Boyle
A.M. Boyle

Oreo® ice cream cake is a frozen confection that combines the flavor of Oreo® cookies with the sweet, creamy taste of ice cream. The novelty is usually shaped like a cake, and people generally slice and serve it like a cake as well. It can be made out of Oreo®-flavored ice cream, or it can contain plain vanilla ice cream with Oreo® cookies in the middle. Sold in many grocery stores and ice cream specialty shops, other flavor variations might also be available.

Many people are familiar with Oreo® cookies as the brand that has a layer of sweet icing sandwiched in between two chocolate-flavored wafers. It is unclear who first came up with the idea of mixing Oreo®s into ice cream, but the flavor became popular in the early 1980s. Sometimes generically called cookies and cream, either the whole cookie or just the chocolate wafer is mixed with vanilla ice cream to create a taste combination that is a favorite of many.

Oreos can be added to vanilla ice cream to make Oreo ice cream cake.
Oreos can be added to vanilla ice cream to make Oreo ice cream cake.

Ice cream cake itself is an irresistible treat, combining two classic party favorites, that is, cake and ice cream, into one easy-to-eat dessert. The exact history of ice cream cake is a bit foggy, but it might go as far back as the mid-1800s, when ice cream was sometimes frozen together with sponge cake and served at special occasions. Over time, commercial manufacturers developed better methods for freezing and molding ice cream into different shapes, and the ice cream cake became a well-known treat.

Oreo ice cream cake is sold in the frozen food section of many grocery stores.
Oreo ice cream cake is sold in the frozen food section of many grocery stores.

For those who enjoy both the taste of Oreo® ice cream and the fun novelty of ice cream cake, Oreo® ice cream cake combines the two. Usually, an Oreo® ice cream cake is made from a cookies-and-cream-style ice cream that is molded into either a round or square shape and frosted with a frozen whipped cream topping. Oreo® cookies are sometimes placed on top for decoration. While this confection is widely available at stores and ice cream shops, some people choose to make their own, using pie plates or cake molds to form the ice cream into the desired shape.

Other variations of Oreo® ice cream cake are also available. For instance, one sandwiches crushed Oreo® cookies between two layers of vanilla ice cream, rather than having the cookies mixed into the ice cream itself. Another style contains no cookies at all. Rather, the name “Oreo®” refers to the layering of vanilla ice cream in between two layers of chocolate to mimic the design of the cookie. People also enjoy chocolate versions of Oreo® ice cream cake, where the cookies are blended into chocolate ice cream instead of vanilla.

Discussion Comments

Lostnfound

I had an Oreo cake for my birthday several years ago, and it was delicious. Mine had cookies and cream ice cream in the middle, along with the Oreo layers. I topped it with hot fudge sauce and it was scrumptious. It's definitely not an everyday kind of cake, though. It's a special occasion, once-a-year kind of dessert.

Grivusangel

You don't need a special cake or ice cream mold to do an Oreo ice cream cake. All you need is a springform pan and some time.

I'd recommend using store brand Oreos, too. They're much, much cheaper than the brand name, and you will need at least three packages to do the cake properly.

My particular favorite variation is to have the Oreo cookie crust on the bottom, a layer of vanilla ice cream, an Oreo layer, a layer of chocolate ice cream and a layer of Oreos on top. The crust and middle layers can be crushed Oreos, while the top layer can either have whole Oreos on it, or crushed. The main thing is to have room in your freezer for the cake and to remember to wrap the pan in foil, and then top with plastic wrap and foil while everything re-freezes.

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    • Oreos can be added to vanilla ice cream to make Oreo ice cream cake.
      By: Nikolay Pozdeev
      Oreos can be added to vanilla ice cream to make Oreo ice cream cake.
    • Oreo ice cream cake is sold in the frozen food section of many grocery stores.
      By: adisa
      Oreo ice cream cake is sold in the frozen food section of many grocery stores.