Chocolate & Vanilla Layered Ice Cream Cake with Pecans** Recipe
Impress your guests with this decadent Chocolate & Vanilla Layered Ice Cream Cake featuring a crunchy chocolate cookie crust, alternating layers of creamy vanilla and chocolate ice cream studded with pecans and chocolate chunks, topped with rich chocolate ganache, caramel sauce, whipped cream, and more pecans.
- Prep Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: At least 8 hours, preferably overnight
- Yield: 10-12 servings 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: No-Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Part 1: Chocolate Cookie Crust
- 24 Oreo cookies (about 1 package, including the cream filling) OR 2 cups chocolate wafer cookies
- 1/4 cup (56g) unsalted butter, melted
Part 2: Ice Cream Layers & Mix-ins
- 1.5 quarts (approx. 1.4 liters) vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
- 1.5 quarts (approx. 1.4 liters) chocolate ice cream, slightly softened
- 1 cup (100g) pecans, toasted and roughly chopped, plus more for garnish
- 1/2 cup (85g) chocolate chunks or chopped chocolate bar
Part 3: Chocolate Ganache & Caramel Sauce
- For Chocolate Ganache:
- 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy cream
- 4 ounces (113g) good quality dark chocolate (at least 60% cocoa), finely chopped or in chips
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter (optional, for extra shine)
- For Caramel Sauce (or store-bought):
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream, warmed
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Part 4: Whipped Cream Topping & Garnish
- 1 cup (240ml) cold heavy cream (35% or higher fat content)
- 2–3 tablespoons powdered sugar (confectioners’ sugar), adjusted to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Remaining toasted chopped pecans, for garnish
- Chocolate shavings or curls, for garnish
Instructions
- Part 1: Chocolate Cookie Crust – Lightly grease the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Crush the cookies, mix with melted butter, press into pan, and freeze.
- Part 2: Ice Cream Layers & Mix-ins – Alternate layers of vanilla and chocolate ice cream with pecans and chocolate chunks, freezing between layers.
- Part 3: Chocolate Ganache & Caramel Sauce – Make chocolate ganache and caramel sauce. Drizzle over frozen cake.
- Part 4: Whipped Cream Topping & Garnish – Whip cream, apply ganache and caramel, pipe whipped cream, and garnish with pecans and chocolate shavings. Serve after slightly thawing.
Notes
- You can customize this cake by using different ice cream flavors or mix-ins.
- Ensure the ice cream is only slightly softened for easier layering.
- For a quicker version, use store-bought caramel sauce and whipped cream.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (assuming 1/12 of the cake)
- Calories: Approximately 450
- Sugar: Approximately 30g
- Sodium: Approximately 200mg
- Fat: Approximately 30g
- Saturated Fat: Approximately 15g
- Unsaturated Fat: Approximately 10g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: Approximately 40g
- Fiber: Approximately 3g
- Protein: Approximately 5g
- Cholesterol: Approximately 60mg
Keywords: Ice Cream Cake, Layered Cake, Dessert Recipe, No-Bake Cake, Chocolate, Vanilla, Pecans, Ganache, Caramel, Whipped Cream