S’mores Ice Cream Graham Cracker Cake
Celebrate the flavors of summer with layers of graham cracker cake are filled with s’mores ice cream and topped with creamy hot fudge and toasted marshmallows for an unbelievable summer treat.
This post has been sponsored by Hudsonville Ice Cream. As usual, all opinions, ideas and recipes are my own.
Why I love this ice cream cake recipe
School is officially out and we have so much to celebrate this summer. Life is returning to normal, the weather has been beautiful and we’re spending the summer living with my parents as we build our new house. I honestly can’t complain about a thing, and I’m looking forward to making this summer even sweeter as we celebrate National Ice Cream Month.
And, there’s no better way to celebrate than with a s’mores ice cream cake. It’s a classic summer flavor paired with a classic summer treat, and this cake is one that everyone in our family can enjoy. I’ve layered graham cracker cake with Hudsonville Ice Cream’s Dairy Free S’mores flavor and topped it off with a creamy hot fudge sauce and fluffy marshmallows.
It’s perfect for outdoor entertaining (I can’t tell you how thankful I am that we can see our friends this summer) or for a quiet al fresco dinner with your family. Whatever your plans are this summer, you are going to love this indulgent summer treat.
Get ready to fall in love with chilly weather and shorter days with fresh new recipes for autumn!
Here’s what you’ll need to make it
- Electric mixer
- 8-inch cake pan
- Serrated knife or cake leveler
- Freezer friendly plate or tray
The BEST dairy free ice cream
This dairy free ice cream is seriously the best. It’s the creamiest, best-tasting ice cream we’ve tried – and we’ve tried a lot in our house.
They just announced Hudsonville’s newest flavor, Toasted Coconut, and it’s incredible. If you want to find it near you, use Hudsonville’s Scoop Locator to find out which stores are stocking in your area. And, don’t forget to grab your $2 off coupon to make this the sweetest summer ever.
If you can’t find Hudsonville in a store near you, check out their new online store so you can make any moment, any day or any season a little sweeter, no matter where you live.
Plus, they stock awesome Hudsonville merch, like shirts and ice cream spades!
How to make graham cracker cake
Prep. Preheat your oven to 350˚F and prepare an 8-inch cake pan by greasing it and coating the sides with flour. Set aside for later. If you need to make graham cracker crumbs, do that, too (I prefer to just buy mine to save myself this step).
Dry ingredients. In a mixing bowl, whisk the graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking powder and salt together.
Wet ingredients. Add the oil, eggs and vanilla in a separate bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth.
Combine. Alternate between adding the graham cracker mixture and the dairy free milk to the wet ingredients, and mix each addition until combined. Continue until everything has been mixed into the batter, scraping the sides as needed.
Bake. Transfer the batter to your prepared cake pan – bonus points if you use these cake pan strips to help the cake bake more evenly – and bake the cake for 35 – 40 minutes.
The cake will be ready when the top is set and an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow your graham cracker cake to cool completely before assembling the ice cream cake.
How to make an ice cream cake
Slice the cake. You can use a long serrated knife such as a bread knife or a cake leveling tool. Slice the cake into two equal layers and place one on a freezer friendly plate or tray.
Spread the ice cream. Using a rubber spatula, spread your softened ice cream onto the first layer of graham cracker cake and top with the second layer of cake. Smooth the sides to form a solid edge around the cake.
Freeze. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until completely solid. This should take about 3 – 4 hours, but will vary depending on your freezer. I recommend placing the cake directly on the bottom of the freezer and as close to the back as possible, since those tend to be the coldest.
Decorate the cake. Once the cake is frozen, remove from the freezer and unwrap the cake. Top with chocolate sauce and marshmallows. If desired, toast the marshmallows with a kitchen torch.
Freeze. Return to the freezer, uncovered to allow the chocolate sauce to freeze without sticking to anything. After about 1 hour, cover the cake with plastic wrap to keep in fresh until you’re ready to serve.
Common questions about this recipe
The best way to soften ice cream for a cake is to let it sit at room temperature for about 20-30 minutes, but the time can vary depending on the temperature of your room. If you need to soften ice cream faster, I recommend microwaving it at a low power level for 15 – 30 second increments until it reaches a spreadable consistency.
You should take your ice cream cake out of the freezer about 30 minutes before you want to serve it. Keep in on the counter at room temperature. When you’re ready to slice it, run a knife under hot water before cutting into the cake.
Ice cream cake should be stored in the freezer to maintain freshness. You can put your ice cream cake in the fridge to help prevent it from melting if you need to postpone serving, but I wouldn’t recommend leaving it in the fridge for more than 30 minutes. After that return it to the freezer or serve it.
For optimal freshness, ice cream cake can be stored in the freezer for about 1 week. It will still be safe to eat for up to a month. After the first week, it will start to lose its freshness and ice crystals may start to form that can interfere with the texture of the cake and ice cream.
More dairy free ice cream recipes:
More summer favorites:
- Dr. Pepper ribs
- Grilled salmon kabobs
- Peach galette
- Vegan banana pudding
- Grilled chicken thighs
- Dairy free puppy chow
S’mores Ice Cream Graham Cracker Cake
Celebrate the flavors of summer with this indulgent dairy free ice cream cake. Layers of graham cracker cake are filled with s’mores ice cream and topped with creamy hot fudge and toasted marshmallows for an unbelievable summer treat.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
Ingredients
For the graham cracker cake:
- 1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup dairy free milk (unsweetened)
For assembling:
- 2 pints Hudsonville Ice Cream’s Dairy Free S’mores
- 1 cup chocolate syrup or hot fudge sauce*
- Mini marshmallows
Instructions
To make the graham cracker cake:
-
Preheat oven to 350˚F and grease and flour 1 8-inch cake pan.
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In a mixing bowl, whisk the graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking powder and salt together. Set aside.
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In a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat the oil, eggs and vanilla extract until combined and smooth.
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Alternate between adding the dairy free milk and flour/graham cracker mixture to the wet ingredients, mixing each addition until combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
-
Transfer the batter to prepared cake pan and bake for 35 – 40 minutes, or until cake has set and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
- Allow cake to cool to room temperature before transferring to a cooling rack.
To assemble the ice cream cake:
- Allow the ice cream for a minimum of 30 minutes before.
- Using a cake leveler or bread knife, slice the cake into two equal layers.
- Place one layer of cake on a freezer friendly plate or tray and spread the softened ice cream. Top with the next layer of cake, and cover with plastic wrap.
- Freeze cake until solid (usually about 4 hours, but this will vary by freezer). Remove plastic wrap and top with chocolate sauce and marshmallows.
- Toast marshmallows, if desired. Return to freezer until ready to serve.
- To serve, remove the cake from the freezer and allow it to come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes for easier slicing.
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: graham cracker cake, ice cream cake, vegan ice cream, dairy free ice cream, s’mores cake
Published: June 30, 2021. Updated: March 21, 2022.
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