Funfetti Ice Cream Cake
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Funfetti Ice Cream Cake is made with layers of fluffy funfetti cake, vanilla ice cream, frosted with a homemade whipped cream frosting, and lots of rainbow sprinkles! It’s the perfect birthday cake or cake for summer and is so easy to make!
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Funfetti Ice Cream Cake
Don’t let the name, Funfetti Ice Cream Cake intimidate you. This homemade ice cream cake couldn’t be any easier to make! Made with classic funfetti cake (made from a box of cake mix), store-bought vanilla ice cream, whipped cream frosting and more colorful sprinkles. It’s the perfect Funfetti celebration cake, birthday cake and summer cake.
Kids and adults will absolutely love this fun, sprinkle filled cake. The first time I made this cake, I knew I would’t want to buy another store-bought ice cream cake again. The moist and rich funfetti cake layers pair so perfectly with the creamy vanilla ice cream center. It’s an ice cream cake dream come true!
More funfetti recipes to try are these Funfetti Cake Mix Cookies, Dunkaroo Dip, Homemade Funfeteti Cupcakes, and Funfetti Cheesecake Bites.
Why You’ll Love This funfetti ice cream cake Recipe
key ingredients
- Boxed Funfetti cake mix or vanilla cake mix: We use one box of funfetti cake mix. You could also use vanilla or white cake mix. The only difference between Funfetti and Vanilla or White Cake Mix is the Funfetti has sprinkles in the cake mix. Betty Crocker, Pillsbury and Duncan Hines are all great cake mix options. If you don’t use funfetti cake mix, be sure to add additional sprinkles.
- Eggs: Room temperature eggs are always best.
- Oil: Any type of neutral oil will work such as canola oil or vegetable oil. Alternatively, melted and cooled butter will work as well.
- Ice cream: Vanilla ice cream is our favorite but you can use any ice cream flavor that you love. Others are french vanilla and vanilla bean.
- Heavy whipping cream: Used to make the whipped cream and to make it light and fluffy. Make sure the heavy cream is cold when adding it to the bowl to whip. Alternatively, you could use store bought Cool Whip instead.
- Rainbow sprinkles: We can’t call this funfetti without the sprinkles, of course! Rainbow jimmies sprinkles work best as apposed to nonpareils that can bleed through the mixture.
how to make Funfetti Ice Cream Cake
Bake funfetti cake and cool: Prepare funfetti cake and bake in 2, 9 or 8-inch pans. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
Line entire pan with plastic wrap: Line a springform pan or one of the round pans with plastic wrap (clean first to remove any crumbs).
Soften ice cream: Once the cakes are cool, let the ice cream sit on the counter for 15 minutes or until it’s slightly softened and spreadable.
Prepare baked cakes: Carefully cut the domes off each cake with a serrated knife so they are evenly flat. Place one of the cakes on the bottom of the plastic lined pan.
Add ice cream layer: Spread the softened ice cream all over the bottom cake layer, then add the second cake on top.
Chill cake in refrigerator: Wrap the whole cake with plastic wrap well and then with foil. Place in the freezer to chill for at least 3 hours.
Make whipped cream frosting: To make the whipped frosting, place a metal or glass mixing bowl and the beaters in the freezer to chill for 15 minutes Add the heavy cream and beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form, a few minutes. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and continue to beat until stiff peaks form, fold in jimmies sprinkles. The peaks should hold their shape when scooped with a spoon.
Frost and decorate cake: Frost the entire cake with an offset spatula or butter knife (sides and top) with the frosting. Add leftover frosting to a piping bag with a jumbo star tip to decorate the edges. Decorate with sprinkles all around the top and the bottom edges. Place back in the freezer to chill for 1-2 hours (or longer if needed).
Slice cake and enjoy: When ready to serve and cut, let the cake sit out at room temperature for a few minutes to make the slicing easier. Enjoy!
variations
- Gluten-free cake: Swap the regular cake mix for gluten-free cake mix.
- Frosting: Other frosting options to use is buttercream frosting, chocolate frosting, chocolate whipped cream frost and rainbow chip icing from a can.
- Sprinkles: Swap the rainbow sprinkles for any holiday themed sprinkles. Use orange and black sprinkles for Halloween or red and pink sprinkles for Valentine’s Day. You can also use white cake mix and add the sprinkles to the batter so it all matches.
- Chocolate funfetti: Swap the confetti cake for chocolate cake layers instead. Just use your favorite boxed chocolate cake mix.
- Fruity flavor: Use strawberry ice cream or rainbow sherbet for a fruity twist.
- Funfetti Cake Batter Ice Cream Cake: Swap the vanilla ice cream for cake batter or birthday cake-flavored vanilla ice cream for a rich cake batter flavor.
pro tips
- Make ahead: Save some time and make the cake a day or two ahead of time. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil and store in the freezer until ready to assemble.
- Let cake cool completely: If you don’t let the cake cool completely, the whipped cream will melt and the cake will be ruined.
- Cake and ice cream flavors: Use your favorite flavored cake mix and ice cream. The combination of flavors are endless and you can totally customize this cake exactly how you want it.
- Crunchy texture: Add a handful of chopped nuts, crushed graham crackers, cookies, or candy to the ice cream mixture for a crunchy texture.
leftovers & storage
Store leftover ice cream cake in an airtight container or cover dish tightly with plastic wrap and aluminum foil in the freezer for up to 1 month. Let the cake sit out for 15-20 minutes to defrost, then slice and enjoy it again.
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Funfetti Ice Cream Cake
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 box funfetti cake mix plus ingredients listed on the box
Ice Cream Filling
- 1 1/2 quarts vanilla ice cream
Frosting
- 1 3/4 cups heavy whipping cream chilled
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup rainbow jimmies sprinkles plus more for decorating
Instructions
- Prepare funfetti cake and bake in 2, 9 or 8 inch round baking pans. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
- Line a springform pan or one of the round baking pans with plastic wrap (clean first to remove any crumbs).
- Once the cakes are cool, let the ice cream sit on the counter for 15 minutes or until it’s slightly softened and spreadable.
- Carefully cut the domes off each cake with a serrated knife so they are evenly flat.
- Place one of the cakes on the bottom of the plastic lined pan.
- Spread the ice cream all over the bottom cake layer, then add the second cake on top.
- Wrap the whole cake with plastic wrap well and then with foil. Place in the freezer to chill for at least 3 hours.
- To make the whipped frosting, place a metal or glass mixing bowl and the beaters in the freezer to chill for 15 minutes Add the heavy cream and beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form, a few minutes. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and continue to beat until stiff peaks form, fold in jimmies sprinkles. The peaks should hold their shape when scooped with a spoon.
- Frost the entire cake with an offset spatula or butter knife (sides and top) with the frosting. Add leftover frosting to a piping bag with a jumbo star tip to decorate the edges. Decorate with sprinkles all around the top and the bottom edges. Place back in the freezer to chill for 1-2 hours (or longer if needed).
- When ready to serve and cut, let the cake sit out at room temperature for a few minutes to make the slicing easier. Enjoy!
