Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Cake

published: Jun 12, 2023

A Decadent Strawberry Ice Cream Cake Recipe

The only thing better than Oreos? Golden Oreos. Yep, I said it! I know, I know, chocolate Oreos are the classic flavor, and you really can’t beat them. But the golden version has such an indulgent flavor and texture, it’s hard to decide which ones are best.

This recipe makes use of golden Oreos for not just a crushed cookie topping, but a crushed cookie crust. You may never want to go back to a graham cracker crust again, after you try this! For the filling, sweet strawberry ice cream is layered with vanilla ice cream, while freeze-dried strawberries add a pop of intense flavor and color.

(Want more ice cream cake options? Try my Oatmeal Creme Pie Ice Cream Cake and this chocolatey Strawberry Ice Cream Cake with fresh berries and pound cake.)

Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Dessert

Easy, Store-Bought Ingredients. As much as I like cooking from scratch, sometimes it’s nice to let someone else do that! This recipe uses store-bought ingredients like cookies, ice cream, and freeze-dried fruit.
Simple to Prepare. There’s nothing complicated here, in terms of mixing, decorating, or any other steps. It’s incredibly simple!
Impressive! In spite of everything I said above, this ice cream cake is incredibly impressive and all of your guests will be in awe of this gorgeous cake. You don’t have to tell them how easy it was to make. ;-)
Fabulous Flavor: Golden oreos have a decadent sweetness and light crunch, perfect for pairing with ice cream.
Cold and Refreshing: There’s nothing quite like a cold, creamy treat! If you like ice cream at all, you will adore this cool, fresh dessert, especially in summertime.
Make Ahead: Since you can freeze strawberry shortcake ice cream cake for up to three months, this is great to make in advance and stash in your freezer for a special occasion.

A wedge of strawberry shortcake ice cream cake on a dessert plate, with a bite taken from it.

What You’ll Need

To make this ice cream cake, you don’t need much – a few simple ingredients, and you’re good to go. Here’s the list:

For the Crust

Golden Oreos: These vanilla-flavored Oreos are soft yet crunchy, perfect for making a cookie crust.
Butter: Melt the butter before adding it to the crushed Oreos.

For the Layers

Ice Cream: Vanilla ice cream, slightly softened, and strawberry ice cream.
Freeze-Dried Strawberries: Crush these into crumbs.
Golden Oreos: A few additional golden Oreos make the strawberry topping mixture extra-sweet and luxurious.

Overhead shot of strawberry dessert with one slice served on a dessert plate.

How to Make Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Cake

I love, love, love making this dessert because it is so amazingly easy. This is the kind of recipe that can be great to make with kids – even little kids! They can easily help out with things like pressing the crust into the pan with the back of a spoon. Got your chef’s hat on? Let’s do this!

Make the Crust. First, let’s get the pan ready. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper and set it aside. Grab a bowl and combine the crushed Oreos with the melted butter, stirring and mixing until the ingredients are crumbly and similar to wet sand. Press this into the bottom of the springform pan in an even layer.

Cookie crumbs and a dish of melted butter.

A golden Oreo cookie crust in the bottom of a springform pan.

Add a Layer of Vanilla Ice Cream. Next, spread three cups of the vanilla ice cream on top of the crust. Smooth out the top.

Ingredients for an ice cream cake arranged around a springform pan with a cookie crust.

A vanilla ice cream layer in a springform pan.

Top with Strawberry Ice Cream. Place the strawberry ice cream into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat the ice cream for 2 minutes on medium speed, or until it’s smooth and soft. Gently spread the strawberry ice cream on top of the vanilla ice cream layer.

Whipped strawberry ice cream in a stand mixer.

Strawberry ice cream spread in a springform pan.

Add One More Layer of Vanilla Ice Cream. Spread the remaining cup of vanilla ice cream over the strawberry ice cream layer.
Top with the Strawberry Cookie Topping. In a small mixing bowl, combine the freeze-dried strawberries and the last few crushed golden Oreos. Spread and sprinkle this mixture evenly on top of the last layer of vanilla ice cream.

A layered ice cream cake in a springform pan. A dish of strawberry crumb topping is next to it.

Strawberry crumb topping on an ice cream cake.

Freeze! Place the pan into the freezer to chill for at least two hours, or until frozen. Once the strawberry shortcake ice cream is frozen and ready to serve, remove the sides of the pan from the cake. Slice and serve immediately.

A crumb-topped strawberry shortcake ice cream cake on a cake stand.

Tips for Success

Before you get started making and assembling this ice cream cake, I hope you’ll take a moment to read over these helpful tips. They’re guaranteed to make the process even easier. Enjoy!

Softening the Ice Cream: Putting the ice cream into the stand mixer allows the ice cream to soften up well enough to spread. Do not microwave the ice cream as it will change the texture of it when refrozen. You can skip this step if your ice cream is soft enough to evenly spread in the pan.
Golden Oreos: Vanilla creme sandwich cookies are a delicious and more affordable swap.
Whipped Cream: For a little extra oomph, pipe or dollop whipped cream on top of your ice cream cake.

A strawberry shortcake ice cream cake with crumb topping.

Recipe Variations

But wait, there’s more! So much more. These variations are just a few ways to change up the recipe, and each one is a winner.

Strawberry Nutella: Okay, I’m not saying that you need to add Nutella to your strawberry shortcake ice cream cake… but you kind of do. At least someday! Seriously, one of the simplest ways to change up any dessert is to reach for a jar of Nutella. It goes especially well with strawberries.
Strawberry Banana: Who doesn’t love creamy slices of banana along with their strawberries? Slice up a firm but ripe banana or two, and sandwich them between your ice cream layers for a little extra sweetness.
Strawberry Lemon: To take things in a slightly different direction, try drizzling some homemade (or store-bought!) Lemon Curd over this dessert. It pairs beautifully with both strawberries and golden Oreos.
Strawberry Chocolate Cake: You can also swap the vanilla ice cream for chocolate ice cream to make a strawberry chocolate cake! If you want it extra chocolate-y, you can also use chocolate Oreos for the cookie base of the cake. I recommend sticking with golden Oreos for the crumble topping if you want it to stay the pretty pink color.

An ice cream cake with slices removed, showing the layers inside.

How to Store This Ice Cream Cake

Storing this strawberry shortcake ice cream cake is easy – just put it in the freezer. It will keep for up to three months! To make sure it stays fresh and gorgeous, be sure to place it in an airtight container – a plastic airtight cake stand is great for this.

A slice of strawberry shortcake ice cream on a plate with a bite taken out of it.

4.8 from 4 votes

Print Pin Recipe

Yield: 10 Servings