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Red White and Blue Ice Cream Cake

Red White and Blue Ice Cream Cake layers vanilla ice cream with a crunchy cookie crust, then chills into clean slice-ready wedges. Softened ice cream gets tinted red and blue in separate layers, topped with whipped topping, berries, and sprinkles for a patriotic finish.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
Freeze/Chill 4 minutes
Total Time 5 hours 29 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 420
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cookie Crust
  • 24 vanilla sandwich cookies
  • 6 tbsp unsalted butter melted
Ice Cream Layers
  • 1.5 qt vanilla ice cream softened
  • 1 red gel food coloring
  • 1 blue gel food coloring
Topping
  • 2 cup whipped topping
  • 0.5 cup red and blue sprinkles
  • 1 fresh strawberries
  • 1 fresh blueberries

Equipment

  • 1 springform pan

Method
 

Make the cookie crust
  1. Line a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper to prevent sticking and make unmolding easier.
  2. Combine crushed vanilla sandwich cookies and melted unsalted butter until the mixture looks like damp sand.
  3. Press the cookie mixture firmly into the bottom of the pan, using steady pressure to create an even crust.
  4. Freeze the crust for 15 minutes to set before adding ice cream layers.
Build the red, white, and blue layers
  1. Divide softened vanilla ice cream into three bowls for easy tinting and layering.
  2. Leave one bowl of vanilla ice cream white for the middle layer.
  3. Tint one bowl of ice cream red with red gel food coloring, mixing until the color is uniform.
  4. Tint the remaining bowl of ice cream blue with blue gel food coloring, mixing until the color is uniform.
  5. Spread the blue ice cream layer over the crust and smooth the top with an even layer.
  6. Freeze the blue layer for 20 minutes until firm to the touch.
  7. Spread the white ice cream layer evenly over the blue layer, keeping the surface level.
  8. Freeze for another 20 minutes until set.
  9. Spread the red ice cream layer on top and smooth it to cover the edges.
  10. Freeze for at least 4 hours until the cake is fully firm.
Finish and serve
  1. Remove the ice cream cake from the pan so the sides release cleanly.
  2. Frost with whipped topping, covering the top completely for a creamy finish.
  3. Decorate with fresh strawberries and fresh blueberries across the top for the red-and-blue look.
  4. Sprinkle red and blue sprinkles over the whipped topping to add crunch and color.
  5. Slice and serve immediately for the neatest layers.

Notes

For the cleanest slices, chill a sharp knife under cold water, then wipe between cuts. Store the cake covered in the freezer for up to 2 weeks; add berries and sprinkles right before serving to keep them from weeping. Freezing is yes—freeze the cake without the whipped topping decorations if you want the freshest look. For a lighter option, use reduced-fat whipped topping.