Peppermint Brownie Ice Cream Cake

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This Peppermint Brownie Ice Cream Cake is out of this world! If you aren’t quite ready for Christmas yet, this perfect peppermint cake recipe will definitely put you in the holiday mood.

Want another perfect peppermint dessert? Whip up this easy Peppermint Pretzel Crunch!

Peppermint Brownie Ice Cream Cake Recipe

The ice cream in this cake is perfectly creamy and pepperminty. The peppermint crunch pieces add the right amount of crunch to the ice cream. And the texture of the chewy brownie is the perfect contrast to the creamy ice cream. Plus, the ice cream requires no ice cream machine. Rock on!

Truthfully, I’m not quite sure that I’m totally ready for Christmas. It just doesn’t *feel* like it yet. I mean, lets be real. It was 70 degrees in Atlanta on Sunday – 70! That’s just not right for November. And to me, Christmas means cold weather and hot chocolate. But in terms of the Christmas spirit, I’m getting there.

Sunday night I went with a group of friends from my small group to see the Rockettes Christmas show. I’d never been before, so I was pretty stoked. Plus, who doesn’t love a girls night out?

Peppermint Brownie Ice Cream Cake

It was a lot of fun and the show was great. But to be honest, I expected a little more of the Rockettes and little less Rockettes-dressed-as-teddy-bears-and-santas, but whatever. It was still a great show. And it got me thinking about Christmas, which is good. I’d like to try and get some shopping done early (totally won’t happen).

Peppermint Brownie Ice Cream Cake

Sunday was also the day they handed out the Operation Christmas Child boxes at our church. I absolutely love filling those boxes and thinking about the kids that will receive them. Did you know you can pay for the shipping online and then they’ll send you an email to let you know where in the world your boxes end up? Last year ours went to Madagascar, India and Belize. How awesome is that?! And our small group is signed up to sort boxes at the OCC facility in December. I can’t wait!

So with that, I’m getting even more in the spirit by sharing my first Christmas-y dessert. There’s only a couple months out of the year where we get them and I love all the flavors, so bring it on I say!

Peppermint Brownie Ice Cream Cake

This ice cream cake might be my favorite one ever! After the hubs had a piece, he turned to me and said, “That’s the best one.” It was nice and simple, matter of fact and to the point. 🙂

Why I Love This Festive Christmas Cake Recipe

The peppermint flavor is just perfect. Is it possible that I’d forgotten just how good peppermint is? Well if so, this cake reminded me. Seriously delish!

As I said before, the ice cream is nice and creamy and the Andes peppermint pieces add the perfect amount of pepperminty crunch. It’s a peppermint explosion in your mouth!

Peppermint Brownie Ice Cream Cake

The ice cream requires no-machine, which I LOVE! And you’d never even know it. I can’t tell you how many times friends have been surprised when they’ve had ice cream I made this way and would never have even known. It’s so good and easy! You just mix everything together in a mixer and it’s ready to go.

It’s also a great ice cream mix for layering a cake like this. Prior to freezing, it’s thick and will hold up well when stacking with the brownies.

Peppermint Brownie Ice Cream Cake

I usually use a brownie mix to make this even easier to make, but you could easily use your favorite brownie recipe. And when you add the brownie layers and chocolate sauce to the ice cream, it’s officially over-the-top good. Chocolate and peppermint are meant to live happily ever after, don’t you think?

What exactly are the layers, you ask?

Brownie
Peppermint Ice Cream
Brownie
Chocolate Sauce
Peppermint Ice Cream
Additional peppermint pieces on top
More chocolate sauce!

Plus, you can add whipped cream like I did if you want. It kind of looks like snow mounds surrounding the peppermint Christmas land…or something 🙂

Peppermint Brownie Ice Cream Cake

The recipe and method is very similar to my Snickers Peanut Butter Brownie Ice Cream Cake, which so many people have had success with and love, so don’t be intimidated. It really is one of the easiest things to make and it looks so great and festive!

Peppermint Brownie Ice Cream Cake

I can’t get enough of this cake right now. Since my birthday is coming up (Christmas to be exact), we might see this cake again in our house before the holidays are over! Yum!

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Peppermint Brownie Ice Cream Cake slice
Recipe

Peppermint Brownie Ice Cream Cake

  • Author: Lindsay
  • Prep Time: 45 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 5 minutes
  • Yield: 12-14 slices
  • Category: Dessert
  • Method: Oven
  • Cuisine: American

Description

This Peppermint Brownie Ice Cream Cake is out of this world! If you aren’t quite ready for Christmas yet, this perfect peppermint cake recipe will definitely put you in the holiday mood.


Ingredients

  • 1 box brownie mix, plus ingredients required on box
  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/8 cup milk
  • 2 tsp peppermint extract
  • 8 oz Cool Whip (OR 1 recipe of homemade whipped cream)
  • one 10 oz bag Andes peppermint crunch
  • 5 drops of red food color
  • 1/2 cup chocolate sundae syrup (plus a little more for drizzling)
  • Additional Cool Whip/whipped cream for piping, if desired

Instructions

BROWNIES:

1. Make brownie dough according to instructions on back of box.
2. Grease two 8-inch pans (preferable springform pans, see above) and line the bottoms with parchment paper to allow for easy removal. Bake at temperature on box, reducing baking time to about 20 minutes (You can also bake 1 big brownie – which would cook for the normal time – and cut it in half, but cutting a brownie in half isn’t super easy).
3. When brownies are done baking, allow to completely cool.

ICE CREAM:

1. Combine cream cheese and sugar and mix until smooth and creamy.
2. Add milk and peppermint extract and mix until well combined.
3. Fold in the cool whip.
4. Add 1 cup of Andes peppermint crunch pieces and about 5 drops of red food coloring and mix gently until combined.

ASSEMBLING IT ALL:

1. Line the sides of an 8-inch springform pan with parchment paper. The parchment paper should stick up above the top edge of the pan, since the cake will probably be a little taller than your pan. If you want, put a cardboard cake circle in the bottom of the pan for easy removal.
NOTE: You should be using the same 8-inch pan you used for the brownies. Not all 8-inch pans are exactly the same size. Your brownie needs to fit in this pan.
2. Put the first brownie layer in the bottom of your pan.
3. Spread half of the peppermint ice cream mixture on top of the brownie.
4. Add second brownie layer on top of the ice cream.
5. Cover brownie with 1/2 a cup of chocolate sundae syrup.
6. Top with remaining peppermint ice cream.
7. Allow ice cream cake to freeze completely while in pan.
8. When frozen, remove cake from springform pan and remove parchment paper from sides.
9. Top with additional chocolate sauce, allowing it to drizzle down the sides.
10. Cover with additional Andes peppermint pieces and a little more chocolate sauce.
11. Pipe whipped cream around the border of the top of the cake, if desired. Cake can be stored in the freezer for about 10-14 days.

Notes

An 8-inch springform pan is best for this recipe so that you can easily remove the cake once it’s been assembled. If you do not have a springform pan, line your pan with clear wrap before adding your parchment paper and cake board. You can use the clear warp to lift your cake out of the pan once it’s assembled and frozen.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1 Slice
  • Calories: 446
  • Sugar: 38.1 g
  • Sodium: 217.7 mg
  • Fat: 24.3 g
  • Carbohydrates: 54 g
  • Protein: 4.6 g
  • Cholesterol: 43.2 mg

Filed Under:

Enjoy!

This post linked to Six Sisters’ Stuff, Skip To My Lou, Simply Gloria, Lil Luna, Inside BruCrew Life, This Gal Cooks, Buns in my Oven, Tidy Mom, Chef In Training, Crumbs and Chaos, Pint Sized Baker, Wine and Glue, Lamberts Lately, I Should Be Mopping The Floor, What’s Cooking Love?, Mandy’s Recipe Box, Gingersnap Crafts, We Do Fun Here, Simple Living and Eating, Love Bakes Good Cakes, Living Well Spending Less, Table For Seven, Simply Sweet Home, Say Not Sweet Anne, The Mandatory Mooch, Flour Me With Love, Keeping It Simple Crafts, A Bright and Beautiful Life, Walking on Sunshine and Ashley’s Dandelion Wishes.

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90 Comments
  1. Keren

    Used this recipe for our Christmas dessert. The only difference was that I used peppermint icecream instead of the cream cheese/whip mix. It was delicious!
    Thank you for the inspiration!

  2. Barbara

    Have any of the other “reviewers” actually made this cake? I’m wondering because it’s titled “Ice Cream” cake but tastes nothing like ice cream. It is really pretty, but the taste and texture are not enjoyable. The Cool Whip flavor is not masked by the peppermint, and the peppermint and cream cheese don’t play well together. Maybe two of the three (chocolate, cream cheese and peppermint) but not all three. I just made this for a girls’ weekend and am not going to serve it. Really disappointed. Just find peppermint ice cream and make a real ice cream cake. You could use this recipe to do that!

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  9. Caryn

    This looks amazing! It will be my Christmas Day dessert! Thanks for sharing. So the cake can be frozen with the whipped cream piped on top?

  10. Katrina @ In Katrina's Kitchen

    What a gorgeous Christmas Cake!! I love this so much! Peppermint ice cream is my favorite

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  12. Jocelyn@Brucrewlife

    Wow, this cake is gorgeous, and I agree, who wouldn’t be in the Christmas mood after having a slice of this heaven? Love it!

  13. Cindy Eikenberg

    Lindsay, this cake is absolutely beautiful! Visiting from Simply Gloria. Thank you so much for sharing and pinnng! Hope you are having a happy weekend!

  14. Bismah

    That cake looks absolutely gorgeous! It has to be very delicious! This cake looks as though it could be enjoyed at any time during the year. It truly is amazing!
    Stopping by from “Tasty Thursdays”. Following you via Bloglovin and Twitter.
    Have a great weekend 🙂

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  17. Nichi - The Mandatory Mooch

    Lindsay, What an amazing and beautiful dessert. Thanks for linking up to Tasty Thursdays at The Mandatory Mooch. I will be featuring this post at this week’s party. It goes live tonight!! Thanks, Nichi

  18. Carrie @Frugal Foodie Mama

    Oh wow… this looks so amazingly sinful! 🙂 YUM!
    Thank you for sharing at Marvelous Mondays this week- Pinned!

  19. Kelly

    Wow, this cake is stunning and super festive! I am not quite in the Christmas mode yet but my hubby totally is and has already put up our tree hehe. Having a slice of this cake would totally put me in that Christmas mode with him though 🙂 Gorgeous cake, thanks for sharing with us Lindsay!

  20. Trish - Mom On Timeout

    My eyes just about popped out of my head when I saw this cake Lindsay! Pinned and sharing on FB tomorrow!

  21. Lori @ A Bright and Beautiful Life

    This ice cream cake looks heavenly. I love chocolate/peppermint anything. I think I need to make it for our extended family Christmas party. Thanks for the recipe. Would you be willing to share this post and any of your other great ones at our Making Monday link party? We would love it and think our readers will, too. Thanks. Have a fantastic day. https://www.abrightandbeautifullife.com/making-monday-14/

  22. Diane Balch

    I don’t try to get excited about Christmas until after Thanksgiving. One holiday at a time… don’t pressure yourself. Your cake definitely puts me in a holiday mood… absolutely beautiful. Thanks for sharing it with us on foodie friday.

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  24. Lindsey @ American Heritage Cooking

    Hold up! You live in Atlanta? Me too!!! So what I’m saying is, if you want to pawn this cake off on someone…I could be that someone!

    These photos are breathtaking. No seriously. Gorgeous. It looks like it should be on the cover of one of my cookbooks.

    1. lifeloveandsugar@gmail.com

      Thanks Lindsey! I do live in Atlanta! I’m in a Georgia blogger facebook group, so let me know if you want an invite. I think we are going to schedule a get together in January. 🙂

  25. Gloria @ Simply Gloria

    Lindsay, I bet that show was so much fun! I love how you did this creativeness…so gorgeous and festive!

  26. Ashley | Spoonful of Flavor

    I’ve been dreaming of peppermint cake lately, I just haven’t decide what kind to make. This one is a mixture of all my favorites – ice cream, brownie and cake! The cake is stunning!

  27. Wendy

    Though I am always impressed by your baking and photos, Lindsay, I think your ice cream cakes are the things that make my jaw drop most often! This cake looks and sounds gorgeous! Chocolate-mint is a winter time favorite.

  28. janet pesaturo

    HI, and thanks for sharing on Showcase Your Talent Thursday. That cake really does look amazing! I like to make ice cream from scratch, so I am imagining making something like this with my homemade ice cream, although the cool whip idea is clever.

  29. Tina @ Tina's Chic Corner

    Hello gorgeous cake! I love everything about it! Mint + chocolate = must have for the holidays. This would definitely get me in the Christmas mood. 🙂

  30. Ashley W.

    Looks yummy. But I have to ask…is the flavor really any different than the mint Oreo version? We LOVE that version at our house.

    1. lifeloveandsugar@gmail.com

      Hi Ashley! I’m glad you all love the Mint version! I think the difference between mint and peppermint is slight – mint tends to be from spearmint, which I find sweeter, whereas peppermint to me feels like a stronger minty taste. The other difference between the two cakes is that this one doesn’t contain the oreos, so the texture of the cake is a bit different. The Mint one has that oreo flavor added in. This one has a white chocolate kind of taste and crunch from the peppermint candies. Obviously I think both are delicious – this one is great for Christmas. 🙂

      1. Ashley W.

        I do like white chocolate…alright, you convinced me, I’ll have to try this version too! 🙂

  31. Julianne @ Beyond Frosting

    This cake is exquisite! I am baffled how you got so many gorgeous shots without the ice cream melting! Anytime I cut into a freezer cake, the edges always get frozen once exposed to the air. It’s so annoying! Absolutely amazing job!

  32. Cookbook Queen

    Are you KIDDING me?? Oh my word. This is too fabulous!! I need it all. Just for me. (I don’t have to share, do i???)

  33. Brittany

    OMG this looks insanely amazing!!!! I love all of your recipes, although I’m not sure mine won’t look as pretty when I make them;)

Lindsay
About Lindsay

I'm a wife and a mom to twin boys and a baby girl! And I've got a serious sweets addiction! Bring on the treats!

Scripture I’m Loving

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Matthew 11:28-29