This Copycat DQ Ice Cream Cake layers chocolate and vanilla ice cream with that classic fudge and crunchy cookie center. And yes, it tastes just like the real thing. Best part? It’s surprisingly easy to make at home.
I’ve eaten a lot of cake over the years—cheesecakes, layer cakes, sheet cakes—and while I never picked the same one twice, there was one I always looked forward to: Dairy Queen’s. That thick, fudgey center with the chocolate crunchies? Absolute magic. I used to scoop that layer out and eat it straight. So when I started making my own ice cream cakes, recreating that iconic middle became the challenge. After a lot of testing (and more than a few spoonfuls), I finally cracked it—and this copycat recipe is the result.
Is It Hard to Make an Ice Cream Cake?
Nope! You don’t need an ice cream maker or fancy equipment. Just a springform pan, some store-bought ice cream, and a little time. The layers are simple to assemble, and you can make it ahead, which means zero stress on the day you serve it. It’s the kind of recipe that looks impressive but comes together with basic steps. That’s the best kind, right?
The rich fudge and crunchy cookie center is just like the classic DQ version (maybe even better), and honestly, it’s worth making the whole cake just for that.
What You’ll Need
You won’t believe how simple these ingredients are. I bet you were expecting super fancy and overly complicated ones, right? Here’s a quick look at what you’ll need. Don’t forget to scroll down to the recipe card for a printable list.
- Oreo cookies – You’ll crush these (filling and all) to make that classic chocolate cookie crunch layer.
- Butter – Just a little melted butter helps bind the cookie crumbs together.
- Vanilla and chocolate ice cream – Grab your favorite store-bought brands. Let them soften slightly before layering.
- Semi-sweet chocolate chips, heavy cream, light corn syrup, and vanilla – These come together to make the rich, fudgy center layer that tastes just like the original.
- Cold heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract – For the fluffy homemade whipped cream topping.
- Sprinkles – Optional, but highly encouraged for that classic birthday cake look!
How to Make An Ice Cream Cake
Start with an 8×3-inch cake pan for a nice tall cake, or use a 9-inch pan or springform if you prefer. Line the inside with plastic wrap so it’s easy to lift out later.
Make the Oreo Layer
- Prep your tools: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
- Make Oreo mixture: Combine the Oreo crumbs and melted butter. Stir well then spread onto the prepared cookie sheet.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes: Cool. Break any big clumps into smaller ones. Set aside.
Now we are going to assemble the layers:
- Chocolate ice cream: About 20 minutes before you need it, set the chocolate ice cream out to soften. Stir it until smooth and creamy. Add to the prepared cake pan and spread into an even layer. Freeze for 30 minutes.
- Fudge layer: Make the fudge as directed in the recipe card below. Remove the cake pan with the chocolate ice cream from the freezer, then pour the chocolate fudge over the ice cream and spread into an even layer. Freeze for about 10 minutes.
- Oreo cookie layer: Add the cookie crumbles to the top of the fudge layer, then freeze for about 2 hours, until mostly firm.
- Vanilla ice cream layer: About 20 minutes before you need it, set the vanilla ice cream out to soften. Once softened, stir it up until smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla ice cream to the top of the cake, then freeze until firm, 2-3 hours.
- Remove from cake pan: Use the clear wrap to lift the frozen cake out of the pan. Place it on a cardboard cake circle or a serving plate. Set it back in the freezer.
- Whipped cream layer: When it’s done, frost it with my homemade whipped cream. It uses some powdered sugar to keep it from wilting. It stays stable for days and days making it ideal for an ice cream cake.
- Add decorations and freeze until ready to serve: Decorate the ice cream cake as you like for your occasion and you’re ready to go!
This is seriously the BEST Copycat Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake! You will love it. And just like when I was a kid, you will want to eat the chocolate fudge and chocolate crunchy layer right out of the center.
How to Store
This is a great make-ahead dessert! You can build the whole cake in the pan, cover it, and freeze it for up to a week before serving. Just wait to frost and decorate until the day before (or day of) so it looks fresh. Once decorated, keep it in the freezer. If you have a cake box or cake carrier, that’s ideal—but if not, it’ll still be fine uncovered (in the freezer) for a couple of days.
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Watch How To Make It
Copycat Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake
- Prep Time: 5 hours 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 5 hours 25 minutes
- Yield: 12–14 slices 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Freezer
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Copycat Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake has layers of chocolate and vanilla ice cream around the iconic layer of chocolate crunchies and chocolate fudge. It is so easy to make and tastes just like the real thing!
Ingredients
Chocolate Cookie Crunchies
- 3/4 cup (100g) Oreo crumbs (about 9 Oreos)
- 1 1/2 tbsp butter, melted
Ice Cream Layers
- 1.5 quart container vanilla ice cream
- 1.5 quart container chocolate ice cream
Chocolate Fudge
- 6 oz | 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips*
- 3 tbsp light corn syrup
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream
Whipped Cream
- 2 cups (480ml) heavy whipping cream, cold
- 1 cup (115g) powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- Sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
- Combine the Oreo crumbs and melted butter and stir until well combined. Spread the crumbs evenly onto the prepared cookie sheet.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, then allow to cool. Use your fingers to break any big clumps into smaller ones. Set aside.
- Line an 8×3 inch cake pan* with clear wrap that covers the bottom and goes above the sides of the cake pan. I used two pieces.
- About 20 minutes before you need it, set the chocolate ice cream out to soften. Once softened, stir it up until smooth and creamy. Add the softened chocolate ice cream to the prepared cake pan and spread into an even layer. Freeze for 30 minutes.
- To make the fudge layer, add the chocolate chips, corn syrup and vanilla extract to a medium sized bowl.
- Heat the heavy whipping cream just until it begins to boil, then pour it over the chocolate chips. Allow to sit for 2-3 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
- Remove the cake pan with the chocolate ice cream from the freezer, then pour the chocolate fudge over the ice cream and spread into an even layer. Freeze for about 10 minutes.
- Add the cookie crumbles to the top of the fudge layer, then freeze for about 2 hours, until mostly firm.
- About 20 minutes before you need it, set the vanilla ice cream out to soften. Once softened, stir it up until smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla ice cream to the top of the cake, then freeze until firm, 2-3 hours.
- Use the clear wrap to lift the frozen cake out of the pan, then place it on a cardboard cake circle or a serving plate. Set it back in the freezer.
- To make the whipped cream, add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract to a large mixer bowl. Whip on high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Frost the cake with the whipped cream and decorate as desired. I used Ateco tip 844 for piping the borders.
- Freeze the cake until ready to serve. Cake is best when stored well covered and eaten within 4-5 days.
Notes
- I like using the 8×3 inch cake pan and having a taller cake, but if you don’t have one of those pans on hand and don’t want to purchase it, you could also use a 9 inch pan (including a springform pan). The cake just won’t be as tall.
- Semi-sweet chocolate must be used, not milk chocolate or another, for the fudge layer to set properly
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 661
- Sugar: 50 g
- Sodium: 118.6 mg
- Fat: 46.3 g
- Carbohydrates: 55 g
- Protein: 8.4 g
- Cholesterol: 173.7 mg
Can I make this cake a week before the birthday party and just store it in the freezer?
Definitely!
I’m at the part where everything’s assembled in the pan, I went to take it out though, and I don’t stand a chance at it being firm enough to lift and transfer from the plastic and base of the spring form pan.
I guess I’m just going to trim down the plastic and leave it in place…
Any other suggestions?
Is the ice cream just not fully frozen? There isn’t really anything in the recipe that wouldn’t firm up, since it’s store bought ice cream.
I just tried to make the cake and used Friendly’s ice cream which will not I repeat not set hard. There’s something in the ice cream the keeps it soft. I would suggest not using that brand.
Good to know! Thank you for sharing! I’m sorry that it didn’t firm up for you though.
I am so excited to try this recipe! A friend requested an ice cream cake for their birthday, and I’m going to make homemade ice cream for the layers. I am thinking I will churn the ice cream then immediately put the layers in springforms instead of packing them into pints to save myself a step.
Do you have any suggestions for the best way to store this cake, or at least the layers before I assemble and frost? I have a carrying stand I use to transport regular cakes but it’s not very airtight and I need some way to store them before assembling. I was thinking I could put the springforms in gallon ziplocks, or would it be better to use plastic wrap?
I usually just leave them open in the freezer. But you could cover them with foil. They should be fine as long as they’re not sitting in there for an extended period of time.
I’m making letting my chocolate ice cream freeze up and my Oreos cool as I type this and I had a question. I read through I think all the comments first but didn’t find a good answer. When I put the chocolate ocean in my 9” springform pan it filled it up to the top. To add the vanilla later do you use a different pan or how do you get everything layered without falling over?
Sounds like you might have used more chocolate ice cream. But you could use a second pan for the vanilla ice cream. Or, if you don’t have one, you should be able to use the clear wrap to remove the chocolate ice cream from the pan (put that in the freezer) and then use the same pan again for the rest of the ice cream, then put it all together. I hope that helps!
Do you think milk chocolate chocolate chips would work the same as semi sweet?
The chocolate mixture might end up a little thinner, but otherwise would be ok. You try reducing the heavy cream amount by a tablespoon or two to offset that.
I made this for my daughters birthday and we loved it. I made an alteration and did a devils food layer of cake for the bottom, but the frosting, fudge and cookies layers from this recipe were perfect!
Awesome! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Corrina, I was just about to ask if anyone had used the fudge and cookie filling with a regular chocolate cake! I’m going to try it for my son’s birthday party this weekend.
Corrina, thanks for posting about the layer cake on the bottom. I always thought Dairy Queen’s should be like that. It’s called a cake but there’s no cake.
Hi, i was just wondering if you could do a cheesecake with the fudge and cookie filling 🙂
or how to maybe incorporate it. Those are my favorite parts but i rather cheesecake
What a fun idea! It’s hard for me to say exactly without trying it, but you could certainly add those toppings on top of a cheesecake or even try layering it into a cheesecake. You could even make mini cheesecakes and use those as the toppings.
I loved it but when I ice it with normal frosting it doesn’t stick. I’ve tried cool whip from the store it works on side better but still slides off any suggestions. Also this time around I’m adding a bit of fudge to cookie crumbs to make it stick together this time around
Buttercream would have a tough time sticking to ice cream, which is why I used whipped cream. As for the cool whip sliding off, it shouldn’t unless that ice cream is starting to melt. Just be sure to frost it as quickly as possible and pop it back in the freezer before there’s too much melting.
Delicious! I was afraid the chocolate fudge was going to be too chocolatey, but it was perfect! Thanks so much! I love your cookbook!
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it! And it’s wonderful to hear that you enjoy the cookbook – thank you!
Does the Vanilla ice cream also go in a pan?
Yes, in step 10.
I made this with gluten-free oreo cookies – it was perfect for the celiacs in our family!
Wonderful! Glad to hear it!
Do you still need to use clear wrap if using a springform pan?
I would suggest still using it. It will keep ice cream from seeping out of the pan when you soften it to add it to the pan and it will keep the ice cream from freezing to the sides of the pan, allowing you to remove the layers from the pan much more easily.
The whipping cream ran off of the cake as I tried to ice it. I tried putting the bowl of whipping cream into the freezer for 30 min and tried again with slightly better results. I whipped it longer than usual so the peaks were quite well formed. Should I add more sugar? Chill the cream to a lower temperature first? What went wrong? Also, do not skip the steps of re-freezing in between. The layers will all mix of you do.
There wasn’t anything wrong. The ice cream did exactly what you’d expect – melt. It happens quickly so you have to work quickly. Popping the whipped cream in the freezer makes no difference. The whipped cream doesn’t melt – the ice cream does. Make sure the ice cream (cake) is super chilled before frosting.
Do you use the entire 1.5 qt of both I’ve creams? Looking at my spring form pan it seems a stretch for that all to fit in.
I did, yes. It does take up the full height of the pan.
Just about to start making this for my son’s 3rd birthday! In the UK so can’t get hold of corn syrup so hoping it’s ok! … My question though is I’m making it 2 days in advance … Can I leave the ice-cream cake in the tin overnight until I need to ice it? Or should I take it out of the tin overnight? My thought is probably it needs to stay in but I’m not feeling very intelligent about this at the moment!
Either way would be fine. If it were me, I’d just leave it in the tin until you’re ready to frost it.
Hi
Dr oetker glucose syrup tubes , you can get them in Sainsbury’s for about £1.50, that is corn syrup
Can I use regular whipping cream vs heavy whipping cream for frosting the outside of the cake?
Heavy whipping cream has a higher fat content so it whips into a more sturdy whipped cream that it less likely to wilt. As long as you don’t leave the cake sitting out too long though, regular should be fine.
Hey I was looking into making this. I was wondering why you need the clear wrap on the bottom and what purpose does it serve?
The clear wrap is what you use to lift the cake out of the cake pan when it’s done. Without it your ice cream will just stick to the pan.
Looks like a great rainy day project to me. I have to try this!
How do you get the clear wrap off the bottom of the cake before cutting??
When the cake is fully frozen, it’s rock hard and easy to hold and just pull the clear wrap off.
Do you put the ice cream layers on a cake base?
No, not with this cake. But if you wanted to, you could add a cake base.
Just a note, when baking the oreo’s, using parchment paper is important. I’ve made this cake twice now and the 2nd time I used foil (I was out of parchment paper) and the oreos were burnt 5 mins into baking on 2 attempts. Otherwise we LOVE this cake!!
I’m so glad to hear you have enjoyed it!
Just made this for a birthday party and this is absolutely 5 stars. We mixed up the ice cream flavors but followed the rest of the recipe exactly. A no fail recipe and I’m pretty sure I saw people licking their plates!
Oh my goodness, this looks so delicious! I love DQ oreo cakes. They will always be my favorite birthday treat. My husband loves the Strawberry Cheesequake blizzard cake. I would LOVE to see your take on that cake! Thanks for all of your awesome recipes!
Ohhh, a strawberry cheesecake blizzard cake sounds delicious! I haven’t had that one before but will have to try it!
My son would always request a Dairy Queen Ice Cream cake for his birthday (and everyone else’s birthday, too!) because he didn’t like cake. But then he would want extra fudge crumbs (which Dairy Queen would do) and a thicker chocolate ice cream layer (not a special request). I’m guessing it might be an illusion, but the chocolate layer always did look thinner, as does yours, even though the amount of ice cream is the same. Is it possible that because the warm fudge is poured on the chocolate ice cream that it melts some causing the layer to shrink? If so, though not the traditional presentation, I think that I would reverse the order, as he still won’t eat cake to this day! But now I can give him an even thicker fudge crumb layer! He will be so surprised that I made it! Thanks for making us heroes!
LOL. Anything is possible, but I did let the chocolate cool little before adding it, so I don’t think it would’ve melted so much that it makes the chocolate layer a lot smaller. I do think it’s a bit of an optical illusion. But you could totally add some extra chocolate ice cream to the cake.
Thank you, my son loves ice cream cakes. Could you please tell me which cake base is the easiest to cut after you freeze it? A Browne , cake or cookie base? Thank you
Because brownies and cookies are so dense, regular cake is definitely easier to cut.
Hi Lindsay,
Thank you for this recipe. It sounds delicious. Do you think dark corn syrup would work? I’m not a huge fan of molasses, but I’m out of light corn syrup and am debating another trip to the grocery store… TIA
I would think it’d be fine.
This looks awesome! Thanks!
Do you remove the cream from the Oreos?
I was wondering the same thing
No, you don’t need to remove the cream.
I wanna try making this ice cream cake for my daughters birthday I was wondering if I could make the cake 4-5 days in advance???? If so would i need to icing it after making it or can I wait to the day i actually need it and then icing it
Yes, you can make it that far ahead. I would probably frost it the day you need it so it looks fresh.
No, you don’t need to remove the cream.
I have not actually tasted it yet, but I just made it and we are really looking forward to eating it. I did taste each layer, and it was delicious so I have to believe this will be great! I did rush through a couple steps because I started making it so late in the day. I’m thinking it’s best to wait as directed for each layer to set as it seemed a little mushy when I was frosting it. It is very affordable to make compared to buying it so Im excited to try it!
I made this today for Mother’s Day. My husband & I loved it.
Lindsay, thank you thank you thank you!!! I first had one of these Dairy Queen Ice Cream cakes for a friend’s birthday, and I have wanted to make a homemade version ever since! Yours looka delicious, and I am definitely going to try this one as soon as possible. And I also eat the crunchy/fudgy middle layer separate from the rest; it’s definitely the best part!:)
I hope you enjoy it!
After making the layers and freezing them, can I also frost the cake and freeze it the day before I need to serve it? If so, When making it in a spring form pan, how do I do that so that all sides are frosted.
Yes, you can frost it a day or so before you need it. You would need to remove it from the springform pan before you frost it.
I just made this for my 17 year old son’s birthday and wow was this great!!
I used to 9 inch pie pans lined with plastic wrap. I filled one with melty vanilla ice cream and one with melty chocolate. I put them in the freezer over night. The following day I took out the chocolate one (the plastic wrap made it super easy to do) I put it on a dish, covered it with unheated ready made hot fudge (Mrs RIchardson’s brand). It was easy to spread. Then I topped it with the Oreo crunches (I used at least double the amount in the recipe). I topped it with the vanilla ice cream and then put it all back in the freezer. Then I made the frosting (super easy). When it was ready I removed the cake from the freezer and frosted it. I did not have any problems with it being too watery or loose. It set up perfectly and the cake went back in the freezer until the party. I took it out of the freezer and let it sit for approx 30 minutes before serving. EVERYONE loved it and thought it was so much better than store bought. Thanks for sharing this and showing us how to make it!