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
I made this recipe, and it turned out incredibly!!! A+++ (Thank you for sharing your recipe!) So many rave comments, and my husband is still talking about it to others! One question, do you crush the whole oreo cookie, including the icing, and put in oven? I was nervous about the cookie icing being in the oven so just used the actual cookie crumbs only.
I’m so glad it was a hit! I do leave the filling in the Oreos when I grind them into crumbs.
Perfect, thanks so much! I can’t wait to try it again with the icing part of the oreo cookies too – it was already so delicious without it! 😊
This cake is fabulous! I think my favorite part is the Oreo/chocolate fudge layer….so, so good. I will definitely be making this again!
So glad you enjoyed it!
I always get raves about this recipe. I did have the same issue as another commenter about runny whipped cream. If you are using a stand mixer such as a KitchenAid, do not whip on high. It is too powerful and will collapse the cream. Whip on about level 5 and you will get much firmer and fluffier whipped cream.
I have a question about taking short cuts. Could store bought fudge and cool whip work with this recipe, or would that change the whole tbing?
Cool whip would be fine. As for store-bought fudge, it depends on what you want. Store-bought fudge is likely to ooze out of the cake layers and have a very different (softer) texture. The fudge used in this recipe is made to truly replicate the Dairy Queen cake.
I’ve made this cake 5 times already. Definitely deserves 5 stars. Thanks for making me look like a cool mom!
Awesome!! So glad it’s been a hit!
I’ve made this a few times now, with different ice cream combos. It’s a really good copy cat recipe- the only thing is I don’t toast my oreos. I did that the first time and didn’t like the taste. So now I just crush oreos, no butter. I’m trying it tonight with 2x the fudge and cookies, in a 9inch springform, so we’ll see how that goes.
How would you do this as a sheet cake?
I’m really not sure since I haven’t done it. I’m guessing you may want to use one and a half recipes worth.
Yes! I just made this 1.5 times in a 9×13 pan and it turned out great!
Wonderful! Glad to hear that!
does the whipped cream wilt? i know there is icing sugar but if i leave it out or in the fridge for when i need it later, will it melt?
The ice cream will melt but the whipped cream will not. The powdered sugar keeps it stable. I use it all the time and I’ve left it in the fridge for a week or longer and it has not ever moved or changed shape.
I made the Dairy Queen cake and almost all the layers was perfect except the whipped cream icing. It was very very runny
There’s really no reason for it to be runny. Whipping cream is made to be whipped. This recipe adds some powdered sugar for a little sweetness and to keep it from wilting, and some vanilla for flavor. But those would not make it so that it doesn’t whip or is runny. You have to whip the cream until you get stiff peaks. Also make sure that it’s heavy whipping cream and not just regular whipping cream. The higher fat contact will give you a stiffer whipped cream. I hope that helps!
Millie, did you serve it out of the 9×13 or did you flip it onto a cake board? If in the pan, how did you decorate it?
Sorry if this is a dumb question – but do you include the cream part of the Oreo or just the cookie?
Use the cream and all.
Burnt crunchies when following the directions 😕
You make this all in one pan correct
Yes
Thank you so much for this recipe! It’s just like the original one! 😀 It’s delicious!
So glad you enjoyed it!
It’s tablespoon right for the corn syrup
Yes, it is.
Rave reviews from all at the party! My new party cake!!
Glad to hear it!
I am wanting to make this is a 9 x 13 pan. Any ideas if I would double it or different equivalence?
I haven’t tried it to say for sure. Doubling it should be fine though.
Can u use my 9 inch round cake pans? Use one for the softened ice cream, the other for the cake? Or should I freeze the ice cream first and remove from pan, place back (covered) in freezer, and make 2 9 inch cakes?
This recipe doesn’t use cake layers. Are you trying to add a layer of ice cream between two layers of cake?
Can I use a 9 x 13 cake pan for this ice cream cake?
I believe other commenters have said they’ve done that, but I haven’t done it myself.