Ice Cream Cupcakes
Ice cream, cake, and frosting all in one cool bite! These Ice Cream Cupcakes combine all my favorite birthday things in one little hand-held treat. Easy to customize with your favorite flavors!
I figured out how to have ice cream, frosting, and cake all in one bite. without a spoon.
And I have no idea why I never thought of this before now!!
Andrew asked me to make him an ice cream cake for his birthday several weeks back, and I had designs on little individual ice cream molds covered in frosting. Buuuut frosting does not like to stick to cold ice cream.
So I ended up with a fabulous little mess that we enjoyed cleaning up with spoons after school.
And then I decided that ice cream really needs SOME cake and I went back to the drawing board.
What I came up with was SOOOO SIMPLE.
Included below is a halved recipe for the same rich dark chocolate cake I used in the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes. It is delicious and I really recommend it, but you could definitely go with your favorite box cake mix and these will work out just fine. Cover with your favorite ice cream, top with a quick buttercream frosting, and look!!! All the good things in one little single-serve package.
These are So GREAT for birthday parties! No more standing around with a sticky gummy ice cream scoop!
And the flavor combinations are endless.
- Cake:
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup + ⅛ cup all purpose flour
- ⅓ cup unsweetened dutch process cocoa
- ¾ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 egg
- ½ cup milk
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- ⅓ cup boiling water
- Topping:
- ½ gallon of your favorite ice cream (we used cookie dough ice cream!)
- Frosting:
- 1 cup butter
- 3½ cups powdered sugar
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- tablespoons heavy cream, as needed to desired consistency
- Sprinkles!!!
- Pre-heat the oven to 350. Line a standard sized muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a large bowl whisk together the dry cupcake ingredients: sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Add the egg, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla and beat on medium for about 2 minutes.
- Set the mixer aside and slowly pour and stir in the boiling water until it’s completely combined and smooth.
- Spoon the mixture into the prepared muffin cups placing ONLY 2 TABLESPOONS of batter in the bottom of each cupcake liner.
- Bake for about 10 - 12 minutes. A pick inserted into the center will come out clean.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely.
- Set the ice cream out to soften. You don't want it to be soupy but it definitely needs to be soft. Stir the ice cream if it helps.
- Spoon the soft ice cream over the cooled cake, filling the cupcake liners all the way to the top.
- Place the cupcakes in the freezer as you go so you don't have a melty ice cream mess. It will also help them to keep their shape.
- To make the chocolate buttercream, beat the butter for a minute until it’s fluffy. Sift in the powdered sugar ½ cup at a time, beating a little in between each addition. Sift in the cocoa powder and beat until it’s combined. Add the salt, vanilla, and 2 tablespoons of the heavy cream. Continue mixing until smooth. Add the last 2 tablespoons of heavy cream, more if needed, to reach the desired consistency.
- Frost the cupcakes however you like-- I chose to pipe the buttercream in little tufts on top of the ice cream because IT CAN BE TRICKY TO GET THE FROSTING TO STICK TO THE COLD ICE CREAM. Do whatever works for you. And when in doubt, add more sprinkles.
- Add sprinkles!! Re-freeze. The ice cream will take at least 2 hours to set up again so allow yourself the time before serving.
Ice Cream Cupcakes. Do this.
It really sounds yummy and it's the same cake recipe I've used for years. I will be making it for sure.
That Hershey's cake is awesome isn't it? Thanks, Brenda!
Oh how I miss ice cream cake...especially the chocolate bottoms...these look cool and delicious!!! Y-U-M!!!
Thanks! They were really good 🙂
Mmmmmmm....
Yup.
This is so sinful! But you got to love it
Thanks, Shawna! It's really easy, too!
Yum! Looks pretty 🙂 I've never been a fan of ice cream cake because I don't like the cold cake texture, but I know I'm in the minority on that.
Haha. I have THE MOST sensitive teeth and even I could bite into these-- I guess there was enough cake to balance it out.
My boys are way more into the frosting and the icecream than the cake so this is perfect for a birthday gathering. Happy birthday to Andrew! Great idea! No brilliant idea as they are always asking me to make a very complicated icecream cake- You know one of those 10 tiered masterpieces that only the professionals would dare attempt. This is more my style.
Yes these are a much more busy-mom-friendly alternative.
Thanks, Bam!
If you try them lemme know how they work out!
Now this is just brilliant! What a great idea...not sure why I've never thought of this before. Maya and Ali love ice cream cake...this would go over well.
Thanks, Ameena! I felt the same way-- this is so easy!! Why have I never thought of this before?!
I love this idea!! Why have I never thought of this before??!! It's the best part about having a birthday -- cake and ice cream. You're a genius, my dear!
Thanks so much, Meghan! I thought the same thing-- why didn't I think of this before now? But no matter. It works 🙂
YES!!! ---Rae
🙂
One batch of this? Still not enough 😉
Cheers
CCU
Haha thanks!
Looks great! I think that cake recipe is on my hersey's special dark chocolate container - it's a KEEPER.... I use it all the time and those with a hard time dealing with butter can eat it...
I HAD NO IDEA that recipe was on the Hershey's box! (I need to go look!) I use the website-- if you read the Cookie Dough Cupcake post the link to the Hershey's recipe is there. It is SERIOUSLY tried and true chocolate cake. Those Hershey's people know their chocolate business.
Brilliant,my daughter. I could use one of these about now.
Yup. Me too.
And I'll bet that little bit of ice cream won't hurt my tummy! These are such a great idea!