14 Easy Ice Cream Cakes Perfect for Summer Birthdays

There are a lot of great things about having a summer birthday. (I’m an August baby, so I would know!) You can plan an outdoor party, you don’t have to worry about it getting dark super early, and there’s zero chance of a snowstorm coming along and ruining everything. But, the absolute best part of celebrating over the summer is that ice cream cake is an even more appealing option than a regular cake.

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Now, don’t get me wrong: I love a good red velvet or chocolate layer cake as much as the next person. It’s just that they sometimes feel like so much work. You need to make the cake and frosting separately, then wait around for cakes to cool before you can decorate.  I don’t know about you, but when it’s gorgeous outside, the last thing I want to do is stand in a hot kitchen waiting for a sponge cake to bake evenly. With ice cream cake, there’s none of that.

Some of the options below are totally no-bake and have you assembling a bunch of ingredients then throwing it all back in the freezer to set. Others a little more involved — if you do feel like baking brownies or a cake layer, these are for you! No matter what, you’ll definitely want to serve one of these easy ice cream cakes at your next birthday party. Or, frankly, any day of the week.

Copycat Dairy Queen ice cream cake

Save the trips to DQ for when you want a dipped cone. When it’s an ice cream cake you need, you’re better off making this copycat version.

Fudge brownie ice cream cake

Make the process super easy by using boxed brownie mix for this fudgy cake.

Ice cream sandwich cake

Ice cream sandwiches mean built-in layers in this foolproof ice cream cake. Mini M&Ms make great decoration, but you can use whatever you want.

 

Copycat Carvel ice cream cake

Bonus points if you can shape this Carvel copycat like Fudgy the Whale!

Cool Whip, caramel, and chocolate ice cream cake

The secret to this easy ice cream cake isn’t just cool whip. You’ll also use chocolate magic shell for some crunch on the exterior.

Salted chocolate and caramel ice cream cake

The graham cracker crust of this chocolate-caramel ice cream cake almost makes it taste like a giant s’more.

Chocolate Oreo ice cream pie

This is basically a giant Oreo cake, filled with ice cream instead of the usual filling.

Mint chip brownie ice cream squares

Love grasshopper pie? You’ll love mint chip brownie ice cream squares.

Strawberry ice cream cake

So convenient (for this cake) that strawberry season and ice cream season are one in the same

Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream cake

Instead of eating cookie dough straight from this fridge, use it for this layered ice cream cake instead.

Rocky road ice cream cake

There’s nothing rocky about the road to preparing this marshmallow-studded ice cream cake.

Butter pecan ice cream pie

For adult birthdays, class things up with a butter pecan ice cream pie.

Chocolate peanut butter ice cream pie

When in doubt, just throw a few more peanut butter cups on top of this ice cream pie.

Coffee ice cream cake

This gorgeous ice cream cake will satisfy a sweet tooth and a caffeine craving, all in one.