Copycat Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake

1. Stage

Place a 9-inch springform pan into the freezer to chill at least 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, stir together the Oreo cookie crumbs and melted butter. Transfer the mixture to a baking sheet and spread it into an even layer. Bake the cookie crumbs until they’re lightly toasted, 10 to 11 minutes. Editor’s Tip: Baking the Oreo crumbs helps make them extra dry and crisp so that they don’t become soggy from the moisture of the ice cream. It’s an extra step that’s well worth the effort.

2. Stage

Transfer the toasted Oreo crumbs back to the mixing bowl, and let them cool slightly. Add the chocolate shell topping and stir to combine. Transfer the chocolate cookie crunch mixture back to the baking sheet. Freeze the mixture for 30 minutes. Crumble the frozen chocolate cookie crunch into small, coarse pieces. Refrigerate them until you're ready to use them.

3. Stage

In a small saucepan, bring the heavy whipping cream to a strong simmer, then remove it from the heat. Place the chocolate chips in a large glass bowl, then add the hot heavy cream. Stir the mixture until the chocolate chips have melted. Stir in the corn syrup and vanilla extract until the chocolate ganache appears glossy and fully incorporated. Set it aside and let it cool completely.

4. Stage

While the ganache cools, remove the vanilla ice cream from the freezer. Let it soften for 15 to 20 minutes on the counter. When the ice cream has softened, spoon about half of the vanilla ice cream into a gallon-size freezer bag or pastry bag. Return the extra vanilla ice cream to the freezer. Snip the corner of the bag to create a half-inch round opening. Begin to pipe the vanilla ice cream around the inside edge of the springform pan, working your way almost to the top of the pan. Use an offset spatula or butter knife to smooth the edges of the ice cream to create a thin, smooth wall of vanilla ice cream around the edge of the pan, leaving a hollow center. This is where the remaining ice cream, fudge and cookie crumbles will go later. Pop the springform pan in the freezer until the ice cream is firm, 20 to 30 minutes. Editor’s Tip: If you don’t have a means of piping the ice cream, you can also simply use an offset spatula to scoop and mold the ice cream around the inside edge of the springform pan. It’s messier, but still works.

5. Stage

Remove the chocolate ice cream from the freezer, and let soften at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes. Once the vanilla ice cream wall has firmed up in the pan, spoon the softened chocolate ice cream into the center of the cake pan lined with vanilla ice cream. Smooth and level the chocolate ice cream with an offset spatula.

6. Stage

Pour a generous layer of the chocolate ganache over the chocolate ice cream layer, then smooth it out with an offset spatula. Sprinkle the chilled cookie crumbles on top of the ganache, then gently smooth them to form an even layer. Pop the pan back in the freezer and chill the chocolate ice cream, fudge and cookie crumble layers until they're firm, 20 to 30 minutes.

7. Stage

Meanwhile, remove the remaining vanilla ice cream again from the freezer, and let it soften on the counter. Once the chocolate layers have firmed up, spoon the remaining softened vanilla ice cream over the other layers. Use an offset spatula to smooth the vanilla ice cream evenly over the other layers. The vanilla layer should come to the very top of the springform pan. Freeze the cake for at least four hours or overnight. Editor’s Tip: Use any leftover vanilla ice cream to fill and smooth out thin patches or spots that are damaged after removing the outside ring of your springform pan.

8. Stage

Meanwhile, place the heavy whipping cream in a large bowl. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the heavy whipping cream at medium-high speed until soft peaks begin to form. Gradually add the confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract, and beat on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Cover the whipped cream and keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to decorate the cake.

9. Stage

Remove the ice cream cake from the freezer. Soak a clean dishcloth in hot water, then use it to defrost and loosen the ice cream from the sides of the springform pan. As you swipe the hot, damp rag against the sides of the springform pan, you should see the ice cream start to pull away from the sides of the pan. Carefully remove the outside ring of the pan. If the outer ring doesn’t remove easily, continue to warm the pan with the hot dishcloth until it separates easily from the cake. Next, use an icing smoother, bowl scraper or bench knife to clean up any imperfections on the sides of the cake. Return the cake to the freezer for 20 minutes to firm up the outside edges. Editor’s Tip: If you have a lazy Susan, using one to spin the cake as you smooth the sides can help give the cake a cleaner, more professional finish. If the walls of your cake have thin spots or areas where chocolate is peeking through, use the reserved vanilla ice cream to repair them.

10. Stage

Use an offset spatula to spread the whipped cream on the top and sides of the cake. Then, feel free to decorate the cake to your heart’s content! We kept things simple with our cake—opting for chocolate ganache drips around the edge, a ribbon of piped whipped icing on the edges and bottom and a healthy smattering of rainbow sprinkles. Either immediately slice and serve the cake, or pop it back in the freezer until you’re ready.