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What makes ice cream cakes so perfect for any occasion is their flexibility. You can either buy an ice cream cake or make one from scratch. Your cake can be very basic, or you can choose from a variety of flavors. However, I’ve always had issues with cutting these ice cream cakes. This made me dive deep into the proper ways of cutting an ice cream cake.
As a general rule, you can cut an ice cream cake by dipping a long serrated knife into hot water and gliding it all the way down with each slice. Make sure to wipe the knife dry after dipping it into the hot water and repeat the process with each slice.
While cutting an ice cream cake may seem like a simple task, I found out the hard way that there are many additional aspects that go into it. In this article, I’ll break down everything that I found about cutting homemade as well as store-bought ice cream cakes. There’s a difference!
How to Properly Cut Ice Cream Cake?
Properly cutting an ice cream cake step-by-step:
- Remove the cake from the freezer
- Allow it to thaw for up to 15 minutes at room temperature
- Prepare a large glass of hot water
- Dip a large serrated kitchen knife into the hot water
- Dry the knife with a towel
- Cut the ice cream cake straight down
- Avoid making a saw-like motion with the knife
- Dip knife into hot water again
- Repeat the process before each additional slice
*By the way, I like to use the right type of utensils when cutting my ice cream cake and after some research, I recently came across an awesome Set of A Cutting Spatula and A Serrated Serving Knife that works great for properly cutting an ice cream cake. You can check out this set on Amazon!
When it comes to special occasions, no dessert will make an impression quite as strong as an ice cream cake. I’ve served many ice cream cakes for summer family events, birthdays, graduation ceremonies, and even special family dinners.
Any time that I wanted to make an event seem more special without spending a lot of money or taking up a lot of extra time, I added an ice cream cake with the assumption that every slice will look nice after cutting it.
However, I quickly found out that there should be a method to slicing a frozen cake.
After following these simple step-by-step instructions, I no longer had a problem with my ice cream cake falling apart while trying to cut it. My job now was to make each slice look as neat as possible!
Tips for Making Sure Your Slices Are Neat
Always make sure that your knife is washed between each slice. Also always make sure that you dry the knife after you wash it.
Since the knife is warm after dipping it in hot water, you need to press down firmly when cutting an ice cream cake. It will glide down with ease all the way to the bottom. Avoid making a saw-like motion of the cake as it will start falling apart.
If you have a round ice cream cake, your cake will look best if you cut the cake into triangle pieces. If you have a square cake, square slices will look the best.
*By the way, one of the most important things to know after baking an amazing-looking cheesecake is How To Properly Cut it to Prevent it From Falling Apart. I wrote an article talking about The Right Way To Cut A Cheesecake, which you can find here!
What Type of Knife Should You Use to Cut Ice Cream Cakes?
A long serrated knife will work best when you are cutting an ice cream cake. You should also make sure that the knife has a pointed tip. Using this type of knife will ensure that your cuts go all the way through the cake and result in neat and clean slices.
How Long Do You Leave Ice Cream Cake Out to Thaw Before Cutting?
If your ice cream cake is store-bought, you need to leave it out 30 minutes before cutting the cake. If your ice cream cake is homemade, you need to leave it out for no longer than 15 minutes before slicing the cake. This is because store-bought ice cream cakes are frozen for a longer period of time.
The guidelines are different for store-bought cakes because they are frozen at much lower temperatures and for longer periods of time and will need more time to thaw.
The guidelines for store-bought cakes may also vary if you buy a larger or smaller cake. Small six-inch cakes may only need 20 minutes to thaw, while larger 16-inch cakes may need up to 45 minutes to thaw.
How Long to Thaw Ice Cream Cake Before Serving?
As a general rule, you can leave ice cream cake to thaw for 10 to 20 minutes before serving it. This will allow the ice cream cake to thaw and soften long enough for you to be able to bite into it without a problem. Make sure to time it right as it is hard to know when you’ll start eating it.
Can You Put Ice Cream Cake in the Fridge?
You can put ice cream cake in the fridge for a limited time as it will start melting within 1 to 2 hours. You can put the ice cream cake in the fridge to thaw instead of using the counter, or you can put the ice cream cake in the fridge after you have sliced it to keep the cake cool.
If you leave the cake in the fridge too long, it will begin to melt. That’s why leaving the cake in the refrigerator overnight will not work!
The specific amount of time you can leave an ice cream cake in the fridge depends upon the size of the cake and how cold you keep it, but in general, you should be able to leave an ice cream cake in the fridge for at least a couple of hours.
How to Cut a Hard Ice Cream Cake?
The best way to cut a hard ice cream cake is to allow it to thaw for about 20 minutes before you cut it. This will allow the cake to provide less resistance when you cut it, which means your cake will have smoother slices. When the cake is hard, it will break apart when pressed down with a knife.
If you don’t have time to let the cake thaw first, you can still cut the cake while it is hard. Simply use a sharp serrated knife with a pointed end and make sure you dip it in hot water before slicing the cake.
When I’m in a hurry, I usually place the Hard frozen ice cream cake in the microwave for about 5 seconds (no more than 10 seconds). This helps the exterior of the cake to loosen up a bit for my knife to get in and cut through.
The instructions for cutting a still-frozen ice cream cake are the same as the instructions for a cake that has been allowed to thaw, but you will have greater resistance from a frozen cake.
I always allow my cakes to thaw before I cut them. Not only are the cakes easier to cut when they have thawed, but they can quickly be served and eaten.
Serving ice cream cake that is still frozen is not something that guests typically appreciate, because who wants to bite into a hard piece of ice cream cake?
How to Travel With an Ice Cream Cake?
To keep an ice cream cake from melting when you travel is to place the cake in a cooler with some dry ice. Before you are on the road, keep it in a freezer until you are ready to go. If you don’t have any dry ice available, you can place containers full of regular ice to keep the cake cold enough.
When I travel with ice cream cakes, I pack the ice cream into the car at the last moment and make sure that my air conditioner is working in the vehicle before I start my journey.
I have successfully traveled up to two hours with an ice cream cake in my car using dry ice and a cooler!
If you have to serve the ice cream cake right as you arrive, you can start cutting it right away without thawing it. If you don’t have to serve it right away, just place it in the fridge or freezer depending on how much time you have.
*By the way, if you want to learn How to Travel With Your Cheesecake Safely so that it doesn’t fall apart, I recently wrote about it in my article that you can find here!
Are Candles Appropriate for an Ice Cream Cake?
As a general rule, you can use candles on an ice cream cake. In order to make sure that the candles will work, the cake should be melted enough that you can stick the candles into the cake. Don’t leave the candles lit for very long as they will melt the top of the cake.
Birthday cakes aren’t quite known as birthday cakes without candles!
Using candles with both homemade and store-bought cakes has always been successful for our family, as long as we light the candles right before we are ready to sing “Happy Birthday!”
I always place the candles with the right amount of space in between each so that I know how big I want to cut each slice. Cutting a cake with candles this way will allow you to have correct proportions as well as a possibility of serving only one slice as the birthday cake!
How to Serve Ice Cream Cake Correctly
You can serve an ice cream cake on a sturdy platter that has been chilled in the freezer for at least thirty minutes prior to serving. A chilled platter will allow the cake to retain its shape in a chilled state while using room temperature platters will speed up the melting process for the cake.
When you serve ice cream cake, you can be as creative as you want with garnishments. Fruit, sauces, candies, and cereals are just a few of the additions that you may wish to add to the cake.
I usually cut each slice of cake before serving it and place each slice on the serving plate with an even amount of space in between them. This design looks very nice!
For children’s birthday parties, I often add a generous serving of their favorite flavored cereal.
For fancier occasions, such as a July 4th party, I will add a drizzle of caramel or fudge sauce. These additions are especially great to use when I have decided to purchase a store-bought cake instead of making one from scratch.
How to Store Leftover Ice Cream Cakes
As a general rule, you can store leftover ice cream cake by placing it in an airtight container and putting it in the freezer. This will prevent the leftover ice cream cake from getting a freezer burn on the edges of the cake. If not stored correctly, freezer burn will make the cake inedible.
How Long Can You Store Ice Cream Cake?
On average, ice cream cake will last for up to seven days when stored in the freezer. While ice cream cake can be stored in the refrigerator, it will begin to melt within a couple of hours. Do note store ice cream cake at room temperature as it will begin to melt immediately.
The cake is a family favorite, no matter what the temperature outside might be, and it disappears quickly!
I have never personally had any difficulty with consuming ice cream cake within seven days of placing it in the freezer.
Final Thoughts
The only challenging aspect of serving an ice cream cake is cutting the cake. Fortunately, if you follow the tips I have developed over the years of serving the cake, you’ll be serving ice cream cake like a pro in no time!
