Peanut Butter and Hot Fudge Oreo Ice Cream Cake is a cold, sweet, salty, crunchy, creamy, show stopping dessert. It's versatile because you get to pick whatever flavors you want, and create the perfect combination of all of your favorites. Peanut Butter and Hot Fudge Oreo, Cookies and Cream and Cookie Dough explosion, and Neapolitan layers are just a few of the versions of this ice cream cake I have experimented with. So let's begin!

Peanut Butter and Hot Fudge Ice Cream Cake

The only thing better than ice cream cake is homemade ice cream cake because you control the layers. Pick favorite flavors, favorite toppings, and favorite garnishes to take it to the next level. To make this combination, peanut butter is scattered throughout, alongside hot fudge, vanilla ice cream, and chocolate ice cream. A crushed Nutter Butter and peanut butter crumble are the crust, and the cake is topped and layered with an Oreo and hot fudge crumble. This cake is drizzled in hot fudge and peanut butter, then sprinkled with remaining crumbles, and finally garnished with whipped cream and pretzels.

Key Components to Homemade Ice Cream Cake

Springform pan and ice cream sandwiches quartered to prepare for Peanut Butter and Hot Fudge Ice Cream Cake

First of all, there are a few tips that make life considerably easier when you assemble an ice cream cake. Most importantly, use a spring form pan sprayed with cooking spray and cut thick strips of parchment paper to place along the inside edges. The parchment paper prevents the ice cream sandwiches from sticking to the pan, and it creates a barrier between the cooking spray and the ice cream.

Second, use quartered ice cream sandwiches to line the outer edge of the cake. The ice cream sandwiches provide an instant support structure and compliment the flavors of the cake. Use a sharp knife to cut the sandwiches to mitigate smashing them as you cut them. Quartering the ice cream sandwiches is very important because the quartered pieces stand flush to the height of the pan.

Third, use a food processor to make the cookie crumbles. The filling of an Oreo and the filling of a Nutter Butter provide binding, but also make it harder to crush them into small pieces. The food processor speeds up the process considerably, and the separate crumble mixtures store well in sealed containers.

Last, figure out the layers, and then write them down ahead of time. Take out frozen ingredients in the order needed to avoid excessive melting. For example, prepare the spring form pan, line it with the ice cream sandwich pieces, and put it in the freezer. Next, remove the ice cream from the freezer and allow it to sit as you prepare the cookie crumbles. As the ice cream sits and softens, it will be easier to spread into layers.

Peanut Butter Crumble

Before you begin to make the crumbles, remove the ice cream for layering from the freezer. Now it's time to make the first cookie crumble. Nutter Butters make the perfect combination of salty and sweet and the best cookie crust.

Nutter Butter cookies, milk, butter, and peanut butter to make the Peanut Butter and Hot Fudge Ice Cream Cake crust and crumble

Add 12 Nutter Butter Cookies to the food processor, and pulse the processor until the cookies are all small crumbs. Add peanut butter and melted butter for a soft binding, and pulse again until well combined. Remove the peanut butter cookie crumble from the food processor, and then clean the food processor to move on to the Oreo Cookie crumble.

After the food processor has been cleaned out, add 12 Oreo cookies to it and pulse until all of the cookies have been pulverized. Add melted butter, milk, and hot fudge to food processor, and pulse until everything is well combined, and then transfer Oreo Cookie crumble to another bowl.

Begin Assembling Ice Cream Cake Layers

As the ice cream softens, scoop some of the prepared peanut butter crumble into the bottom of the pan. All of the layers of this ice cream cake will work within the border of the ice cream sandwiches. You will not go above or below the ice cream cookie edges. Press the crumble down into an even layer and use the bottom of a round cup or glass to get it nice and smooth. Reserve some of the crumble for the top of the cake.

Next, warm hot fudge sundae topping and stir in the container so that it's easily spreadable. Spoon a thin, even layer of hot fudge on top of the peanut butter cookie crust.

After the hot fudge layer is in place, stir the chocolate ice cream in its container or in a separate bowl to help soften and reincorporate any melted ice cream. Using a spoon or silicone spatula, spread chocolate ice cream into a layer on top of the hot fudge (roughly 1 pint worth of ice cream). Place any remaining chocolate ice cream back in the freezer.

Peanut butter crumble, hot fudgy oreo, chocolate ice cream, vanilla ice cream, ice cream sandwiches to make Peanut Butter and Hot Fudge Ice Cream Cake

Now, stir the vanilla ice cream in its container or a separate bowl. Spread a layer of vanilla on top of the chocolate. Again, use approximately a pint of ice cream and then place the remaining vanilla ice cream back in the freezer. Place the ice cream cake in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before moving on to the next layer.

Peanut Butter and Hot Fudge Ice Cream Cake after leaving the vanilla ice cream layer to set in the freezer for 1 hour.

Oreo Hot Fudge Layer, Toppings, and Garnishes

After the ice cream cake has had time in the freezer, remove it and add a layer of the Oreo Hot Fudge cookie crumble on top of the vanilla ice cream layer.

Peanut Butter and Hot Fudge Ice Cream Cake after hot fudgy oreo filling was added to the vanilla layer and set overnight. Ready for the final toppings and cool whip layer

Time for toppings! Spread a layer of Cool Whip topping over the Oreo Hot Fudge cookie crumble layer. This layer will hold all of the garnishes in place. Sprinkle more of both the Peanut Butter cookie crumble AND the Oreo Hot Fudge Cookie crumble into a healthy heap on top of the Cool Whip layer. Drizzle hot fudge and (optional melted peanut butter) over the heap and outer ice cream cookie edge. Use a Reddi Whip can to add dollops of whipped cream around the border of the cake and place braided, round pretzels around the border as well (just to be extra). Place back in the freezer for 4 hours or overnight before serving the cake.

When you are ready to serve the cake, release the spring form pan and peel away the parchment paper before cutting the ice cream cake. Also, most importantly, plan on making two of these if you happen to be serving as dessert for a gathering of more than 10 people. Despite the serving size, I always have people come back for seconds.