By Samantha Seneviratne
- Total Time
- 35 minutes, plus cooling and about 8 hours' freezing
- Rating
- 4(823)
- Notes
- Read community notes
These ice cream sandwiches make a perfect summertime treat. The thin brownie cake layer bakes quickly, which is a bonus on hot days, and the filling need not be homemade. Freezing time can vary so be sure to plan ahead. Give the assembled cake plenty of time before trying to cut and wrap individual sandwiches and make sure the finished sandwiches are well-frozen before serving.
Featured in: The Joys of a Classic Ice Cream Sandwich
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Ingredients
Yield:12 servings
- 1½sticks/170 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly, plus more at room temperature for the pan
- 1cup/128 grams all-purpose flour
- ¾cup/75 grams cocoa powder
- ¾teaspoon baking powder
- ¾teaspoon coarse salt
- 1cup/200 grams granulated sugar
- 2large eggs
- 2teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2pints/1 quart good-quality vanilla ice cream
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (12 servings)
324 calories; 18 grams fat; 11 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 39 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 26 grams sugars; 5 grams protein; 191 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13- by 18-inch rimmed baking sheet and line it with parchment paper.
Step
2
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and salt.
Step
3
In a large bowl, whisk together butter and sugar until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until smooth. Beat in vanilla. Add the flour mixture and beat until combined. (The batter will be thick.)
Step
4
Scrape batter into the pan and, using an offset spatula, smooth to a thin, even layer, leaving a small border of parchment paper around the edges. Bake until cake is set, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer pan to a rack to cool completely.
Step
5
When you are ready to assemble, remove ice cream from freezer and let it stand for a few minutes to soften slightly.
Step
6
Using the parchment, transfer the cake to a cutting board. Cut cake in half crosswise so that you have 2 pieces that are about 9 by 13 inches each. Using a large ice cream scoop, dollop ice cream evenly over the top of one half of the cake. Using an offset spatula, spread ice cream into an even layer. Place the remaining piece of cake on the ice cream, with the top facing down, to make a large sandwich cake. Immediately wrap it well in plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least 8 hours.
Step
7
Remove the large sandwich cake from the freezer and take off the plastic wrap. Trim about ¼ inch off of each edge and then cut into 12 smaller sandwiches. Wrap each sandwich well in plastic wrap and freeze until firm and ready to serve.
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823
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Cooking Notes
Emily Weinstein, Deputy Food Editor
Buttering the pan helps keep the parchment paper in place as you spread the batter, which is relatively thick; the parchment itself helps you lift the cake out of the pan after it has baked and cooled. We hope you enjoy the recipe.
Kim Lagrue Conover
I have made ice cream sandwiches before using a different recipe that was more like a cookie. The key to the ice cream is to buy a rectangular box of ice cream- not a tub. Tear away the paper and use a hot sharp knife to slice the ice cream while it is hard. You will get nice, even slices of ice cream.
Liz
Ignoring all those ridiculous snarky remarks accompanying the article, I made these and they are delicious! Easy to make, too. Just make sure the ice cream (whatever flavor you use) is spreadable but not melted. Enjoy!
david
I'd lay the container on it's side and run a sharp knife under hot water, then slice through the container to create discs of ice cream.
Julie
Freeze the cake before you put the ice cream on it. It will be less fragile and help keep the ice cream cold.
Ejane
I agree, this is a lovely yet fairly simple recipe best made by cooks who are familiar with methods of cooking. Please stop being so critical of the recipes. I love NY Times recipes but sometimes get tired of the petty remarks.
Fred
Baked the sandwich component today for the first time to go with homemade vanilla cream with with chocolate chips and dried cherries. It was a knockout. After baking and cooling I cut the sandwich bottom and top to fit into a 10 x 12 baking pan that I had lined with parchment paper. I poured the ice cream from the churn into the pan and froze for 30 minutes before I put on the top. Several hours later with a little prodding it came out of the pan. We sliced it up and served a happy family.
Ejane
Leave it out until it feels spreadable to you is what they mean. Some kitchens are hotter and some kitchens are cooler. Also, the season of the year will affect the timing of the melting. Use common sense to achieve the most spreadable ice cream.
Terri L.
Made the cookies in silicone muffin cups. Did a little math (much easier for me than trying to cut even pieces at the end), and figured 19 grams per. They popped right out after baked I put back in and built and froze the sandwiches in them, they popped right out with a bit of warm water and I had 16 identical and delicious sandwiches. Great recipe!
betteirene
A night in the freezer did the trick. The cake froze, but wasn't hard like a brick. To get nice clean cuts like in the picture, I dipped a bench scraper in a bowl of hot water and wiped it off between cuts with a paper towel. It made 12 sandwiches about the size of Klondike bars.
The sandwiches were nice and chewy and tasted sort of like a brownie only not as sweet. The grandkids loved them, so I'll be making these regularly.
Can't wait to try it with coffee ice cream.
YCook
I agree. Thinking maybe 30-60 minutes in the fridge might get it to thaw more evenly. I have made ice-cream based desserts where you take it out, let it thaw 10+ minutes (room temp), put in a large bowl and with a masher, get it to spreadable consistency.
Marjorie
lt seems to me that leaving the ice cream out on the counter for a few minutes would yield a still very firm, not spreadable ice cream. ???
Gardiner
I am confused why you are buttering the sheet pan AND using parchment? What is the point of this?
Jeannie
Big problem with this recipe. I will be making it often!! Delicious.
Kim Lagrue Conover
Buy a rectangular container of ice cream. Tear away the paper carton and use a hot sharp knife to make even slices. Way easier and fast. I don't let the ice cream thaw whatsoever.
Vanessa Britton
Oh my gosh . . . The sounds I made while eating this would make a nun blush!! I made this with homemade no churn ice cream, which made this fly through the heavens and landed in my heart. Holy smokes! I'm not sure which I tasted first, the salt or the chocolate cocoa powder, but it married my homemade ice cream without my permission and made it an honest dessert. I'm okay with it now and they now have my blessing to be together forever.
Namepc2
Use coarse saltMake 2 pansCover dough w parchment to spread evenlyFreeze cake 8 hrs before spreading w ice cream
sdurkin
I recommend freezing the ice cream in a 9x13in container lined with parchment paper. That way you can just slide it onto the cookie part and cut from there.
Jeanne
Took it to a family/friend summer celebration; adults and children were very impressed to be served homemade ice cream sandwiches.
Leanna
Made these as written and they came out great! I did have some trouble picking up half the cake for the top so I cut it into quarters instead. Definitely make a day ahead - they were a little soft still after 8 hours in the freezer but the texture was perfect the next night.
NHMama
Made this gluten free. Worked out great. Used KAF measure for measure gf flour.Baked a bit too long (16 minutes)...next time will stick to recipe time.Thank you for this recipe!- my teenager with celiac was able to have his first ice cream sandwich. Joy!
Edward in Paris
8 minutes for baking is enough
Anne
Delicious except that I would increase the salt to a generous 1 tsp of kosher salt next time. I froze the dough before assembling and it was easy (I will also put the ice cream in the fridge for 15 minutes+ next time as others have suggested). Make sure to respect the 8 hour + freeze time for best results.
Albert
Great recipe! I used strawberry ice cream.
Carolyn S.
Delicious and easy. Best to start a day in advance. try mint chip ice cream.
Abi
Such a great recipe! The batter is really thick but just keep going with it as the result is delicious.
leonard canter
This recipe makes a great ice cream sandwich. I found it even easier to use two 13x8" cake pans so that after the layers cool, the ice cream goes over one layer and then gets topped with the other layer and the whole thing pops into the freezer. Made intense homemade coffee ice cream and the combination was stellar.
Liz F
I made it with coffee ice cream: divine.
Dan E
Excellent with texture and flavor I expect in the cookie layer. Slightly chewy like I remember them in the Good Humor days of the '60's.. Have made this several times. I always try to keep some of these on-hand in the freezer. I use Breyer's Natural Vanilla ice cream for this recipe.
superunknown
Amazing recipe. A perfect project for a vacation or a long weekend. Low stress but requires some planning ahead (for an overnight freeze). The best reward in addition to all the compliments is that you get to eat all the odds and ends while cutting out the sandwiches - tasty slivers of the cookies and cream.
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