This fun, festive, and easy chocolate rainbow ice cream cake is perfect for celebrating!

Fun and festive Chocolate Rainbow Ice Cream Cake!

This week my oldest boy is five. FIVE! I can’t believe it, how fast time flies!

A few weeks ago I asked him what kind of cake he wanted for his birthday party, giving him all the options I could think of off the top of my head. He put a few of my suggestions together and requested a chocolate rainbow ice cream cake. My kid may be a baking genius— how fun does that combination sound?!

I thought long and hard about how I was going to pull it off and ended up with this: layers of simple chocolate cake with a filling of homemade rainbow-swirled ice cream, all covered with whipped cream and rainbow sprinkles. I couldn’t find an idea of what I had in mind online, so I kind of made it up as I went and crossed my fingers.

And it turned out so fun!

Fun and festive Chocolate Rainbow Ice Cream Cake!

Fun and festive Chocolate Rainbow Ice Cream Cake!

The cake layers are from my favorite go-to chocolate cake and the ice cream layer is a super simple homemade no-churn recipe inspired by this one I found on pinterest.

I used to turn my nose up to the idea of those whipping cream + sweetened condensed milk no-churn ice creams I’ve been seeing everywhere lately, but now I’m totally on board. Who cares if it’s not the real thing, it tastes amazing! And you can’t beat just a few minutes of prep time and the fact that it doesn’t require an ice-cream machine.

When it finally came time to slice the cake, I was so happy to see that it turned out exactly as I’d hoped. And the birthday boy was overjoyed! We had a large group together at his party so I served both this cake and a few dozen cupcakes. If cupcakes are more you’re style, don’t worry, I’ve included instructions for those below in the recipe too.

If you’ve got a celebration or birthday coming up, I can’t recommend this fun chocolate rainbow ice cream cake enough. It was a huge hit!

Fun and festive Chocolate Rainbow Ice Cream Cake!

baking tip:How to bake flat cake layers

Here’s how to bake flat, even cake layers. No more trimming and leveling, and no fancy tools needed!

Step 1) Measure your cake batter and make sure all of your pans have the same amount. You can use a liquid measuring glass or a digital kitchen scale (my preferred method).

Step 2) Bake the cakes at a lower temperature for longer. Baking at a lower temperature slows the spring in the leavening, which prevents a dome from forming on your cake. Reduce oven temp to 325 and increase baking time by approximately one-half.

For more details, see my full photo tutorial on how to bake flat cake layers.

Fun and festive Chocolate Rainbow Ice Cream Cake!

Fun and festive Chocolate Rainbow Ice Cream Cake!

Chocolate Rainbow Ice Cream Cake

Servings: 16 servings
Prep Time: 45 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Freeze Time: 6 hours
Total Time: 7 hours 15 minutes
This fun, festive, and easy chocolate rainbow ice cream cake is perfect for celebrating!

Ingredients
 

For the cake:

  • 1 ¼ cup hot coffee (295 ml)
  • 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (110 grams)
  • 2 ½ cup all-purpose flour (300 grams)
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon salt (5 grams)
  • 2 ½ teaspoon baking soda (11 grams)
  • 2 cups granulated sugar (400 grams)
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 ¼ cups sour cream (282 grams)
  • 1 cup + 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (267 ml)

For the ice cream:

  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream (500 ml)
  • 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk (400 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Red, yellow, green, blue and purple gel food coloring , see Note

For the whipped cream:

  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream (500 ml)
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar (100 grams)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • Rainbow chips or sprinkles

Instructions
 

To make the cake:

  • To make the cake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour 2 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans and line bottoms with parchment paper.
  • In a bowl, whisk together the coffee and cocoa powder until no lumps remain. Set aside. In another bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda.
  • In a large bowl, beat the sugar and eggs together until smooth and pale yellow in color. Stir in the sour cream, followed by the vegetable oil. Add the flour mixture all at once and stir until combined. Stir in the cocoa mixture and mix until smooth.
  • Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 25-35 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove and place on a wire rack to cool completely. Can be made in advance: Cover cake layers in plastic wrap and store in fridge for up to 5 days or double-wrapped in the freezer for up to 2 months.

To make the ice cream:

  • Whip heavy whipping cream to stiff peaks. Fold in sweetened condensed milk and vanilla. Divide into 5 bowls and color each red, yellow, green, blue and purple.
  • Line an 8 or 9-inch cake pan (whatever you used to bake your cake layers) with plastic wrap. Dollop alternating spoonfuls of the colored cream mixture into the pan, then take a knife and run it through the mixture a few times to swirl the colors together. Flatten the top with a spatula. Freeze for at least 4 hours.

To assemble the cake:

  • Whip heavy whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla to stiff peaks.
  • Place one cake layer on a plate or cake stand. Remove ice cream layer from pan and plastic wrap and place on top of cake layer. Top with remaining cake layer.
  • Cover with whipped cream and decorate with rainbow chips/sprinkles as desired. Freeze for at least 1 hour before serving. Let sit at room temperature a few minutes before slicing with a sharp knife. Store leftovers in the freezer.

Notes

NOTES:
  • Look for gel food coloring in craft or specialty kitchen stores, a well-stocked grocery store, or online. To achieve bright, vibrant colors you'll need most or all of a single container of food coloring.
  • Make into cupcakes: Fill greased or paper-lined muffin pan with batter 2/3 full. Bake about 15 minutes. Let cool, then cut out centers. Layer ice cream into a 9x5-inch loaf pan and freeze 4 hours. Scoop small spoonfuls of ice cream and place in the centers of the cupcakes. Top with whipped cream. Yield 36.
Ice cream recipe inspired by Big Bear's Wife.
Calories: 549kcal, Carbohydrates: 65g, Protein: 8g, Fat: 31g, Saturated Fat: 19g, Cholesterol: 130mg, Sodium: 435mg, Potassium: 285mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 46g, Vitamin A: 1097IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 143mg, Iron: 2mg
Cuisine: American
Course: Dessert
Author: Annalise
Have you tried this recipe?I’d love to hear about it! Leave a rating and review below, or take a photo and tag it on Instagram @completelydelicious with #completelydelicious.

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