How to store and serve the ice cream cake

Who doesn’t love ice cream cake? It’s the best of both worlds and is just the thing to serve at a summer party.

Although ice cream cake is great, you have to refine how to store and serve it so you don’t have to cut a rock-hard cake.

What is the best way to store and serve ice cream cake? Ice cream cake should be stored in the freezer, as any other place would cause it to thaw and melt. When you go to serve the ice cream cake, be sure to take it out of the freezer and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes or on the counter for 15 minutes.

This ensures that the ice cream cake won’t melt too much, but will be soft enough that you can relatively easily cut it for serving.

So if ice cream cake is going to be served at your next party, read on to find out how to properly store and serve it, so you can enjoy it in the best possible way!

How to store ice cream cake

Ice cream cake, like ice cream, is best kept in the freezer. If you purchased the ice cream cake, it should be packaged in a freezer-safe container.

However, if it isn’t, you should place the cake in an airtight container or wrap it in plastic to protect it from freezer burn and picking up other odors in the freezer.

Wrapping the ice cream cake in plastic or placing it in an airtight container also prevents it from getting rock hard, making it easier to cut when it’s time to enjoy it.

How long do you have to leave the ice cream cake out before serving it?

The ice cream cake should be left out before serving, otherwise it will be too difficult to cut to serve everyone a piece.

You can leave the ice cream cake in the fridge or on the counter to thaw a bit before serving, depending on how much time you have.

You want to keep a close eye on how long you leave the ice cream cake out of the freezer to make sure it doesn’t melt too much.

Here are the two ways to slightly soften your ice cream cake before serving, and how long each takes:

On the counter

If you don’t have much time, you can place the ice cream cake on the counter for a while to soften it up. This is the fastest way to soften your ice cream cake before serving so it’s easier to cut.

When you place the ice cream cake on the counter, you will only need to leave it for about 15 minutes.

This is just the right amount of time for the cake to thaw slightly, but hard enough to serve as a frozen slice of cake.

Keep in mind that temperatures vary, and if your house is especially warm, the cake may thaw faster.

If your house is cold, you may need to wait a little longer for the cake to soften to the point where it’s easy enough to cut.

If the party is outside, be sure to place the cake out of direct sunlight, as it could melt too quickly.

in the fridge

It’s always safest to go slow when softening ice cream cake, and this is best done in the fridge. Be sure to set aside some time to place the ice cream cake in the fridge before serving, so you can serve it on time.

Once you have taken the ice cream cake out of the freezer, place it directly in the fridge.

The cake will take 30-40 minutes in the fridge to reach an easy-to-slice texture, without melting too much, and while still hard and frozen.

After about 30 minutes, check how the ice cream cake is doing, and if it’s ready to serve, you can start cutting it. If you need a little more time, check back in 10 minutes.

The advantage of using the fridge to defrost your ice cream cake is that it will never melt to the point that you can’t use it anymore, and there will be no heat on the cake.

What to do if the cake is not ready to serve

The different sizes of the frosted cakes, and the different environments, mean you’ll have to keep an eye on the cake while you wait for it to soften.

If you’ve left your cake on the counter or in the fridge for the recommended amount of time, and it’s still not ready to serve, there’s not much you can do other than let it defrost longer.

If you had it in the fridge, you can move it to the counter and check it every 5 minutes until you’re ready to slice and serve.

For when you can’t wait any longer, you can fill a glass with hot water and dip a knife into the hot water to warm it up.

Once the knife is hot you can cut the ice cream cake. The hot knife should cut through the ice cream cake easily, even though it is still quite hard.

You may need to reheat the knife between each slice and wipe any excess water off the knife to make sure you don’t soak the cake or cause it to melt too much.

What to do if ice cream cake is left out too long

Parties can be very crowded, and it can be easy to leave the ice cream cake out for too long. What you really want is to avoid having to throw away a delicious ice cream cake that’s been sitting out too long, and you just might be able to salvage it.

If the ice cream cake has softened a bit and started to melt, you can place pieces in an airtight container, wrap it with some plastic wrap, and pop it in the freezer.

If the cake has melted too much and is more liquid than solid, there may not be a way to salvage it.

You also don’t want to risk the ice cream going bad if it’s left on the counter too long, which could be dangerous for you if you eat it later.

When you put your leftover ice cream cake back in the freezer, you should aim to use it within 2-3 months.

This ensures that it retains its best quality and doesn’t develop freezer burn, which could completely ruin the texture and flavor of your ice cream cake.

What is the best way to cut ice cream cake?

Once the ice cream cake has softened a bit so that it’s easy to cut, you’ll need to figure out the best way to cut it.

The best knife for cutting ice cream cake is a long serrated knife. It is also better to use a pointed knife. To make the cut smoother, you should fill a cup with hot water and dip your knife into the hot water before cutting the cake.

Heating the knife makes cutting much easier, but you may need to reheat the knife every few slices. Using a long knife also means you can cut in one go, instead of having to make several additional slices.

How to store and serve the ice cream cake

Ice cream cake is always a hit at parties, but you have to know how to store and serve it to make it as delicious as possible.

Before serving the ice cream cake, you should take it out of the freezer and leave it in the fridge for 30-40 minutes, or on the counter for 15 minutes, to soften it up a bit and make it easier to cut.

Once you’ve cut the cake and served everyone, place the cake back in an airtight container and wrap it with plastic wrap before placing it back in the freezer to keep it longer.

Related questions

Now that we’ve gone over the best way to store and serve ice cream pie, let’s look at some related questions!

How can I keep ice cream cake cold without a freezer?

If you’ve planned a party away from home and you don’t have a freezer to keep your ice cream cake cold, you can use dry ice to keep it cold.

Place the ice cream cake in a cooler and put dry ice between the walls and the cake to keep it frozen.

Can I put candles in an ice cream cake?

You can put candles in an ice cream cake, as long as you don’t let them burn too long and light them too close to the surface of the cake.

You will have to wait a bit after taking the cake out of the freezer for the cake to be soft enough to insert the candles.