{ the strawberry swing }: Melted Ice Cream Cake

I love cake. I love ice cream. I love ice cream with cake. If you fall into any of these categories, you'll love this. { And if you don't, well... I'd like to know how you resist. }

This post is based on a very simple formula:

White Cake Mix + 2 Cups Melted Ice Cream + 3 Eggs = Melted Ice Cream Cake

I don't even think you can even call this a recipe. It works with any flavor (try Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia!), but for my sister-in-law's birthday I went with Cookies & Cream. Coupled with my favorite butter cream cheese frosting, I'd venture to say that this is the best Oreo cake I've ever had!

Cookies & Cream Melted Ice Cream Cake

Adapted from The Cake Mix Doctor

Ingredients

1 box White Cake Mix { I like Duncan Hines }
2 cups melted super premium Cookies & Cream Ice Cream

1 frozen pint should get you what you need
I don't recommend whipped or low fat varieties... they have too much air and won't yield 2 cups melted from 1 pint

3 eggs
1 18-ounce package Oreo Sandwich Cookies
Butter Cream Cheese Frosting { double batch }

Special Equipment

Food Chopper { or plastic bag and mallet for crushing cookies }
Stand Mixer

Instructions

Set ice cream out approximately 30 minutes ahead of time to soften and begin to melt.
Preheat oven to 350*.

If you're using an ice cream package larger than 1 pint { and clearly don't want to melt it all }, just spoon some out into a measuring cup.

Count out ten Oreos from the package. Eat one. Then pop the rest into your food chopper.

Don't have a food chopper? Don't fret. Just grab a big zip-top plastic bag and a mallet or heavy soup can. Pound away your frustrations. : )
Pulse the chopper until cookies are roughly chopped. You want the them about in fourths.

Transfer chopped Oreos to a bowl.
Then, grab 12 more Oreos. Pop these in the food chopper and pulse until finely crumbled. Place the crumbles in a separate bowl. { Pictured in front below. }

Check and see if your ice cream is a consistency about like the below. It's okay if it's not entirely liquid, the mixer will take care of the rest.

Using a stand mixer, combine melted ice cream, cake mix and eggs on low speed until just incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl down with a spatula if necessary.
Increase speed to medium and mix for two minutes.

Notice that all of those yummy cookie pieces are pulverized. Let's fix that. Remove bowl from mixer { let someone lick the beater! } and fold in the Oreo chunks. These are the larger pieces from the food chopper.

Divide batter evenly between two greased and floured { or greased and lined! } 9" round cake pans.

Bake for 23-28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Cool in pans for ten minutes.
Then transfer cakes to wire racks and cool completely. { If you used the liner method, remove the wax paper immediately after inverting. Otherwise, it traps heat and will take longer to cool. }

While cakes cool, make a double batch of Butter Cream Cheese Frosting.
Spoon out about 1/3 of frosting into a separate bowl.

Fold remaining cookie crumbles into the smaller bowl of frosting.

Place one cake layer on a cake stand or cardboard cake round, dome side up. Using an offset spatula, spread cookie/frosting mixer evenly on top.

Invert second cake domed side down to stack cakes.

Spread a thin layer of plain frosting around the entire cake - top, sides and all. It needn't be pretty or perfect. { This is what's called a crumb coat. It'll keep crumbs out of your top layer of frosting! }
Then pop the cake into the fridge for at least 15 minutes. It's a good chance to do the dishes.