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Ending this first week of summer with my favorite ICE CREAM CAKE.

Triple Layer Roasted Berry Pinata Ice Cream Cake | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

The only way to do it in my book!

Clearly it’s been a bit of an ice cream week here on the site. Last Friday I shared this S’mores peanut butter ice cream cake, Tuesday I shared this easy raspberry shortcake ricotta ice cream, and today it’s ice cream cake!! Too much ice cream?

Um, NO definitely not. It’s summertime, therefore there’s no such thing as too much ice cream. I mean, that’s just crazy people talk.

ps. I have a big giveaway going on right now over on this Instagram post and today is the last day to enter. So make sure you head over there…it’s ice cream related!

Triple Layer Roasted Berry Pinata Ice Cream Cake | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Triple Layer Roasted Berry Pinata Ice Cream Cake | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Triple Layer Roasted Berry Pinata Ice Cream Cake | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

OkokOK, so I’ve been working on this ice cream cake for a couple of weeks now. It took me a while to get it just right, but when I finally did, I knew all the time and effort was worth it. Not only is this cake crazy fun and pretty, but it’s also DELICIOUS. Even though I love pretty things, the most important aspect is always that my recipes are yummy. And trust me, this cake is yummy and then some.

Here’s the thing, while ice cream cakes are really not hard to make, they just take time. I wanted so badly to give you guys an ice cream cake recipe that required only one simple freezing. But in the end, the cake I dreamed up needed a couple of freezing sessions. Seeing as it’s a layered ice cream cake, I’m hoping that if you’ve read this far, you realize that’s to be expected. Don’t hate me. Promise this cake is worth the time, just be sure to plan ahead when making.

This is not the cake to decide on making hours before a party. Think ahead guys, it’s worth it!

Triple Layer Roasted Berry Pinata Ice Cream Cake | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Triple Layer Roasted Berry Pinata Ice Cream Cake | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Now that I got that little disclaimer out of the way, let’s chat about this here ice cream cake.

With the 4th of July right around the corner, I really wanted to create a fun and festive ice cream cake to celebrate. The first layer is my favorite vanilla cake recipe. Because I wanted to do a red, white, and blue cake, I decided right away that this cake would have zero chocolate. I know, totally out of the norm for me, but I still LOVE this cake. it’s vanillay and berrylicous.

To create the fun surprise inside, we are cutting out a small portion of the cake’s center to make room for fresh berries. Then frost the cake with whipped butter cream and top with a layer of homemade roasted berries. I mean, I mean, that right there is already so good.

But then, it gets better! Add a thick layer of vanilla ice cream (you will cut the center out of this layer as well), frost it and fill the hole with fresh berries (I used strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries for pretty red and blue colors). Now add the final layer of vanilla cake, sealing those berries inside. Frost, freeze, and decorate.

DONE.

You now should have a piñata ice cream cake that is more than perfect for the 4th of July!

Triple Layer Roasted Berry Piñata Ice Cream Cake | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Triple Layer Roasted Berry Piñata Ice Cream Cake | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Triple Layer Roasted Berry Piñata Ice Cream Cake | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

What’s so fun about this cake is that when you bring it out, guests will just assume it’s a simple ice cream cake, but as soon as you cut out a slice, colorful berries will spill out!

So fun right? Typically these piñata style cakes are filled with candy, but with all the red and blue berries in season,  I really loved the idea of using berries. Plus they are so delish and pretty!

This cake is really just a classic combo of vanilla cake with ice cream and berries, put presented in such a cool way. Aside from the major fun factor, it’s also addictingly good. The two vanilla cake layers surround the ice cream, creating a perfectly balanced bite every single time.

Plus, towards the end of eating, the ice cream starts to melt into the cake creating some of the most delicious forkfuls ever.

Again, so good.

4th of July we are armed and ready for you! Bring on the fun…and all the red, white and blue piñata cakes.

Triple Layer Roasted Berry Piñata Ice Cream Cake | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Triple Layer Roasted Berry Piñata Ice Cream Cake | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Roasted Summer Berry Piñata Ice Cream Cake

Triple Layer Roasted Berry Piñata Ice Cream Cake | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest
4.43 from 7 votes
16 servings
calories 332kcal
Prep1 hour
Cook50 minutes
freezing time4 days 4 hours
Total1 hour 50 minutes
Time to treat yourself with this stunning ice cream cake
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Ingredients 

Whipped Buttercream

Instructions 

  • 1. Line one (8 inch) spring form pan with plastic wrap. Spread the ice cream in one even layer. Freeze until firm, 6 hours or overnight. Once Frozen, cut a 10cm round from the center of the cake. Remove center and save for later. Place the ice cream back in the freezer. 
    2. To make the cake. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (8-inch) round cake pans with parchment paper, then grease with butter.
    3. In a medium size bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. In the bowl of a stand mixer (or use a hand-held mixer) beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, beat in the eggs. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients with the mixer on low, alternating with the buttermilk and ending with flour until just combined.
    4. Pour the batter among the cake pans and bake 25-30 minutes, until the tops are just set and no longer wiggly in the center. Remove and let cool five minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a rack to cool further. To one of the cakes, cut a 10cm round from the center. Remove the center and discard. Keep the remaining cake layer whole. Freeze the cakes until frozen, at least 2 hours. 
    6. To make the berries. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a 9x13 inch baking dish, combine the berries and honey. Transfer to the oven and roast for 15-20 minutes or until the berries have burst and released their juice. Let cool. 
    7. To make the buttercream. Add the butter and powdered sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat the butter and powdered sugar together until the butter is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and continue beating, scraping down the sides as needed, for another 2 minutes. Add the heavy cream and whip the frosting for 2-4 minutes more or until light and fluffy.
    8. To assemble the cake. Lay the vanilla cake layer, the one with the hole cut out of the center, flat on a serving plate. Spread with buttercream over the cake, then add half roasted berries over the buttercream. Add the ice cream cake layer and again, spread the buttercream over the ice cream and inside the hole. Spread the remaining roasted berries on top of the buttercream ice cream layer. Freeze 2 hours or until firm. 
    9. Remove the cake from the freezer and fill the hole with fresh berries. Now add the remaining vanilla cake layer and frost the cake all over with the remaining buttercream. Freeze another 2 hours or until firm. Just before serving, decorate the top of the cake with berries. Slice and enjoy! 

Notes

*10 hours freezing time required

Nutrition

Calories: 332kcal | Carbohydrates: 54g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Cholesterol: 129mg | Sodium: 449mg | Potassium: 182mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 37g | Vitamin A: 1180IU | Vitamin C: 0.9mg | Calcium: 94mg | Iron: 1.2mg

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Did you make this recipe? Please rate & comment below.

Triple Layer Roasted Berry Piñata Ice Cream Cake | halfbakedharvest.com @hbharvest

Also, sparkles on summer cakes are my favorite thing ever. <–apparently I am still 8 years old.

Meet Tieghan Gerard

I'm Tieghan, the recipes you'll find here are inspired by the people and places I love most. I try to live simply, eat seasonally, and cook with whole foods. My hope is to inspire a love for amazing food, as well as the courage to try something new!

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4.43 from 7 votes (5 ratings without comment)

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42 Comments

  1. Laura | Tutti Dolci says:

    Bring on all the pretty berries – this is beyond gorgeous!

  2. Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says:

    Absolutely gorgeous Tieghan! The perfect cake for the 4th!

    1. halfbakedharvest says:

      Thanks Mary Ann!! Hopefully it will be!!

  3. Toni Julianelle says:

    I only have one complaint about this post. SERIOUSLY. With so many gorgeous photos how on Earth are we supposed to pick ONE to PIN??? Argh. Sigh. Guess that’s a high class problem right? I can always pin three I guess that wouldn’t be the end of the world. And now I know what to bring to bring to the summer barbecue party I have coming up! So psyched. Great job.

    1. halfbakedharvest says:

      Hahah! Totally had me a bit worried as I started it read this one! But I can deal with that being the problem (:
      Thanks Toni!

  4. Elizabeth Van Lierde | The College Housewife says:

    This is seriously one of the best fourth of July cakes I have ever seen. It’s patriotic without being an ounce of tacky. Great job Tieghan! Have a great weekend.

    1. halfbakedharvest says:

      Awh wow thank you so much Elizabeth, Hope your weekend was fantastic!

  5. Natasha @ Salt & Lavender says:

    Gahhh this cake looks amazing!! Definitely worth the time. 😉

    1. halfbakedharvest says:

      Thanks Natasha! Hope you can try it!

  6. heather (delicious not gorgeous) says:

    fruit-filled pinata cakes sound good to me (: do you think swiss meringue buttercream would work here instead of the american buttercream?

    1. halfbakedharvest says:

      I think a swiss meringue buttercream would be AMAZING!

  7. Erica says:

    Any way you could post photos of the assembly steps (or maybe an Instagram video)? I’ve read steps 8 and 9 over and over again but can’t seem to make sense of how it fits together!

    1. halfbakedharvest says:

      HI Erica! Thanks so much for letting me know you’d like process photos. I will definitely add some to this post a long with try to do them in the future as well! And I will try and do a video too. Is there anything I can try and help you with in the meantime?

      Thanks again! ?

  8. Deborah @ The Harvest Kitchen says:

    Gorgeous summer cake!!! And I love all the berries with it!!

    1. halfbakedharvest says:

      Thanks Deborah! Loving these summer berries coming around!

  9. Kiara says:

    This looks amazing! I’d love process photos or tutorials for cakes because they’re kind of advanced-mode for some of us. Have you thought of doing something like that?

    I’m totally giving this a go, regardless. So fresh!

    1. halfbakedharvest says:

      Hey Kiara!! Thanks so much for letting me know you’d like process photos. I will definitely add some to this post a long with try to do them in the future as well! Thanks again! 🙂

  10. Laura L Mavin says:

    WOW+WOW.
    STUNNING cake, that’s it…stunning! Quite brilliant and scrolling through the sensational photos was downright fun! And sparklers? COME.ON.
    You are a girl after my own heart! PERFECT.
    Well done Tieghan, VERY.WELL.DONE.

    1. halfbakedharvest says:

      YESS so happy you like it and the sparklers are just my inner kid wanting to have some fun!! Then realizing they fun to shoot to!!

  11. Allison | Always Eat Dessert says:

    This is incredible! Pinata cakes are so fun, but I’ve only ever seen them with candy in the center. I love your take on a fruity pinata cake (and the addition of ice cream doesn’t hurt, either)!

    xx Allison

    1. halfbakedharvest says:

      Thank you!! I just love my fruits so I thought i’d go for it!

    1. halfbakedharvest says:

      Thanks Rebecca (:

    1. halfbakedharvest says:

      Its my summer go too!! Happy you like it, thanks Ruth!

  12. Sara says:

    Wow. This is a must try. Your recipes are always inspiring and the styling, too. But this one is even more so. Thanks.

    1. halfbakedharvest says:

      Awh thank you so much Sara so so happy you like it(:

  13. Liz S. says:

    If someone ever comments that you’re posting about too much ice cream, block them 😉 Love this festive ice cream cake! Happy weekend to you xx

    1. halfbakedharvest says:

      Haha!! I love posting ice cream!! So happy your liking it too! Thanks Liz