{Oh, so easy ice cream "cake"}

  Homemade ice cream cakes are super yummy and so easy to make. 

My kids always ask for them on their birthdays, hot summer days, cold winter days . . . 

Honestly, the hardest part is walking back and forth to the freezer.  

I freeze mine between every step . . . exercise in advance.  Smart.  

You'll need the following ingredients:

1 half gallon of your favorite ice cream - I {heart} Blue Bell

1 jar of ice cream topping

1/4 cup of butter

12 oz. container of Cool Whip

1 pkg of Oreos

Well, not as many oreos as pictured!  I had some LARGE quantities on hand.  Extra Oreos & Cool Whip always come in handy.  Two to three "sleeves" from a large package like this or just a normal size package of Oreos will do.

Besides being easy, the best thing about homemade ice cream cakes are the options! 

My kids prefer Mint Chocolate Chip or Cookies & Cream so I use hot fudge topping.

Pecan Pralines & Cream is delicious with Carmel topping.  Of course, Chocolate Covered Stawberry ice cream is awesome with Strawberry topping . . . let me know what flavor combination you adore!  

{It will give me an excuse to make another for a taste test.}

Crush your Oreos - use a food processor if you have one or crush them the way I did during the pre-food processor college years and smash them in a Ziploc bag.

Melt your butter, mix in the Oreo crumbs and press into the bottom of a 9"x13" pan.

Pop the crust in the freezer and pull out your ice cream.

Let the ice cream soften just a little.

Go get your Oreo crust out of the freezer and cover it with scoops of ice cream.

Smooth out the ice cream and return it to the freezer.  Let it get good and frozen again.

You can go take a nap now if you'd like.  I know this has been hard on you.

Remove the lid from your ice cream topping and microwave for 30 - 45 seconds . . . just enough to soften it.  Spread it all over the ice cream and freeze it again.

Now that you can definitely find your freezer with your eyes closed . . . go get it out of the freezer again and cover it with Cool Whip.  Refreeze for a couple of hours before serving. 

If I ever had my own cooking show it would be titled, "The Distracted Chef."  I tend to wonder out of the kitchen and overly multi-task so not all my dishes turn out right.  This takes a few interrupted hours so it's perfect for me.

Melt in your mouth delicious!  

Okay, so ice cream melts anyway but it's so much better when it's melting in your mouth.

Homemade Ice Cream Cake

1 half gallon of your favorite ice cream

1 jar of ice cream topping

1/4 cup of butter

12 oz. container of Cool Whip

1 pkg of Oreos

1. Crush the Oreos, melt the butter, combine and press into the bottom of a 9"x13" pan and freeze.

2. Remove the ice cream from the freezer and allow it to soften just a little, remove the Oreo crust from the freezer and cover with scoops of ice cream.  Smooth the top and then return it to the freezer.

3. When the ice cream is throughly frozen take it out of the freezer.  Remove the lid from the ice cream topping and microwave it for 30 - 45 seconds.  You just want it to soften.  Spred it over the ice cream and then return it to the freezer.

4.  Remove it from the freezer, again, and cover it with Cool Whip.  Return it to the freeze for at least 3 hours.  Sprinkle with Oreo crumbs if desired for garnish.  

*Tip: Heat a knife by running it under hot water to make it easier to cut.

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