You are going to love this Brownie Rocky Road Ice Cream Cake! Ice cream and summer go hand-in-hand, but ice cream cakes are even better. Perfect for all birthdays and celebrations! (But especially for Father’s Day!) If you love this dessert, try my Piggy Pie Dessert or Blueberry Lemon Heaven Dessert!
Brownie Rocky Road Ice Cream Cake
To make this cake even more special I decided to make my own ice cream. With the help from my Cuisinart Ice Cream maker, I was able to create a fresh and decadent chocolate ice cream that really puts this cake over the top! You don’t have to make your own ice cream if you want to make this decadent dessert. Feel free to buy some chocolate ice cream. 🙂
How to Make a Rocky Road Ice Cream Cake
chocolate ice cream recipe (below)
brownie recipe (below)
1 cup chopped or sliced almonds
2 (12-ounce) jars of hot fudge
2-3 cups of mini marshmallows
3 cups whipped cream (or one 16-ounce container of Cool Whip)
9×13 pan
parchment paper
offset spatula
Start by making the ice cream. I like to do this the day before made assembling this cake much faster! If you are using store-bought ice cream, allow it to come to room temperature so that you can spread it easily. It will be a bit messy, but that’s ok.
Prepare brownies, bake, and allow to cool. (This can also be done in advance. Allow brownies to come to room temperature, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to assemble.)
When ready to assemble, spread out chocolate ice cream evenly over cooled brownie.
Next add a layer of roasted almonds, about 1 cups.
The next layer is mini-marshmallows, about 2 cups.
Next is one 12-0unce jar of hot fudge which has been warmed slightly so that it can pour easier.
Chill cake in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Spread whipped cream evenly over top of cake and drizzle with more hot fudge.
Freeze for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
How to Serve an Ice Cream Cake
It’s really hard to cut through a completely frozen cake, so I try to remove it from the freezer about 10 minutes before serving.
Run a sharp knife under warm water. I like to keep a wet paper towel nearby to wipe off the knife between cuts. Cut into the frozen cake with the warm knife using firm, straight cuts. You may need to run the knife under warm water again. After you have cut a piece, place on a plate and serve immediately. It starts to get a little sloppy after it has warmed up, but this cake tastes so amazing you won’t care one bit about a little mess. 🙂
More Brownie Desserts:
Rocky Road Ice Cream Brownies
Equipment
- Ice Cream Maker
Ingredients
Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe
- ¾ cup (87 g) cocoa, sifted
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ⅓ cup (67 g) packed brown sugar
- 1 cup (245 g) whole milk
- 2 cups (480 g or 16 ounces) heavy cream
- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup hot fudge sauce
Brownie Recipe
- 1 ½ cups (186g) all-purpose flour
- ⅓ cup (42 g) dark cocoa
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 cups (400 g) granulated sugar
- ¾ cup (1 ½ sticks / 170 g) butter, softened or room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
Toppings
- 1 cup roasted almonds
- 2 cups mini marshmallows
- 12 ounces hot fudge, warmed
- 16 ounces (about 3 cups) whipped topping
Instructions
Chocolate Ice Cream Recipe
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the cocoa, sugars, and salt. Add the milk and with a hand-mixer on low, mix until sugars are dissolved. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla.
- Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Whisk once more prior to adding to ice cream maker. Follow machine directions for preparing ice cream.
Brownie Recipe
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a 9×13-inch baking dish with non-stick spray or GOOP.
- In a large bowl add flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt. Whisk together ingredients until they are fully incorporated.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a large bowl using a hand-held mixer beat the eggs, sugar, butter, and vanilla until light and fluffy.
- With the mixer off, add in the flour mixture. Turn mixer on low and mix until ingredients are well combined.
- Pour brownies into a prepared baking dish and bake for 30-35 minutes at 350°F. Brownies are done when an inserted toothpick is removed with crumbs but not wet batter.
- Allow cooling before assembling ice cream cake.
Assembling the Cake
- Spread out chocolate ice cream evenly over cooled brownie. (If you are using store-bought ice cream, allow it to warm up before spreading.)
- Next add a layer of roasted almonds, about 1 cups.
- The next layer is mini-marshmallows, about 2 cups.
- Next is one 12-ounce jar of hot fudge which has been warmed slightly so that it can pour easier. Pour half (or eyeball how much you want) over marshmallows.
- Chill cake for 15 minutes.
- Spread whipped cream evenly over top of cake and drizzle with remaining hot fudge.
- Freeze for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight.
Did you make this recipe?
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Can you make this with a cake mix instead of brownie
Hi, I’m wanting to make an ice cream cake that is half rocky road and moose tracks. The crust is going to be a pretzel crust. Could you give me some pointers or ideas on how I can make this with it being half one and half another since they have different ingredients in them. I was going to use Rocky road ice cream and moose tracks ice cream to make it easier. Thank you!
Hi there! What a fun and creative idea—I love the combination of rocky road and moose tracks! Using ice cream makes it so much easier, and that pretzel crust sounds like the perfect salty-sweet balance. Here’s how I’d approach it:
Start with the Crust:
Mix crushed pretzels with melted butter and a little sugar (optional) for your crust. Press it into the bottom of your pan and let it set in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes to firm up before adding your ice cream layers.
Divide and Conquer:
To get a clean half-and-half look, place a sturdy piece of cardboard or heavy-duty foil down the middle of the pan after the crust has set. Make sure it fits snugly and stands up straight.
Layer Your Ice Cream:
On one side, scoop and spread the rocky road ice cream. On the other side, do the same with the moose tracks ice cream. Try to spread them evenly so both flavors freeze at the same height.
Once both sides are done, carefully remove the divider (a gentle wiggle helps) and smooth the seam where the two flavors meet.
Optional Toppings:
Top the rocky road side with extra marshmallows, nuts, or chocolate chunks.
For the moose tracks side, drizzle fudge or sprinkle crushed peanut butter cups on top.
Freeze:
Let the entire cake freeze for at least 4-6 hours (overnight is even better) to make sure it’s firm and easy to slice.
Slice and Serve:
Run your knife under hot water between cuts for clean slices. This will help keep the two flavors distinct and pretty!
I hope this helps! Let me know how it turns out—I’d love to hear about your delicious creation! ❤️🍦
Thank you very much for telling me how to make this, your instructions were very detailed and easy to understand. A lot of what you said to do never crossed my mind. I think I was thinking too much about it and it made it more complicated than it was. I will definitely let you know how it turns out. Thank you again!!!