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Fried Ice Cream Cake

Fried ice cream cake with a golden cinnamon-sugar corn flake crust that mimics fried ice cream without deep-frying. Vanilla ice cream is pressed into a crunchy coating, then frozen until solid for clean slices at parties.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
freezing 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 540
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Corn flake crust
  • 4 cup corn flakes Finely crushed
  • 0.5 cup butter Melted (1 stick)
  • 3 tbsp sugar
  • 2 tsp cinnamon
Ice cream cake
  • 0.5 gallon vanilla ice cream Softened
  • 0.5 cup honey
  • 0.5 cup caramel sauce
  • 1 whipped cream For topping
  • 1 maraschino cherries For topping

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Make the cinnamon corn flake crust
  1. Mix crushed corn flakes, melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon until the mixture looks evenly coated and sandy.
  2. Preheat the oven to 300°F for 10 minutes, then spread the mixture on a sheet pan and toast briefly until fragrant and slightly darker, about 2–3 minutes.
Build the springform cake
  1. Press half the corn flake mixture firmly into the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan.
  2. Freeze the crust for 15 minutes to set before adding ice cream.
  3. Spread the softened vanilla ice cream evenly over the crust.
  4. Top with the remaining corn flake mixture and press gently to adhere so it fully coats the surface.
Freeze, finish, and serve
  1. Freeze the cake at 0°F (or the coldest setting) for at least 6 hours until completely solid.
  2. Drizzle honey and caramel sauce over the top right before serving so the crunchy coating stays crisp.
  3. Finish with whipped cream and maraschino cherries before slicing.

Notes

Pro tip: press the corn flake mixture firmly and evenly—especially against the sides—so you get a true crunchy shell when sliced. Store covered in the freezer up to 1 week; for best texture, add honey/caramel and toppings only right before serving. Freezing is yes; thawing is not recommended for crunch. For a lighter swap, use low-fat vanilla ice cream while keeping the corn flake crust the same.