Ice Cream Birthday Cake


Recently, we celebrated our daughter's 2nd birthday. When I realized her birthday fell on a Saturday this year, I was super excited. However, it also fell on a Labor Day long weekend and no one could make it. Boo:( There are two things I'm always afraid of when I plan parties: 1) everyone I invite comes or 2) no one I invite comes. We had everyone come a few times in past parties but never no one come. So it was just the four of us and nothing like her epic 1st birthday party last year. But it was actually really nice.


This summer has been super busy for us and days prior to her birthday, I was up late every night working for the school PTSA. I was so tired so I was actually relieved that we weren't going to throw a big party. I was kind of sad I didn't get to throw my dream ice cream parlor birthday party. Another year, I guess!

We were in a heat wave so I decided to make an ice cream cake for the first time. This was a chance for me to try something new and there was no pressure at all. I have never been stress free on a party day ever until now. It was so relaxing! The four of us went running on the trail when we woke up. We had breakfast when we got back, then we took my daughter to Giggle Jungle, an indoor playground in town center. In the afternoon, while she napped, I finished off my cake and prepared stuff for the BBQ. We grilled plank salmon, tofu, cheese and sausages and I made quinoa corn salad. Then we took pictures and had cake.





Ice cream cake ready to be frosted.

Our BBQ birthday meal.






The cake was large and heavy because I only had a 10 inch spring-form pan. It was easy enough to do but it involved many steps in and out of the freezer so it wouldn't melt. In fact, I had to do the whipped cream frosting in two steps because it was way too hot out that day. I also had a bit of a leak the first time I layered on ice cream so then I started to wrap the bottom of my pan with aluminum foil. Lol. I baked my chocolate cake first into a thin layer. Next time I think I would like it even thinner. The cake was basically 50% cake and 50% ice cream and cream. I would have wanted more ice cream.

Here were my layers, from top to bottom:
  • Sprinkles and sugar cookies
  • Whipped cream frosting, tinted turquoise and pink
  • Vanilla ice cream
  • Strawberry ice cream
  • Oreos, chopped into pieces
  • Chocolate fudge
  • Chocolate ice cream
  • Chocolate cake

I cheated here and there on this one. The only homemade stuff I made for the cake was the chocolate cake, strawberry ice cream and whipped cream frosting. Well, I took some of the vanilla ice cream and added cocoa powder and melted chocolate to it to make chocolate ice cream as well. The rest was purchased from Trader Joe's. The strange thing is, I don't even feel guilty about it. I have been so busy working that even assembling this cake was an accomplishment. Lol.

We have been very strict on my daughter's diet up until now. We are slowly letting her eat more and more of what we eat now, as long as it's not too salty or too sweet. She did try some of her ice cream cake! Just a small silver and she liked it! Small steps.





My baby is practically a little girl now. Wow. She had a fun filled day with the four most important people in her life and we took lots of pictures to show her when she gets older. No fancy big party needed.

Comments

  1. This is such a cute article. I take birthdays very seriously so I could relate to you on so many parts. The cake looked absolutely delicious and now I'm craving for one. Lovely family photos.

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