Celebrations around the globe aren’t complete without a cake. It comes in a variety of shapes and flavors. But, perhaps the world’s favorite version is the ice cream cake. And, just like its traditional form, you can modify it to fit any occasion. Continue reading to learn some simple steps on how to decorate it.
Prepare the Cake
You’d want your cake to stay together while decorating it, so keep it as frozen as possible. Before starting, put it in the freezer for at least three hours. This will ensure that the base is set when you apply the icing.
There are a lot of flavors available, but the favorites are chocolate, vanilla, cookies n’ cream, and strawberry. Other people also prefer mint chocolate, cookie dough, buttered pecan, moose tracks, and Neapolitan.
Tip: If you don’t have a cake yet, you can search for a Carvel ice cream cake store locator and go to the branch near you. After your purchase, hurry back home and place it in the freezer.
Choose a Theme
While waiting, select a theme for your ice cream cake. It could revolve around a specific movie, book, or a sport. Or, consider the occasion. Are you serving it at a birthday party? Maybe Christmas? Or you just want something extra for dessert?
A simple birthday cake might be covered with sprinkles and balloons made of frosting. Meanwhile, you can create a football-themed treat by turning the top into a field with green fondant and icing. There’s also a popular design that imitates a scene from the books The Little Prince and Harry Potter.
Tip: Try looking through the internet, food and dessert magazines, or social media for design ideas. Gather some inspiration and plan how you’d like to decorate the cake.
Decorate the Cake
With your theme in mind, the next thing to do is to choose a suitable frosting. Some variants tend to break and crack at low temperatures, so using the wrong kind may ruin your ice cream cake.
Experts recommend a malleable frosting like buttercream. You can use a stabilized whipped cream as well, something you can purchase at nearby baking stores. You can also make the frosting at home; just combine one tablespoon of cornstarch with a cup of whole cream then whip until fluffy.
You can also use other goodies to complete your design. Chocolate squares can serve as tiles or bricks and crushed cookies as soil.
Tip: Due to its natural form, cakes from the Carvel ice cream store melts, so when decorating, you have to pay close attention to how long the cake has been out of the freezer. Remember to put it back there every 30 minutes.