Single-Layer Chocolate Hot Fudge Ice Cream Cake

Ice cream cake is the EASIEST summer dessert ever when you make this simplified single-layer chocolate hot fudge ice cream cake! You can’t beat the homemade hot fudge sauce.

Easy frozen summer desserts are a GO! Ice cream cake definitely doesn’t sound firsthand like it should be on this list, but trust me: This. Is. Real.

I couldn’t make up all that cake + ice cream + hot fudge goodness if I tried.

Here’s the scoop: (ha) Hot fudge ice cream cake is a HUGE love of mine in the summer but making any ice cream cake is classically known as a pain in the butt. We all know it.

Enter SINGLE chocolate cake layer. Followed by one layer of frozen ice cream + a whooooole lotta hot fudge sauce. It’s so simple and so freaking amazing. As all summer desserts were SUPPOSED to be.

^^ Yes, that is homemade hot fudge sauce and it is literally worth more than gold if you ask me. It’s SO easy to make too! I go over the recipe in detail below, but just know that it whips up in minutes on the stovetop with all the chocolate sauce basics. So freaking worth it.

Our chocolate cake layer is pretty much just as simple. It’s the name of the game today >> flour, sugar, cocoa, etc. Just cake basics to make just a simple, moist, classic chocolate cake layer.

It’s literally a DREAM how fast this cake assembles. Chocolate cake layer goes first, then frozen ice cream layer (homemade or storebought both work beautifully!) and let it all chill out in the freezer for a few hours.

Then hit it with a literal waterfall of hot fudge. The heavier the BETTER.

Make it rain. Any leftovers taste great on a spoon, just sayin’.

This hot fudge ice cream cake slices up a like an actual dream and you KNOW that you gotta dump more hot fudge on your personal slice for obvious reasons.

Don’t expect this cake to last in the freezer for too long. It’s simple summer desserts like this that are the actual BEST.

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5 from 1 vote

Single-Layer Chocolate Hot Fudge Ice Cream Cake

Ice cream cake is the EASIEST summer dessert ever when you make this simplified single-layer chocolate hot fudge ice cream cake! You can't beat the homemade hot fudge sauce.

This recipe may included paid links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

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Prep Time 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes minutes

Chilling Time 4 hours hours

Total Time 4 hours hours 45 minutes minutes

Servings 9 servings

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
• 1/4 cup melted butter
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup hot brewed coffee (or hot water)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup white whole wheat flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups softened vanilla ice cream

Hot Fudge Sauce

• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup agave syrup
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

Cake

• Preheat oven to 350F. Line the bottom of a 9-in cake pan with a parchment paper round and lightly grease bottom and sides. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk sugar, oil, egg, milk, coffee, and vanilla until smooth. Add flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt to liquid and gently fold until just combined (batter will be slightly thin)
• Scrape batter into prepared pan. Bake cake at 350F 28-30 minute or until cake comes out with moist crumbs sticking to it. Cool cake completely on a wire cooling rack then, invert onto a serving plate and cool completely.
• Line a 9-in cake pan with plastic wrap and carefully spoon softened ice cream into bottom of it, flattening into cake pan. Cover top with plastic wrap and freeze ice cream until completely solid, about 2 hours.
• Remove plastic wrap from ice cream and invert cake onto ice cream. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze cake 2 hours or until frozen solid. Store cake in freezer.

Hot Fudge Sauce

• In a medium saucepan, whisk milk, agave, sugar, and cocoa powder until steaming. Remove from heat and whisk in chopped chocolate until completely melted and glossy. Whisk in cream, salt, and vanilla.
• Invert ice cream cake onto a serving plate and pour hot fudge sauce over top. Slice and serve cake immediately. Enjoy!

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