This is THE FUDGIEST fudge brownie ice cream cake, stacked with fudgy Dutch cocoa brownie, cookies & cream and coffee ice cream, magical fudge sauce, Oreo crumbles, and homemade espresso whipped cream. 
I first made this ice cream cake for my boyfriend’s birthday as a nod to his favorite childhood dessert. I was pretty sure it would make him happy, but I was caught off guard when the whole crowd went absolutely nuts for it. With one bite of the cold fudgy brownie, smooth fudge sauce, cookies & cream and coffee ice cream, hunks of crunchy Oreo, and fluffy espresso whipped cream all sandwiched together, I understood why. This is the definition of indulgence. The ultra-deep and rich chocolate flavors of the Dutch cocoa brownie and dark chocolate fudge are divine, and the coffee, Oreo, and cream balance and enhance the chocolate even further. Importantly, while it tastes seductively rich, it’s not overly sweet. Dark chocolate and coffee lovers, rejoice.
The concept of an ice cream cake seems simple enough… ice cream, maybe some cake, something crunchy, something fudgy, some whipped cream–layer it up and you’re all set. But there’s a trick: All the elements need to taste great frozen, and most cakes aren’t best served frozen. You can obviously count on ice cream; but for me, a mound of nearly all ice cream in the shape of a cake with whipped cream on top isn’t worth the effort. Enter the fudgiest brownie ever–so fudgy that it still tastes rich and decadent when it’s frozen. That’s what I want layered up in my ice cream “cake.”
The Fudgiest Brownie
The brownie layers for the ice cream cake are adapted from my all-time favorite fudge brownie recipe. The chocolate flavor is super deep and rich thanks to Dutch-process cocoa (which is alkalinized to balance the natural acidity of cocoa). And the extra dense, super fudgy, luscious yet slightly chewy texture is achieved with butter, an extra yolk, both granulated and brown sugar, honey, cornstarch, and no leaveners (baking soda or powder). It’s a one-bowl wonder and the only brownie recipe you’ll ever need.
For the ice cream cake, the key is to keep the brownie very fudgy–borderline under-done. Remove it from the oven when a toothpick or fork inserted in the center comes out with sticky crumbs/smudges (not covered in liquid batter, but definitely not clean). This usually takes about 24 minutes at 350 in my oven. It will continue to firm up as it cools, and you want it to still have a fudgy, chewy texture when frozen.
The Hot Fudge Sauce
To be totally honest, I think this hot fudge sauce is my favorite part of the whole cake.
It comes together in just a couple minutes on the stove with butter, cream, Dutch cocoa, honey, brown sugar, high-quality dark chocolate, and vanilla. The ingredients seem pretty straightforward, but there is something so special about the resulting chocolate flavor that I just can’t put my finger on. You see people’s eyes light up when they taste it and just think, RIGHT?!?! Why does it taste SO good.
If you have any leftover fudge sauce, store it in the fridge, sealed, for 1-2 weeks. Warm it up gently in the microwave (a few seconds at a time, stirring in between) and drizzle it over any treat that could use a dose of magic.
The Espresso Whipped Cream
When ready to serve, the ice cream cake is topped off with clouds of fluffy homemade espresso whipped cream. The light and airy texture balances out the dense fudge brownie cake perfectly. It is sweetened very lightly, and the espresso flavor is not overwhelming–just enough to complement the coffee ice cream. It’s one I can eat by the spoonful without hesitation.
Assembly
You have a few options for baking the brownie and assembling the ice cream cake. First, choose how you want to present the final cake (and what pans you have to work with), then shape and cut your brownie accordingly:
- Rectangular ice cream cake with 4 thin brownie layers (pictured): Bake the brownie in an 8×8-inch square brownie pan. When completely cool, cut the brownie in half to form 2 rectangles, then cut each of those rectangles horizontally through the center to form 4 thinner brownie layers (pictured below). Assemble the ice cream cake in a loaf pan. (It’s ok if the loaf pan is a little larger than the brownie layers. Plastic wrap will help the ice cream cake hold its shape.)
- Rectangular ice cream cake with 2 thick brownie layers: Bake the brownie in an 8×8-inch square brownie pan. When completely cool, cut the brownie in half to form 2 thick rectangles. Assemble the ice cream cake in a loaf pan as above, but using 2 thick brownie layers instead of 4 thinner layers.
- Round ice cream cake with 2 thin brownie layers: Bake the brownie in a 9-inch round springform pan. When completely cool, cut the brownie horizontally through the center to form 2 thin round brownie layers. Assemble the ice cream cake in the same 9-inch springform pan. Remove the sides of the springform pan to serve.
Thick or Thin?
To help balance out the textures and create a more cohesive slice, I like to cut the brownie into thinner pieces and make more layers. At its full thickness, the frozen brownie can feel heavy and may overpower a bite. As long as you don’t over-bake it, though, it will still be fudgy and chewy–not too hard to eat. I’ve made this ice cream cake both ways (2 layers of full-thickness brownie and 4 layers of half-thickness brownie), and both were successful. The approach is up to you!
If you choose the loaf pan method, layering the cake will look something like this.
- Before starting, line the pan with plastic wrap with excess hanging over the sides. You’ll pull the plastic wrap over the cake after assembling to help it hold its shape.
- Layer completely cooled brownie, slightly softened ice cream (just easily scoopable, not melty), cooled fudge sauce, and chopped Oreo. (The fudge and Oreo can go on top of the brownie or the ice cream, doesn’t matter.)
- After every ice cream layer, place the cake back in the freezer for a few minutes to let it set up. If the ice cream is still soft and you stack a brownie on top of it, the ice cream will spill out over the sides. Melted ice cream around the sides will then re-freeze and get icy, and you do not want that.
- Repeat the layers, alternating between cookies & cream and coffee ice cream.
- If you make 4 brownie layers, you will end up with 3 ice cream layers (e.g. cookies & cream, coffee, cookies & cream), about 2/3 pint per layer, with brownie on top.
- If you make 2 brownie layers, you will have 2 ice cream layers, 1 pint per layer, with brownie on the bottom and in the middle.
Coffee Oreo Fudge Brownie Ice Cream Cake
This is THE. FUDGIEST. fudge brownie ice cream cake. It's stacked with layers of fudgy Dutch cocoa brownie, cookies & cream and coffee ice cream, magical hot fudge sauce, Oreo crumbles, and fluffy homemade espresso whipped cream.
Notes
The hot fudge recipe is adapted from Smitten Kitchen.
This recipe can make an 8-inch long rectangular ice cream cake (in a loaf pan) or 9-inch round ice cream cake (in a springform pan). See the post above for more details about the assembly options.
Ingredients
For the brownie:
- 10 Tbsp (1 stick + 2 Tbsp) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp honey
- 2 large eggs + 1 egg yolk, at room temperature
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup + 2 Tbsp (88g) Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 2/3 cup (85g) all-purpose flour
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
For the fudge sauce:
- 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 Tbsp packed brown sugar (light or dark)
- 2 Tbsp Dutch-process cocoa powder
- 1/8 tsp fine sea salt
- 3 oz bittersweet or dark chocolate, chopped
- 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
For assembly:
- Cooled brownie layers
- Cooled but pourable fudge sauce
- 1 - 1 1/3 pints cookies & cream ice cream
- 2/3 - 1 pint coffee ice cream
- 6-8 Oreos, roughly chopped
For the espresso whipped cream:
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 2 Tbsp powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp -1 tsp instant espresso
Instructions
Make the brownie:
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line an 8-inch square brownie pan or 9-inch round springform pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add melted and cooled butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, honey, eggs + yolk, and vanilla. Stir with a whisk just until combined. Don't over-mix.
- Sift in cocoa, flour, and salt, and stir until the batter is evenly combined.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Bake 24-26 minutes, or until just set but very fudgy (borderline under-done). A toothpick inserted into the center should come out with sticky crumbs/smudges (not covered in liquid batter, but definitely not clean). Remove the pan from the oven.
- Let the brownie cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Then, transfer the brownie with the parchment paper to a wire rack to cool completely. You may place it in the refrigerator to help it firm up.
Make the fudge sauce:
- Combine the butter, cream, honey, brown sugar, cocoa, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir as the ingredients melt together, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring frequently, 3-5 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in chopped chocolate. Stir in vanilla. Pour into a container to cool to room temperature.
Assemble:
- When the brownie has cooled completely, cut it to form your brownie layers: For the 8-inch square brownie, cut the brownie in half to form two 8x4-inch rectangles. To make four thinner brownie layers, cut each rectangle horizontally through the center. If the layers are uneven, shave brownie from the thicker parts and mold to thinner parts to make the layers as even as possible. It should be very fudgy on the inside. (You may also leave these as 2 thick brownie layers—see post above.) For the 9-inch round brownie, cut the brownie horizontally through the center to form two 9-inch round brownie layers. Adjust as needed to make the layers even.
- Line a loaf pan (for the rectangular brownie) or the 9-inch springform pan (for the round brownie) with plastic wrap, leaving excess wrap hanging over the sides. (It's ok if the loaf pan is a little larger than the brownie layers. Plastic wrap will help the ice cream cake hold its shape.)
- Only if needed, set the ice cream out for just a couple minutes before layering the cake. It should be easily scoopable, but NOT melty.
- For four thin brownie layers: Place the first layer of brownie (face-up) into the bottom of the loaf pan lined with plastic wrap. Spoon ~2/3 pint cookies & cream ice cream on top and spread evenly. Freeze a few minutes to set. Spoon chocolate fudge sauce over the ice cream, then sprinkle Oreo crumbs on the fudge. Top with 2nd brownie layer. Freeze to set (as needed). Spoon ~2/3 pint coffee ice cream on top and spread evenly. Freeze to set. Top with fudge and Oreo crumbs, then 3rd brownie layer. Spoon on the last ~2/3 pint cookies & cream ice cream, and freeze to set. Top with fudge, Oreo crumbs, then 4th brownie layer. Spread fudge all over the top. Pull the sides of the plastic wrap over the cake to hold its shape, and cover the top with additional plastic wrap as needed so the entire cake is covered. Freeze at least 6 hours, or until firm.
- For 2 brownie layers: Follow instructions above, but layer: brownie, (optional fudge, Oreo), 1 pint coffee ice cream, fudge, Oreo, brownie, (optional fudge, Oreo), 1 pint cookies & cream ice cream, fudge.
Make the whipped cream:
- Add the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and instant espresso to a chilled metal mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer for 4-5 minutes, or until medium to stiff peaks form. Store covered in the refrigerator until ready to serve the cake.
Serve:
- When ready to serve, remove the cake from the freezer, and lift it out of the loaf pan with the plastic wrap or unhinge the sides of the springform pan. Spread espresso whipped cream on top. If desired, rewarm any leftover fudge sauce in the microwave for a few seconds, stir, and drizzle over cake.
- Store leftover ice cream cake in the freezer up to 1 month. Store leftover fudge sauce covered in the refrigerator for 1-2 weeks. Reheat fudge sauce in the microwave a few seconds and stir to reach saucy consistency.