Creating an Ice Cream Cake

Have you ever wanted to have an ice cream cake for your birthday? Chances are that if you have, then you know just how expensive they can be. It doesn't need to be that way though. Instead of shelling out $30 or $40 for a cake, why not make your own? Creating an ice cream cake isn't that difficult if you follow these directions.

Ingredients:

• 1 package cake mix (your favorite type, 18.25 ounce sized)
• 1/2 gallon ice cream, softened (your favorite)

Directions:

1. Bake your cake. The first step in creating an ice cream cake is to bake a cake as you normally would. Simply follow the directions on the package as they are printed. The easiest way to create an ice cream cake is to actually bake the cake in a 9 inch by 13 inch baking pan. Make sure that you allow the cake to cool completely to room temperature before you proceed to the next step.
2. Prepare ice cream. While you can use any type of ice cream that you want, the easiest method for making your ice cream cake is to use the kind that comes in a rectangular carton. Put down a piece of wax paper (to help minimize the mess), and remove the ice cream from the box. Use a piece of dental floss or string, and cut the block of ice cream in half (preferably lengthwise).
3. Lay out ice cream. When you have the ice cream cut into two pieces, lay them out next to each other. Lay them out so that they are side-by-side, not lengthwise.
4. Cover ice cream. Carefully remove the cake from its pan, and place it over the ice cream. Center the cake as much as possible, and then trim the edges of the cake so that the cake and ice cream layers match up to each other.
5. Flip the cake over. With the cake now trimmed you can place a large serving plate, cookie sheet, or even a board that has been covered in waxed paper on top of the cake. Very carefully, using help if you need it, hold the waxed paper and the cake, and flip it over. Remove the piece of waxed paper that is covering the ice cream. You will see a seam between the two pieces of ice cream. Use a rubber or silicone spatula and smooth out this seam so that you have what looks like a single piece of ice cream instead.
6. Cover and freeze. Cover the ice cream again with another piece of waxed paper, and place everything into a freezer, preferably a deep freezer. Allow it to stay there until the ice cream has frozen solid.

When the ice cream has frozen solid, you can then remove the cake from the freezer. While you can always serve the cake as is, where is the fun in that? Take the time to decorate the cake as you want, and then place it back into the freezer. Leave the ice cream cake in the freezer until you are ready to serve it.