This easy No Churn Birthday Cake Ice Cream recipe is smooth and creamy with a blue frosting ripple, and loaded with rainbow party sprinkles inside and out! Perfect for a birthday celebration!
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Anything with sprinkles is a hit here, and this no churn Birthday Cake Ice Cream is no exception!
This delicious no churn ice cream combines the classic flavors of vanilla cake and buttercream frosting with the cool, creamy texture of ice cream.
Whether you’re looking for a unique birthday party treat or just want an easy summer dessert, birthday cake ice cream is sure to be a crowd pleaser!
It’s hard to go wrong with an easy, homemade, no churn ice cream that doesn’t require an ice cream maker like traditional ice cream might (although we love that kind too! Check out my Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream or Coffee Ice Cream if you’ve got an ice cream machine gathering dust).
It takes 5 minutes to whip up, then the freezer will work its magic!
Try some of my other no-churn ice cream recipes like No Churn Oreo Ice Cream, No Churn Biscoff Ice Cream, No Churn Turtle Ice Cream, No Churn Cherry Cheesecake Ice Cream and my No Churn Chocolate Ice Cream for something a bit different.
Ingredients Needed:
- Heavy Cream: there isn’t a good substitute for heavy whipping cream when it comes to making ice cream, so find a good full-fat heavy cream for the best creamy flavor.
- Sweetened Condensed Milk: adds sweetness and substance to the ice cream.
- Mini Cupcakes: to save time, I used simple vanilla cupcakes with a bit of vanilla frosting on top that I got from the grocery store. Some birthday cake ice cream recipes use boxed cake mix and frosting, but since we’d have to heat treat the cake mix, I find this option to be easier — and I love the chunks of cake!
- Vanilla Extract: this is a must for vanilla ice cream but you can swap it with any extract you like for a different flavor.
- Salt: salt helps to cut through the sweetness and will enhance the flavors a bit. You can omit it if you prefer.
- Sprinkles: I used rainbow-colored sprinkles for the classic ‘birthday cake’ funfetti look.
- Food Coloring: blue food coloring will also give your ice cream a classic funfetti look, but you can use a different color if you prefer, or omit the food coloring completely.
How to Make No Churn Birthday Cake Ice Cream
This recipe is quick to whip up! Full instructions are included in the recipe card below.
- Prepare cupcakes: Scrape frosting off cupcakes into a medium bowl. Chop the cupcakes.
- Beat cream: Beat cream with an electric mixer until stiff peaks form.
- Combine ingredients: Add sweetened condensed milk, chopped cupcakes, sprinkles, vanilla, and salt (if using). Beat on low speed just until combined (or use a spatula to fold it in).
- Color frosting: Add a drop of blue food coloring to the frosting.
- Add frosting to ice cream: Drop the frosting by spoonful into the ice cream mixture and swirl but don’t mix in completely.
- Pour into pan and freeze: Spread into a loaf pan and freeze until firm. Top with extra sprinkles.
No Churn Birthday Cake Ice Cream FAQs
This no-churn birthday cake ice cream tastes like cake batter as it has vanilla, sprinkles, and cupcakes, and the frosting goes a long way too! You can add cake batter extract to make the flavor even more intense if you like it that way.
Store your no-churn ice cream in the freezer for up to 2 months. Cover it in plastic wrap, or use a freezer-safe container to make it in.
Tips and Notes
- Cold equipment. While you don’t need to worry about freezing an ice cream bowl for an ice cream maker, you can put your mixing bowl and beaters from a hand mixer, or the whisk attachment from a stand mixer in the freezer for about 5 minutes before using them in the heavy cream. This helps keep the mixture cold throughout the process.
- Serving. Make sure you let the ice cream sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before scooping it out, otherwise it may be a bit too hard to scoop.
No Churn Birthday Cake Ice Cream Variations
- Mix up the sprinkles. Use rainbow jimmies or rainbow-colored non-pareli sprinkles, or other rainbow sprinkles for that funfetti look, or use another kind of sprinkles to match your event or special occasion. Use pink or blue sprinkles for a baby shower, or try green for a St.Patrick’s Day treat!
- Cake. I’ve used store-bought cupcakes, but you could use homemade cake like this Funfetti Cake, or use a funfetti cake mix to make cupcakes if you prefer.
- Gluten-Free. Use gluten-free pieces of cake and gluten-free sprinkles in this recipe to make it fully gluten-free.
- Add-ins. Try some milk chocolate chips or white chocolate chips in the ice cream for added sweetness and texture. Chopped nuts could work well too!
Serving Suggestions
Serve your own ice cream in scoops on the side of pieces of birthday cake as you’re serving it, or put it in ice cream cones in the summertime.
Try my Funfetti Cake – Easy and Homemade, this No Bake Funfetii Icebox Cake, or my Frosted Funfetti Blondies for more colorful birthday-themed treats!
More Frozen Dessert Recipes to Try
No Churn Birthday Cake Ice Cream
written by Ashley Fehr
Ingredients
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream
- 300 ml can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
- 8 mini store-bought vanilla cupcakes
- 2 tablespoons sprinkles
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1 pinch salt optional
- blue food coloring optional
Instructions
- Scrape frosting off of cupcakes into a medium bowl. Roughly chop the vanilla cupcakes.
- In a large bowl, beat cream with an electric mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form.
- Add sweetened condensed milk, chopped cupcakes, sprinkles, vanilla, and salt (if using).
- Beat on low speed just until combined (or use a spatula to fold it in).
- Add a drop of blue food coloring to the frosting (thin with milk or cream if necessary). Drop by spoonful into the ice cream mixture and swirl but don’t mix in completely.
- Spread into a loaf pan or a 2-quart baking dish and freeze until firm. Top with extra sprinkles.
- Allow it to sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving for the best texture.
Notes
- Cream: there is no substitute for whipping cream in this recipe. Other creams won’t incorporate as much air and will be heavy and icy.
- Sweetened condensed milk: I have not tested this recipe with any other sweeteners. It’s important to note that the sugar prevents the ice cream from freezing too firmly, so if you reduce the sweetness or use a different kind you may find your ice cream very hard and icy.
- Mini cupcakes: rather than fuss with heat-treating cake mix, I opted to buy store-bought frosted mini cupcakes. This is a fabulous shortcut! If you prefer, you can add chopped homemade cake or ½ cup of heat-treated cake mix.
- Vanilla: if you want that buttery vanilla flavor, use vanilla extract or cake batter extract. Otherwise, almond extract will taste good too.
- Salt: salt helps to cut through the sweetness and will enhance the flavors a bit. You can omit it if you prefer.
Nutrition Information
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Deborah Dyer says
Fabulous! Made this for a family reunion with positive comments from all who ate this delicious ice cream. Will make often. 🎂
The Recipe Rebel says
Hi Deborah! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!