Dad’s Mammoth Ice Cream Cake – a recipe for feasting

My dad was raised on a farm in southern Minnesota, and when he was 10 his father died, spiraling the family into poverty. Out of this background he retains a practical approach to life – why eat a processed, expensive version of an ice cream cake from a popular chain when you can make your own version better and more cheaply? This recipe is perfect for family birthday feasts, like the one we just enjoyed for our daughter.

Makes 32 standard servings – but most people eat 3–4 servings per slice!

14.3 oz (405 g) package Oreo cookies
16 oz (450 g) tub ready-to-spread chocolate frosting (buttercream icing)
1⁄2 gallon (1800 ml) vanilla ice cream (softened)
1⁄2 gallon (1800 ml) chocolate ice cream (softened)
1 cup (120 ml) milk approximately

Before you start, make sure you can assemble all of the ingredients quickly because the ice cream soon makes a melty, sloppy mess. Crush all of the Oreo cookies, except 5, in a bowl. Add the milk gradually and stir to make a slurry – a mixture the consistency of a thick cake batter. Fold in the chocolate frosting (icing). Set aside.

Spread the chocolate ice cream evenly into the bottom of a 9-in (23 cm) springform pan. Spoon in the Oreo slurry. On top, add the softened vanilla ice cream. You’ll discover that the pan will not hold the full amount of the vanilla ice cream, so you will need to pile it up toward the middle.

Crush the remaining Oreo cookies and sprinkle them on the top. Cover with aluminum foil and freeze for several hours or overnight.