Keep things cool with this take on summer’s hottest dessert! A no bake s’mores ice cream cake is always a party hit, and easy to make.
Can we celebrate the classic foods? The desserts that – while novel – still feel comforting and equally delight everyone? Because this no bake s’mores ice cream cake falls into that category. I’ve served it twice at parties already, with no leftovers. No matter what other dessert I’ve served alongside, this no bake cake gets the most compliments, hands down!
The crazy thing is, you don’t even have to make any of it from scratch if you don’t want to! So many desserts require so many details and so much effort. But this one, with just a little time needed, is a stunner basically composed of remixed store bought items. I do make my meringue frosting from scratch, but I’ll tell you what you need if you’d like to skip that step too. The simplicity of this dessert makes me love it even more…
Why do you make your ice cream s’mores cake in a loaf pan?
I appreciate that this is a good use for my underused-in-the-summer loaf pan.
This s’mores cake is set up in a loaf pan only because it’s the easiest way to get neat graham cracker layers. Also, the loaf shape provides the best ice cream and graham cracker to toasted meringue ratio.
A square cake, depending on how you cut it, would leave some with just the tiniest square of toasted meringue. That whisper of marshmallow, such an important part of a s’mores, would be totally overlooked. Quite unacceptable, darlings.
You’ll notice that this isn’t an issue in the slices of this cake. Since the loaf pan fits a full quart of ice cream, I don’t slice all the way across. I easily get 12-16 servings out of the loaf pan by cutting each slice in half. That way, everyone gets a top and side of toasted meringue magic, and 4 meringue lovers get the ends. It’s perfect.
What if I don’t want to make meringue frosting?
I promise it’s easier than you think! But if the thought of making meringue frosting scares you, buy marshmallow fluff. The jarred marshmallow fluff found at the store is a solid substitute that toasts well.
Do you have any tips for spreading the frosting over the cake?
I do! Because as you can see when you watch the video, it’s a bit fussy. This is not a pretty dessert, darlings. It’s a rustic looking no bake cake for casual parties. The uncut version of this cake isn’t even pretty enough to make it as a featured image for this post. I tried. Like many of the best things in life, the beauty of this dessert is within.
To get a nice frosting coating though, spoon the frosting on top of the cake, then press it down the sides. This works better than starting at the sides of the cake and working up. If you have a little sliding, don’t worry about it. Dollop on a little more frosting and keep going. Once you toast it, no one will notice or care.
Can I toast the marshmallow topping in the broiler?
No… you’ll melt the cake! Unfortunately this is not a dessert that allows for toasting in the broiler. I use my kitchen torch. I originally bought the kitchen torch to make s’mores cookies, but it’s been a very useful kitchen tool. If you don’t want to buy one, ask around. I’ll bet a friend or neighbor has one in their kitchen and would gladly share if promised a slice of s’mores cake.
I hope you enjoy this easy summer dessert, darlings!
No Bake S'mores Ice Cream Cake
Keep things cool with this take on summer's hottest dessert! A no bake s'mores ice cream cake is always a party hit, and easy to make.
Ingredients
- 1 quart chocolate ice cream
- 8 ounces graham crackers
- 3 egg whites
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- optional: skip the egg whites, sugar, and vanilla, and purchase 24 ounces of marshmallow fluff
Instructions
- Soften your ice cream at room temperature about 20 minutes.
- Line a loaf pan with parchment paper, leaving flaps extending from either side to assist in unmolding the cake later.
- Spread a thin layer of softened ice cream along the bottom of the loaf pan. Arrange a single layer of graham crackers over the ice cream, breaking the crackers as needed to get maximum coverage. Some small gaps are okay.
- Repeat until the loaf pan is full. Cover and return to the freezer at least 2 hours.
To make the frosting:
- Place your egg whites in a clean mixing bowl. Add the sugar.
- Place the bowl over a pot of barely simmering water, making sure that the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir constantly until the mixture reaches 160 F.
- Remove immediately from the heat and whisk on high for 7 minutes using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add the vanilla towards the end. The mixture should be white and fluffy and lose its sheen when ready to use. Look for stiff peaks.
To finish the cake:
- If using the meringue frosting, you may frost in advance and return to the freezer. If using marshmallow fluff, frost just before serving.
- Run a hot knife around the edge of your loaf pan to help loosen the frozen cake. Using the parchment paper "handles" to help you, carefully lift the cake out fo the loaf pan and place on your serving tray.
- Dollop the frosting over the top of the cake and use an offset spatula or butter knife to guide it down the sides of the cake.
- Toast the meringue or marshmallow fluff using a kitchen torch.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Serving note: I found a bench scraper makes the best cutting tool for neat servings!
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