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    Home » Dessert » Cake

    M&M Ice Cream Cake

    Updated: Mar 31, 2025 · by Tonia Larson

    This post may contain affiliate links.

    ↓ JUMP TO RECIPE

    This M&M Ice Cream Cake is perfect for spring! Try this ice cream cake recipe for Easter, Mother’s Day, a baby shower, or a girl’s birthday party.

    Ice Cream Easter Cake

    I’m sharing this cake that was made with Target Grocery Essentials, as part of a sponsored post for Socialstars and #TargetCrowd

    Can you believe that Easter is next weekend? My kids are on their spring break, the weather is warming up, and we are loving every minute! I took a little time at the end of last week to put together some gorgeous Easter baskets, and I made an M&M Ice Cream Cake that is perfect for Easter. I found everything I needed, for both the cake and the Easter baskets, at Target!

    Easter Baskets

    Awesome Easter Basket

    There were aisles of fantastic Easter candy, baskets, and goodies at Target. I love shopping at Target for all of my holiday needs. I know that I am getting a great value, and they have everything I want. Some of this Easter candy is sold exclusively at Target! I picked up a couple of the Spitz Easter bamboo baskets in my kid’s favorite shades of green and blue. Then, I found some adorable Spitz multi-print Easter eggs, and I knew they would look cute in the baskets.

    Starburst Jellybeans Sweet and Sour

    First, I set the white chocolate M&M’s aside to use in the ice cream cake. Then, I filled the Easter eggs with the bagged candy: Starburst Sweet and Sour Jelly Beans (my cashier told me these are the best).

    Cadbury White Chocolate Mini Eggs

    I added Brach’s Fruit Cream Jelly Beans and Cadbury White Chocolate Mini Eggs to some of them.

    Twizzlers Easter Grass Candy

    And Twizzlers Easter Grass in some of them.

    Easter Basket Ideas

    The Lindt Chocolate Chicks are the star of the Easter basket because they are so cute. Since they are wrapped, I didn’t put them in plastic eggs. I added the large Lindt Milk Chocolate Chicks, as well as the Lindt Little Chocolate Chicks to the baskets. My kids are going to love the blue raspberry Gummy Bunnies and the Peeps Orange, Lemon and Lime Delight.

    Easter Box

    Ashely recently moved out of state (I can’t believe she is old enough), but I wanted to give her some Easter goodies anyway. So, I assembled a box of Easter treats that I can mail to her.

    In addition to a Godiva Dark Chocolate Bunny, I added full bags of Easter candy for her to share with her roommates. Ashley has always loved glitter, and I found some sparkly Easter eggs to put with the filled plastic eggs.

    How To Make An M&M Ice Cream Cake

    Chocolate Layer Cake in Springform Pan

    Once the Easter baskets were full, I started working on the M&M Ice Cream Cake. I bought the ingredients for the cake from Target Grocery. Start by making two chocolate layer cakes. I baked the cakes in 9-inch KitchenAid springform pans.

    Green Ice Cream

    I used one of the pans to assemble the ice cream cake.

    Layered Ice Cream Cake

    After the ice cream cake has frozen overnight, quickly frost it with pink whipped cream frosting. Then, remove most of the pink frosting from the sides. The pink frosting will fill in the cracks. Put the ice cream cake back in the freezer to harden.

    Top view of ice cream cake with m&ms

    Once the pink frosting is firm, fill a pastry bag fitted with a large star tip (you can find the Wilton Cupcake Decorating Kit in the baking aisle at Target), with pink whipped cream frosting. Pipe pink swirls around the top edge of the cake and fill the center with white chocolate M&Ms.

    Ice Cream Cake Recipe

    Store the layered ice cream cake in the freezer until ready to serve. Dip a large knife in hot water, dry it off and then cut the cake, re-dipping in hot water, as needed.

    M&M Ice Cream Cake

    This M&M Ice Cream Cake is such a fun way to celebrate the holiday. Thanks to Target, we have the ultimate Easter baskets, a delicious M&M ice cream cake, and we are ready for Easter!

    More Ice Cream Recipes

    • Three-Ingredient Ice Cream
    • No-Churn Chocolate Ice Cream
    • Cotton Candy Ice Cream
    • Fruity Pebbles Ice Cream
    M&M ice cream cake.

    M&M Ice Cream Cake

    This M&M Ice Cream Cake is perfect for spring! Try this ice cream cake recipe for Easter, Mother's Day, a baby shower or a girl's birthday party.
    4.70 from 10 votes
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    Prep Time: 15 hours hours
    Cook Time: 35 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 15 hours hours 35 minutes minutes
    Servings: 12 servings
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    Ingredients

    • 2 cups flour
    • 2 teaspoon baking soda
    • 2 teaspoon baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 4 oz unsweetened chocolate squares
    • 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
    • 3 large eggs
    • ½ cup vegetable oil
    • ½ cup buttermilk
    • 2 teaspoon vanilla
    • 1 cup hot water
    • green and aqua food coloring
    • 10 ounces pastel M&M's

    Pink Whipped Cream Frosting

    • 2 cups heavy cream
    • 2 cups powdered sugar divided
    • 4 oz cream cheese softened
    • ½ cup marshmallow cream
    • 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
    • pink food coloring

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 325˚F.
    • Grease and flour the pans and then line the bottom with parchment paper.
    • Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
    • Melt unsweetened chocolate in the microwave and stir in the sugar.
    • Beat in the eggs, oil, buttermilk and vanilla.
    • Alternately add the hot water and flour mixture, beat until smooth.
    • Divide the batter between the pans.
    • Bake at 325˚F for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
    • Cool the cakes for 30 minutes in the pan, on a wire rack.
    • Remove the springform pan sides, peel off the parchment paper and allow the cakes to cool completely on the wire rack.
    • Once the cakes are cool, use a large serrated knife to cut off the domes.
    • Line the outside of the pan with parchment paper and place one cake in the springform pan.
    • Tint 3 cups of vanilla ice cream with green food coloring. Working quickly, spread the ice cream over the cake in the pan.
    • Then, the other cake layer and top it with aqua tinted ice cream.
    • Put the ice cream cake in the freezer to harden overnight.

    Pink Whipped Cream Frosting

    • Before removing the ice cream cake from the freezer, make the whipped cream frosting.
    • In a chilled bowl, beat heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add 1 cup of powdered sugar and whip until stiff peaks form. Set the whipped cream aside.
    • Beat the softened cream cheese, marshmallow cream, 1 cup of powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Fold into the whipped cream. Tint the whipped cream frosting with pink food coloring.
    • The next steps need to be done as quickly as possible, because as soon as the ice cream cake comes out of the freezer, the ice cream will start melting!
    • Take the ice cream cake out of the freezer, remove the springform pan ring and peel off the parchment paper.
    • Quickly cover the top and sides with the whipped cream frosting. Then, use an offset spatula to remove most of the pink frosting (as well as some of the green and blue ice cream, if necessary) from the sides of the cake. You will still be able to see the pink frosting in the cracks.
    • Put the cake back into the freezer for an hour or two, to harden. Store the whipped cream frosting in the fridge.
    • Once the pink frosting is firm, fill a pastry bag, fitted with a large star tip, with pink whipped cream frosting. Pipe pink swirls around the top edge of the cake and fill the center with pastel M&Ms.
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    Nutrition

    Serving: 1slice | Calories: 650kcal | Carbohydrates: 75g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 36g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 104mg | Sodium: 579mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 54g
    Course: Cake
    Cuisine: American
    Author: Tonia Larson

     Recipe adapted from Target Recipe Collection 4-Layer Chocolate Cake

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      Chocolate Pudding Cake
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      Dirt Cake Cups

    About Tonia Larson

    Hi! I’m Tonia, the owner and recipe creator at The Gunny Sack, where I’ve shared easy recipes for busy people for 14+ years! My family-friendly meals, easy side dishes, and delicious desserts include mouthwatering photos, dynamic videos, and step-by-step instructions to help you cook at home.

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    Comments

      4.70 from 10 votes (10 ratings without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Supriya says

      January 25, 2021 at 2:27 am

      If you don’t mind when we should make the cake ready because we have lot of work in that so we can’t make it in a day I am going to make it on my brother’s birthday it should not be a failure so I have this doubt please clarify my doubt thanks to the site for recommending this wonderful cake I have just saw in the picture it was awesome please clarify as soon as possible thank you

      supriya

      Reply
      • Tonia says

        January 25, 2021 at 9:24 am

        You can make the cake ahead of time and store it in the freezer until ready to serve.

        Reply
        • supriya says

          January 27, 2021 at 11:15 pm

          thank you for your kind reply

          Reply
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    Tonia Larson from The Gunny Sack.

    Hi, I'm Tonia! Welcome to The Gunny Sack, where I’ve shared easy recipes for busy people for 15+ years! Meet Tonia Larson →

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