Ice cream party cakes are great for summer celebrations because they require NO BAKING (which is perfect for those sweltering afternoons), and this recipe provides a wonderful opportunity for getting the kids involved, because they are so simple to make. Little ones love crushing up the cookies and always have a blast picking out the ice cream and cookie combinations.

Ingredients

• 3 quarts vanilla ice cream, softened in the refrigerator
• 26 Oreo® (or similar) cookies

• 25 mini Oreo® (or similar) cookies

Instructions

1. Place 15 Oreo® cookies into a ziplock bag. Remove the air and seal the bag. Use a rolling pin or a meat mallet to crush the cookies into small chunks. Set the bag aside.

2. Place softened ice cream into a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed for about 30 seconds or just until the ice cream is soft but not runny.

3. Pour half of the softened ice cream into a 9-inch spring-form pan. Spread the ice cream out with a small offset spatula into a nice even layer. Working quickly, evenly distribute crushed Oreos® on top of the ice cream.

4. Quickly pour the remaining softened ice cream over the crushed Oreos® and spread gently until evenly distributed.

5. Immediately cover entire pan with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and freeze for about an hour.

6. 

   After an hour, remove the pan from the freezer and use the remaining Oreos® to decorate the top. Place 25 mini Oreos® around the top edge of the cake to form a border. Use 9 large Oreo's® to make an inner border and fill the middle area with the remaining 2 large Oreo's®, crushed (see photo for decorating guidance).

7. Cover the cake with plastic wrap or aluminum foil and freeze for 6 additional hours or overnight.

Tips

• For easy removal, wet a small sharp knife with hot water. Release the spring-form pan and run knife around entire perimeter of cake.
• Prevent your pan from leaking by lining the base of a TK (8 or 9)-inch spring form pan with parchment or aluminum foil. It creates a tighter seal and keeps your freezer mess free!
• House too hot? Ice cream melting too fast? Pop it back in the freezer for 45 minutes to harden up a bit; then, try again.