Birthday Cake Ice Cream

A vanilla custard with real cake mix whisked in and rainbow sprinkles folded through on the mix in. Tastes like the corner slice, frosting and all.

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Birthday Cake Ice Cream
Ninja CreamiPrep
15 min
Freeze
24 hours
Makes
1 pint · 2 servings

Why you’ll love this

It tastes like the corner slice of the birthday cake, frosting, sprinkles, and all; the cake mix gives it that unmistakable party flavour and the sprinkles keep every scoop cheerful. It is made for birthdays, obviously, but also for Tuesdays that need rescuing and kids who eat with their eyes first.

What you’ll need

A few simple ingredients for a big, delicious idea.

Egg yolks
Egg yolks
Corn syrup
Corn syrup
Granulated sugar
Granulated sugar
Whole milk
Whole milk
Heavy cream
Heavy cream
Vanilla extract
Vanilla extract
Vanilla cake mix
Vanilla cake mix
Rainbow sprinkles
Rainbow sprinkles

Birthday Cake Ice Cream

Ninja CreamiPrep 15 min24 hours

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Whisk the yolks

    Fill a large bowl with ice water and set it aside. In a small saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks, corn syrup, and sugar until fully combined and the sugar is dissolved. Do not do this over heat.

  2. Add the dairy

    Whisk in the milk, heavy cream, and vanilla extract.

  3. Cook the base

    Place the pan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, until the temperature reaches 165 to 175 degrees F on an instant read thermometer. Stay in that range or the eggs will curdle.

  4. Strain and chill

    Take the pan off the heat and pour the base through a fine mesh strainer into a clean pint. Set the pint in the ice water bath, keeping the water out of the base.

  5. Add the cake mix and freeze

    Once the base has cooled, whisk in the vanilla cake mix until fully incorporated. Place the storage lid on the pint and freeze for 24 hours.

  6. Set up and select ICE CREAM

    Take the pint out of the freezer and remove the lid, then set the pint up in the machine and select ICE CREAM.

  7. Add the sprinkles

    With a spoon, create a 1½ inch wide hole that reaches the bottom of the pint. Add the rainbow sprinkles to the hole and process again using the MIX-IN program.

  8. Serve

    Once processing is complete, take the ice cream out of the pint and serve immediately.

Nutrition guide

The nutrition scoop

Per serving · 1 of 2 servings from one pint

  • Fat 60%
  • Carbs 35%
  • Protein 5%

Proper dessert energy: rich, indulgent, and worth every spoonful.

Total fat 57 g
Carbohydrates 75 g
Protein 12 g
of which sugars 48 g
Saturated fat 33 g 165% daily value
Cholesterol 690 mg 231% daily value
Sodium 180 mg 8% daily value
Dietary fiber 0 g 0% daily value
Calcium 190 mg 15% daily value
Vitamin C 1 mg 1% daily value

Where the calories live

The heavy cream brings the biggest share of the calories here, about 47 percent of the batch, with the egg yolks next in line.

The protein story

Each serving carries 12 grams of protein, which makes this scoop work a little harder than dessert usually does.

Want a lighter scoop

Swap half the heavy cream for whole milk. The spin stays creamy and every serving lands noticeably lighter.

Estimated from the ingredients exactly as written, using standard reference values for each ingredient. Your brands and swaps will shift the numbers a little. Daily values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Make it your own

  • Start with the base recipe, then swap one ingredient at a time.
  • Try a different topping after processing.
  • Keep notes so you can revisit your favorite combination.

Texture tips

  • A level, fully solid freeze gives the smoothest spin.
  • Freeze CREAMi bases level and completely solid.
  • For SLUSHi, check compatible liquids and minimum sugar requirements.

Frequently asked questions

Why cake mix in the base?

Real vanilla cake mix is what gives this pint its unmistakable birthday cake flavor, batter notes and all. Whisk it into the cooled base so it dissolves evenly.

Why does the temperature range matter so much?

Between 165 and 175 degrees F the yolks set into a smooth custard. Cooler and the base stays thin; hotter and the eggs overcook and curdle, like scrambled eggs.

Can I use chocolate cake mix instead?

Yes. Chocolate cake mix plus chocolate sprinkles makes a chocolate birthday cake version with no other changes.

When do the sprinkles go in?

Always as the mix in at the end. Sprinkles frozen into the base for 24 hours bleed their color and lose their snap.