Mint-Chocolate Ice Cream Cake

This easy and economically friendly--make at home ice cream cake, was a huge hit! I got the recipe from my Betty Crocker email. I will make it again for sure, but I can't wait to try different flavor combinations like chocolate cake or vanilla cake with strawberry ice cream or chocolate cake and a turtle tracks style ice cream. I think the sky is the limit! If you feel like we do that Cake and Ice Cream are MADE FOR EACH OTHER than you are going to love this cake!

Cake

1 Box Chocolate Cake Mix, made according to box instructions.

Filling

6 cups Green-mint flavored ice cream, slightly softened

Frosting

1 1/2 cups whipping cream (I used 2 cups Cool Whip Free--lactose intolerances at our place)

2 Tablespoons powdered sugar

4 drops green food coloring (This will change according to what color of ice cream you use each time.)

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans; line bottoms with waxed paper. Make cake as directed on box. Spoon evenly into pans.

Bake as directed on the box for 9-inch pans or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans to cooling racks. Remove waxed paper. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Line 9-inch round cake pan with foil. Spoon and spread ice cream evenly in pan. Cover with foil, freeze until completely frozen, about 2 hours.

On serving plate, place 1 cake layer with rounded side down. Remove ice cream from pan; peel off foil. Place on top of cake. Top with remaining cake layer, rounded side up.

In medium bowl, beat whipping cream, powdered sugar and food coloring on high speed until stiff peak forms. (If using cool whip gently fold until color is evenly disbursed. If you beat it, it will turn runny!) Frost sides and top of cakes with whipped cream. Freeze about 2 hours or until firm. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before serving.

Note: This dessert, wrapped in foil will keep up to a month in the freezer. You can also make the ice cream layer ahead of time and freeze it.

For a restaurant-fancy finish, heat hot fudge topping as directed on the label and pipe onto individual serving plates.