Mortarboard Chocolate Chip Ice-Cream Cake

Name: Mortarboard Chocolate Chip Ice-Cream Cake
Prep time: 45 min
Total time: 3 h 40 min
Yield: 10 serving(s)
Ingredients: 4 c. all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled; 4 tsp. cornstarch; 1 tsp. baking soda; 1 tsp. kosher salt; 1 1/2 c. (3 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly; 1 1/2 c. packed dark brown sugar; 1/2 c. granulated sugar; 2 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks; 4 tsp. pure vanilla extract; 3 c. semisweet chocolate chips; 2 qt. vanilla ice cream, softened; 3/4 c. mini semisweet chocolate chips; Licorice strings

Celebrate your recent grad with a cake as sweet as tossing that commencement cap high in the air!

By Charlyne MattoxPublished: May 19, 2026

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mortarboard chocolate chip icecream cake

Becky Luigart-Stayner

Yields:

10 serving(s)

Prep Time:

45 mins

Total Time:

3 hrs 40 mins

May means graduation season is upon us! If you’re throwing a party to celebrate a graduate, don't just buy them any old cake. Make them something special. And this easy-to-make ice cream cake is almost too cute to eat.

It might look a little daunting, but this tasty ice cream cake is made of up three parts. There’s a cookie base to hold everything, the ice cream in the middle (which is frozen in a bowl lined with plastic wrap, so it’s easy to remove), and the cookie for the iconic square top of the graduation hat. Add a tassel made of licorice strings and you’re good to go!

This celebratory treat is a great way to show any graduate (of any age!) just how proud you are of their accomplishments.

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Ingredients

4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
4 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs plus 2 egg yolks
4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 qt. vanilla ice cream, softened
3/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips
Licorice strings

Directions

1. Step 1Preheat oven to 325°F. Line an 18-x-13-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking soda, and salt in a bowl.
2. Step 2Beat butter, dark brown sugar, and granulated sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Beat in eggs, yolks, and vanilla. Reduce speed to low; gradually beat in flour mixture just until combined. Fold in 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips. Press dough into prepared pan in an even layer (this is easiest to do with your hands).
3. Step 3Bake until edges are golden brown but center is still soft, 23 to 26 minutes. Cool in pan on a wire rack.
4. Step 4Line a tall, 7-inch-wide, 7-cup freezer-safe bowl with plastic wrap. Pack ice cream into bowl; cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, 2 hours.
5. Step 5Cut a sheet of paper into an 8-inch square. Cut a second sheet of paper into a 7-inch-wide circle. Run an around edges of cookie in pan and turn cookie out onto a cutting board; discard parchment. Place templates on cookie and cut out (you will have scraps). Wrap circle and square with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, at least 1 hour.
6. Step 6Place cookie round on a serving platter. Turn ice cream out onto cookie round; discard plastic. Cover sides of ice cream with mini chocolate chips. Top with cookie square. Freeze until ready to serve, at least 30 minutes. Before serving, tie licorice into a tassel; top cake with tassel (see note, below).

To create an edible tassel, wrap licorice around a small piece of cardboard, creating loops; slip off cardboard. Wrap a piece of licorice around one end of the loops to create a neck, leave a length for hanging. Cut loops on other end, and use a pushpin to attach to the cake.

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