I absolutely LOVE Memorial Day weekend. It’s like all the good things in the world come together in one weekend. I look forward to this three day weekend at the start of May. Not only is it my birthday weekend, but it’s also the unofficial start of summer, the start of outdoor grilling and parties with friends, and just all around good times.
If I had a lake anywhere near me, I’d be down at the lake all the time, just so I could say, “I’m going down to the lake!” That feels like an ultra summer thing to say. Lake or no lake, I feel a beautiful summer coming on.
And as if I couldn’t get more excited, I’ve discovered I can make ice cream cupcakes! These little gems are really easy to throw together and you can make them with any flavor combination you can imagine. The only slight downside is that they melt (as ice cream tends to do) when they’re not in the freezer. Melting won’t be too much of an issue because these don’t tend to stick around long. I’ve already eaten 5, and the party isn’t until Sunday.
How to Assemble Ice Cream Cupcakes
Start with cupcakes. I made mine mini cupcakes in a tiny muffin pan, making 2 bite ice cream cupcakes. You can use a regular sized cupcake pan if you like! You’ll just have bigger treats.
Make any sort of cupcake batter you like. I used cake mix (gasp!) because… I just did. Spray the muffin tins with nonstick spray. Fill the muffin tins only half as full as you normally would. For the mini muffin tins, this means using a little less than a teaspoon of batter. For the regular muffin tins, this means using about 1 Tablespoon of batter. Bake cupcakes at 350 degrees F and check them after 8 minutes.
Remove the cupcakes from the oven, let cool in their tins for 15 minutes. Loosen the cupcakes by running a knife along the edges of the muffin cups. Make sure that none of the cupcakes stick to the pan, but keep the cupcakes in the cupcake pan, cover with plastic wrap and put in the freezer for 3 hours, or overnight is best.
Remove the cupcakes from the freezer when you’re ready to use them. If some of the cupcakes have domed up while cooking, remove them from their cup and use a small serrated knife to even out the top of the cupcake. Ideally, you’d like to have 1/2-inch little cupcake bottoms.
Remove the ice cream from the freezer to let soften before filling cupcake tins. Leave on the counter for 10minutes or defrost in the microwave. When ice cream is softened, use a quick hand to spoon and flatten ice cream on top of the cake. It’s a little messy, but don’t worry about that. When all of the cakes are topped with ice cream, return to the freezer to harden. I left my ice cream cupcakes in the freezer over night, but give them at least 4 hours.
Be creative and top your cupcakes with anything you like. Whipped cream, chocolate ganache or caramel would be lovely.
To remove the ice cream cupcakes from their tins, warm a small sharp knife under hot running water. Run the warm knife along the edges of the ice cream cupcake until it’s easily lifted out of it’s tin. This isn’t too hard a process, mine practically jumped out. Place the cupcakes on a plate and return to the freezer for 15 minutes.
Remove from freezer and apply whatever topping and decoration suits your fancy. I chose chocolate ganache and colored jimmies. Apply the topping and decoration quickly and return to freezer on the dish you’d like to serve them on. When ready to serve, remove from freezer and eat promptly!
Update: If you’d like to make ice cream cupcakes in cupcake liners, I wrote another tutorial. Here it is!
May 23rd, 2008 at 5:18 pm
It’s my birthday weekend too! =) Happy birthday! Oh, and those almond raspberry cupcakes were killer & so easy to make. I made 2 dozen just for the heck of it and sent my hubby off with them to work. Thanks!
May 23rd, 2008 at 5:28 pm
Happy Birthday Allison! I’m so glad you like the raspberry almond cupcakes! They’re definitely a winner!
Enjoy your weekend!
May 23rd, 2008 at 8:01 pm
Yum!! Then again, put chocolate and mint together for me in anything and you have a winner. I bet these would work really well with a brownie base as well. I really like the idea of the mini-muffin size for just the right treat on a hot day. These are on my list to make! Hope you have an amazing birthday!
May 23rd, 2008 at 8:02 pm
ADORABLE! Seriously, this is going to be like the best party favor ever this summer. I especially enjoy the chocolate ganache topping with the sprinkles. Eating something like this makes you feel like a kid all over again. Have a great birthday and a fantastic holiday weekend
May 23rd, 2008 at 8:02 pm
Those look really good! I’ll have to try those!
May 23rd, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Happy birthday weekend! You deserve a cupcake! Shall I send you some?
May 23rd, 2008 at 10:54 pm
These cupcakes look awesome. I’m definitely making some of these to start the summer right. Thank you for being such a generous birthday girl and sharing this recipe; most of the time, the birthday person receives, not give. I’m thankful that this isn’t the case here. Happy Birthday!
May 24th, 2008 at 4:23 am
Those cupcakes would never make it to the party if I had them at my house! Happy Birthday!
May 24th, 2008 at 7:53 am
Love the layered appeal and the taste combo. Great stuff.
May 24th, 2008 at 12:20 pm
Great for a party.
May 24th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
These are sure to be a crowd pleaser and I can’t wait to try them out! I especially love the mini size — that way I can have more and not feel as guilty about it. Gotta love that!
Happy Birthday!! (It’s my mom’s birthday this weekend as well!)
May 24th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
happy birthday and memorial day! wish i could come to your party and have a couple of these–you used mint chip, too and that is my absolute favorite! hope you get lots of presents!
May 25th, 2008 at 1:17 pm
Yumm I love ice cream and I love cupcakes so this is the perfect little dessert!!
May 25th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
Happy Birthday fellow Gemini! I knew there was a reason I liked you!
May 25th, 2008 at 3:47 pm
That’s a very nice way to serve ice cream and its like two desserts in one! Also happy birthday!
May 25th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
I remember seeing something about ice cream cupcakes awhile back and I forgot about it until now. Making them in mini muffin tins is sheer brilliance. All the goodness without all of the melting. I’m definitely going to try these soon. Happy Birthday as well!
May 26th, 2008 at 12:17 am
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May 26th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
I will not judge you for eating 5 of those little cuties before the party even started, I’d do the same! These are very cute and I’m sure make a lovely addition to a holiday BBQ. Adorable!
May 26th, 2008 at 7:44 pm
Hi Joy!
Happy birthday!
Love your blog!! I have just discovered it and I can wait to bake and bake….
I tried your mini cupcakes this weekend and I had all intentions of taking them to a friend’s house for a cook out but I had 6 and then my hubby ate more and more and then I gave my baby one… so there we ate them all.
May 26th, 2008 at 10:56 pm
i am definitely making these for my nephew’s birthday! too cute and delicious to pass up!
May 27th, 2008 at 6:22 am
Joy you have such talent! I swear I could eat like 6 of these in one sitting! How do you stay so skinny?
May 27th, 2008 at 9:31 am
What a fantastic idea! I definitely want to make these - especially with the mint chip ice cream and chocolate ganache, they kind of remind me of massive Andes after dinner mints! Happy Birthday to you!
May 27th, 2008 at 4:28 pm
Happy late birthday! Your ice cream cupcakes look amazing! I hope you will consider entering them in the ice cream cupcake roundup that I am hosting this month with Scoopalicious.
http://www.cupcakeproject.com/2008/04/enter-ice-cream-cupcake-roundup.html
We’d love to have you!
May 30th, 2008 at 1:20 am
[...] cupcakes, however, and Joy the Baker used my two favorite ice cream cake flavors to make a batch of ice cream cake cupcakes. Start any regular cupcake recipe and only fill the cups half-full. Top cooled cakes with ice [...]
June 1st, 2008 at 10:36 pm
How clever. The possibilities are endless.
June 5th, 2008 at 10:04 am
Is there a reason you didn’t use liners? Seems to me that a liner would make things a little easier, both for prep and to eat…and a silver liner, or a decorative one, would add to the fabulousness.
June 8th, 2008 at 5:19 am
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June 8th, 2008 at 7:20 am
Oh, I wish you had entered our round up! I am going to comment on this beneath our post!
http://scoopalicious.blogspot.com/2008/06/wow-its-been-one-month-since-stef-at.html
Yay!
June 8th, 2008 at 2:07 pm
That’s such a neat idea! I’m going to try it with coconut cupcakes and mango sorbet. Great blog!
June 8th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
I love this idea instead of a big cake. You can make small ones. It would be nice to have on my diet. I could keep the ice cream on one side of the freezer and the cupcakes on the other side of my freezer. When I want a snack I can get of these to fix up. I hope every one else is in joying this idea Anna
June 8th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
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June 8th, 2008 at 10:20 pm
wouldn’t it be easier to remove if you used cupcake liners?
It would also make it easier to eat, just peel and bite!
June 8th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
[...] Ice Cream Cupcakes at Joy The Baker (tags: recipes cooking food) [...]
June 8th, 2008 at 10:36 pm
Nana and DillDoe-
Feel free to try these in a cupcake liner.
I liked to be able to see the pale green ice cream and the choclate cake. I was going for the layered look, that’s why I decided against cupcake liners. Also, since these are minis and you eat them in 2 bites, I thought the consumption would be fast enough that you wouldn’t need a liner.
But go for it! Use a liner! Go nuts! Enjoy!
June 8th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
I made your delicious cupcakes for a pool party yesterday and they were a hit! So easy to make and pretty much fool proof, even my bff who is not a domestic goddess got to help make the ganache! Thank you for posting this recipe- it’s definitely going in my recipe book.
WE LOVE YOU JOY THE BAKER!!!
June 9th, 2008 at 11:15 am
fantastic idea; thanks for sharing
also, i would be remiss not to mention that Memorial Day is not just an extra day off and the start of summer and parties and “good times all around,” but supposed to also be a day during which we give at least a moment’s time and respect for those who have died in service to our country. Not to be a downer, but just saying. Raise a cupcake to them.
June 9th, 2008 at 12:29 pm
Karen- You’re absolutely right. Memorial Day is a very important day to recognize the sacrifice that our soldiers and soldier families are making and have made for our country. Thank you for the very important reminder. I really do appreciate it!
June 9th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
ahahhaa i made this for a school proyect<3
June 10th, 2008 at 1:59 pm
Amazing idea. Thank you for sharing! I will be stealing your recipe
Thanks again.
June 10th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
[...] easy peasy Ice Cream Cupcakes. As always, she makes these from scratch but with lots of love. Link Share and Enjoy: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and [...]
June 11th, 2008 at 1:47 am
[...] Ice Cream Cupcakes at Joy The Baker Come on. Stuff like this shouldn’t happen. How am I supposed to get work done when somewhere, someone is enjoying an *ICE CREAM CUPCAKE*? (categories: recipes icecream cupcakes istherereallyanythingbetterthanicecreamandcupcakes? ) [...]
June 14th, 2008 at 4:25 pm
I love the look of these! I will make them soon as possible. I also finally have a use for my hundreds and thousands. Thank you!
June 19th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
[...] Not only will we get to see friends and family, but the kids are totally excited about making these cupcakes. Will try to post a picture when I get them done tomorrow. Not only do they look scrumptious, [...]
June 19th, 2008 at 10:00 pm
[...] Ice Cream Cupcakes at Joy The Baker - Ice cream and cupcakes and pretty pictures. Triple threat. [...]
June 20th, 2008 at 10:35 am
Yummy those cupcakes look scrumptious I`d just like to make some right now but I have to do school work and study for test can you make some for me.hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
June 20th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
[...] this afternoon. Even had help (with sufficient leftovers bribe). Mine aren’t as pretty as Joy’s, but I am happy with [...]
June 21st, 2008 at 7:48 am
Thank you for this fantastic idea! I only followed your recipe generally (didn’t serate the tops to 1/2 inch, ice cream was a mess) & I used vanilla cake mix & chocolate/vanilla swirl icecream. I did this for my birthday party (last night and everyone loved them!
June 26th, 2008 at 6:05 am
These look fantastic! I’m going to the beach next week with my extended family. I think I’ll premake the cupcake bottoms and do the rest down at the beach. Thanks for the idea!!!
June 27th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
I followed a link from The Crafty Crow. I love this idea! There are so many combinations to try. I like the idea of making the mini cupcakes to keep them bite-sized. I can’t wait to make them!
June 29th, 2008 at 12:58 pm
I just made these for a six year old’s birthday party and I have to say - you;re a genius! Thank you!
June 29th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
Those were so good it nearly makes me cry. I’m just glad I made them for a crowd because otherwise I think I’d have eaten the whole darn thing within hours!
June 30th, 2008 at 11:26 pm
[...] I also love icream cakes, so why not combine my love for both into one brilliant result. On the Joy the Baker blog, the process from concept to completion is layed out in its [...]
July 5th, 2008 at 8:05 pm
[...] Day with dear friends, swimming, gorging ourselves (especially on the yummy smoked ribs and ice cream cupcakes they brought) and enjoying one anothers’ [...]
July 7th, 2008 at 12:10 pm
I’m Haley, Key Ingredient’s Chief Blogger. We would like to feature this recipe on our blog. Please email sophiekiblogger@gmail.com if interested. Thanks
Haley
http://blog.keyingredient.com/
July 21st, 2008 at 7:48 pm
they look so YUMMY! I’m definitely going to make some this weekend!
July 28th, 2008 at 10:26 am
[...] cookies, in three different flavours no less. And Joy of Joy the Baker can show you how to make Ice Cream Cupcakes, which are adorable and delicious all rolled into [...]
August 12th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
[...] and cupcakes, paired together in one fabulous ice cream cupcake? Check out this fabulous recipe at Joy the Baker and [...]
August 15th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
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