Turtle Pumpkin Ice Cream Cake

Why We Love This Turtle Pumpkin Ice Cream Cake Recipe

Something I look forward to every fall is finding pumpkin ice cream in the grocery stores. Why they don’t sell this all year long, is beyond me. This Thanksgiving, I am taking classic pumpkin ice cream and turning it into a Turtle Pumpkin Ice Cream Cake that will have everyone in serious dessert bliss! The “turtle” element comes into play with chocolate-shell drizzled over the top and edges, a candied pecan garnish, and a hidden layer of dulce de leche underneath the pumpkin ice cream. This pumpkin ice cream cake could not be easier to prepare, and would make a fantastic Thanksgiving dessert, when you’ve got so many other dishes to manage. The only real cooking going on, is baking the gingersnap crust for a few minutes. Other than that, it’s all layering and presentation. Of course, you could make the pumpkin ice cream, the dulce de leche, the candied pecans, and the chocolate shell from scratch. But I find, with a few good quality store-bought ingredients, you’ve got an impressive and indulgent dessert with very little time invested. This is one of those ice cream desserts, that no one can resist. It disappears with so much ooooohing and ahhhhing, no one will miss the plain old pumpkin pie when they have this pumpkin ice cream pie!

Ingredients You Need

This pumpkin ice cream cake recipe uses easy-to-find ingredients and a simple layering technique to make it in no time! Here’s what you’ll need:

Gingersnaps – for the cookie pie crust Butter – to make the cookie crust nice and buttery Egg – this will help provide structure to the crust Dulce de Leche – canned works just fine! Pumpkin Ice Cream – homemade pumpkin ice cream or store-bought are both great Chocolate Magic Shell – store-bought is easy to use and delicious Candied Pecans – for a crunchy, nutty topping

How to Make This Ice Cream Cake Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Trace the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan on parchment paper, and cut out a circle to lay in the bottom of the pan. Using a food processor or high-powdered blender, pulse the gingersnaps until they reach a fine crumb. Add the melted butter and egg and pulse a few more times to combine. Press the gingersnap mixture evenly over the bottom of the spring form pan, and up the sides approximately 2 inches. Bake for 10-12 minutes. This will serve as the crust in this pumpkin cake. Once out of the oven, cut a parchment paper strip 4 inches high, and a little over 2 feet long, to line the perimeter of the pan. Tuck the parchment strip carefully between the crust walls and the sides of the pan. Adjust the paper ring to fit snugly around the crust then secure with a paper clip. Press the crust back gently if it has slumped a little. Spread the entire can of dulce de leche over the bottom of the crust. Then place the crust in the freezer for 15 minutes to chill. Scoop the ice cream into the crust and press down using a piece of wax paper. Smooth the top with a spatula. Place back in the freezer to firm up for 30-60 minutes. Then release the sides of the spring-form pan and remove the ring and parchment paper. Shake the chocolate magic shell vigorously, then drizzle around the edges. Once the edges of the cake are covered in chocolate, drizzle the magic shell in the middle of the cake. Quickly top with candied pecans, before the magic shell hardens. Place back in the freezer until ready to serve. If you plan to wait more than 1 day to serve the cake, wrap it well with foil, followed by a layer of plastic wrap.

Tips & Tricks

Serve your turtle pumpkin ice cream with whipped cream for an extra layer of goodness! Or, top it off with a drizzle of extra caramel sauce. Don’t like pumpkin ice cream? You can make a regular turtle ice cream cake by using vanilla ice cream instead! All of the pumpkin flavor in this pumpkin ice cream cake comes from the pumpkin ice cream. For extra pumpkin flavor, add a dash of pumpkin spice or cinnamon to the gingersnap mixture prior to baking it! Before serving, let the cake sit just for a few minutes so that when you slice the cake, it isn’t super difficult to cut!