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Drumstick Ice Cream Cake

Drumstick ice cream cake with a caramelized crushed cone and peanut crust, layered with vanilla ice cream and finished with a chocolate magic shell. A caramel drizzle and chopped peanuts create the classic Drumstick cone cross-section in a party-sized frozen cake.
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Prep Time 25 minutes
freezing 6 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 6 hours 55 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 540
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cone-and-peanut crust
  • 12 sugar or waffle cones Crushed.
  • 0.5 cup salted peanuts Roughly chopped; divide.
  • 6 tbsp butter Melted.
  • 3 tbsp sugar
Frozen layers and topping
  • 0.5 gallon vanilla ice cream Softened.
  • 0.5 cup caramel sauce
  • 1 cup chocolate magic shell or ganache
  • 1 whipped cream for serving Optional, for serving.
  • 0.5 cup salted peanuts Remaining peanuts, roughly chopped; sprinkle on top.

Equipment

  • 1 stand mixer
  • 1 sheet pan
  • 1 springform pan

Method
 

Build the cone crust
  1. Combine crushed sugar or waffle cones, half the salted peanuts, sugar, and melted butter, then press firmly into a 9-inch springform pan. Freeze for 15 minutes until set at the edges (visual cue: crust looks lightly firm and dry).
  2. Drizzle caramel sauce over the crust in an even layer. Freeze for 10 minutes (visual cue: caramel looks slightly thickened but not fully hardened).
Add the vanilla ice cream layer
  1. Spread the softened vanilla ice cream over the caramel crust and smooth the top. Freeze for 4 hours (visual cue: layer is solid and sliceable with no visible wobble).
Top with chocolate magic shell and peanuts
  1. Pour chocolate magic shell or ganache over the frozen cake. Immediately sprinkle the remaining salted peanuts over the chocolate before it sets (visual cue: peanuts adhere and the chocolate starts to turn glossy).
  2. Freeze for 2 more hours until the chocolate is completely firm. (Visual cue: chocolate surface is hard with a clean snap when lightly tapped.)
Finish and serve
  1. Release the springform and slice the cake. Serve with whipped cream.

Notes

For clean slices, warm the knife under hot water and wipe between cuts. Store covered in the freezer up to 2 weeks; this freezes well with no special thawing required—let slices sit 3–5 minutes for easier cutting. For a nut-forward classic, use salted peanuts; for a dairy-free option, swap vanilla ice cream with a dairy-free alternative and use a dairy-free caramel if needed.