I love this decadent churro ice cream cake! This “cake” is super EXTRA, with two giant swirled cinnamon sugar churros, dulce de leche and vanilla ice cream sandwiched between. It’s the perfect dessert or celebration treat for someone who loves churros and ice cream.
This cake is a little technical to make but I have tried to write the steps in a way that anyone could make this recipe and have success.
The hardest part is deep frying the churros. Getting one giant swirled piece is a little tricky to do and flipping it over is a little hard. I use a large flat spatula to do this but if you are not as comfortable with deep frying, then do long strips instead and then place those on top of the ice cream. The flavor will be the same but it is easier to do.
If you don’t want to deep fry the churros, you can also place them onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake in onto 425 F. for about 15 minutes and then sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
I love to use dulce de leche in this recipe because it thickens a little when it gets cold and it gives this a little extra texture that I love and the flavor is authentic and so delicious. If you prefer to use caramel or even chocolate syrup that would also taste amazing!
The dough for churros is technically called a choux dough, it’s easy to make once you get the idea that you will make this dough on the stove and then mix in the eggs and vanilla. It is the same dough used for eclairs and cream puffs because it puffs when it is baked or in churros case, deep fried.
Here is what you need to make this churro ice cream cake: (printable recipe card is below)
Makes 1 ~9 inch cake – serves 8-10
For the ice cream:
- 48 ounces vanilla ice cream
- 1 can dulce de leche
For the churros:
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 cup salted butter (not traditional to use salted but I like to)
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups flour
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- oil for frying
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
Tools you will need:
- Mixer
- Parchment paper
- Cake round for ice cream
- Piping bag with any large star tip
- Large pan for deep frying
Instructions for churro ice cream cake: (pictures for instructional reference are below)
Instructions for ice cream:
- Thaw ice cream so it’s just a little soft.
- In a round cake tin, add parchment paper and spritz with cooking spray.
- Add ice cream to and press it into pan so it’s smooth and level. Cover with more parchment paper and freeze until firm.
To make the churros:
- Mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a large container and set aside.
- In a medium sized pot, add water, butter, sugar and salt and heat over medium/high heat.
- Add flour into pot and whisk in.
- When a dough forms, turn heat off and remove dough from heat, add in eggs and use a hand mixer to beat in the eggs or I like to transfer the dough to a stand mixer then add the eggs and mix until a smooth dough forms.
- Transfer half of the dough into a piping bag with a large star piping tip on the end.
- Heat oil up to about 350 F. or until a test piece of dough can be placed in oil and it starts to bubble.
- Pipe in the choux dough in 1 giant round swirl into the oil. you can shape it as it cooks so don’t worry about it being perfect. If you prefer to do strips you can, because the swirl can be tricky to flip over all at once. If hot oil scares you, then do long strips.
- After the dough browns slightly on one side then use a large flat spatula to get under the entire swirled churro and carefully flip over the churro then cook the other side until it is golden brown.
- Remove from oil and place into large container with cinnamon sugar in it and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar all over on both sides.
- Repeat this process for the other half of the dough.
To assemble the churro cake:
- On a cake plate, place one of the swirled churros down.
- Spread half of the dulce de leche on the churro, using a piping bag makes this easier.
- Removed the ice cream from pan by running a knife along the edge Of pan and the ice cream should pop out.
- Remove parchment paper on both sides.
- Pipe other half of dulce de leche on top of ice cream followed by the other swirled churro piece.
- Serve immediately and enjoy or cover and freeze for later.
Here is what the swirled churro piece looks like while being deep fried.
It is okay if some of the churro pieces break, just put them into the place they would be in. Coated in cinnamon sugar.
This is the Dulce De Leche I like to use for this cake, any brand will work though.
I piped the Dulce De Leche onto the churro, you can also spread it without piping.
Churro cake fully assembled.
Churro cake sliced into a piece.
Here are a few other recipes you may also enjoy:
Raspberry White Chocolate Croissant Bread Pudding
Easy Brownie Ice Cream Cake
Red Velvet Bundt Cake Recipe
Funfetti Ricotta Cake
Churro Ice Cream Cake
Equipment
- Mixer
- parchment paper
- Cake round for ice cream 9 inch works best
- Piping bag with any large star piping tip
- Large pan for deep frying
Ingredients
For the ice cream:
- 48 ounces vanilla ice cream
- 1 can dulce de leche
For the churros
- 2 cups water
- 1/2 cup salted butter
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups flour
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Oil for frying
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
Instructions
To prepare the ice cream cake:
- Thaw ice cream so it’s just a little soft.
- In a round cake tin, add parchment paper and spritz with cooking spray.
- Add ice cream to and press it into pan so it’s smooth and level. Cover with more parchment paper and freeze until firm.
To make the churros:
- Mix together the sugar and cinnamon in a large container and set aside.
- In a medium sized pot, add water, butter, sugar and salt and heat over medium/high heat.
- Add flour into pot and whisk in.
- When a dough forms, turn heat off and remove dough from heat, add in eggs and use a hand mixer to beat in the eggs or I like to transfer the dough to a stand mixer then add the eggs and mix until a smooth dough forms.
- Transfer half of the dough into a piping bag with a large star piping tip on the end.
- Heat oil up to about 350 F. or until a test piece of dough can be placed in oil and it starts to bubble.
- Pipe in the choux dough in 1 giant round swirl into the oil. you can shape it as it cooks so don’t worry about it being perfect. If you prefer to do strips you can, because the swirl can be tricky to flip over all at once. If hot oil scares you, then do long strips.
- After the dough browns slightly on one side then use a large flat spatula to get under the entire swirled churro and carefully flip over the churro then cook the other side until it is golden brown.
- Remove from oil and place into large container with cinnamon sugar in it and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar all over on both sides.
- Repeat this process for the other half of the dough.
To assemble the churro cake:
- On a cake plate, place one of the swirled churros down.
- Spread half of the dulce de leche on the churro, using a piping bag makes this easier.
- Removed the ice cream from pan by running a knife along the edge Of pan and the ice cream should pop out.
- Remove parchment paper on both sides.
- Pipe other half of dulce de leche on top of ice cream followed by the other swirled churro piece.
- Serve immediately and enjoy or cover and freeze for later.