This surprisingly simple recipe captures the magic of Cold Stone Creamery’s beloved cake batter ice cream in your kitchen. This creamy, dreamy frozen treat delivers that nostalgic cake batter flavor that makes adults feel like kids again. With just five ingredients and an unconventional but crucial technique, you’ll create ice cream that’s indistinguishable from the premium parlor version, perfect for birthday celebrations or whenever you need a sweet escape.
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Table of Contents
What Makes This Recipe So Good
There’s something irresistibly nostalgic about cake batter flavor that transports you back to childhood moments of sneaking tastes from the mixing bowl. This isn’t just any cake batter ice cream, it’s a precise recreation of Cold Stone Creamery’s iconic version that has captured hearts and taste buds across the country. The secret lies in using the exact right cake mix and an unusual but essential preparation technique that transforms ordinary ingredients into extraordinary frozen bliss.
The Duncan Hines Difference: After extensive testing, only Duncan Hines Butter Recipe cake mix delivers the authentic Cold Stone experience. This specific formulation provides the perfect balance of buttery richness and vanilla sweetness that defines the original. Other cake mixes won’t produce the same magical result, making this one ingredient substitution absolutely non-negotiable.
Making Cold Stone Creamery Cake Batter Ice Cream
Ingredients
- Heavy whipping cream – Provides the rich, luxurious base that creates the signature creamy texture
- Whole milk – Balances the richness while adding necessary liquid for proper consistency
- Granulated sugar – Sweetens the base and helps prevent ice crystal formation during freezing
- Salt – Enhances all flavors and balances the sweetness for a more complex taste
- Duncan Hines Butter Recipe cake mix – The star ingredient that provides authentic cake batter flavor
How to Make Cake Batter Ice Cream
- Spread out the cake mix in a thin layer on a sheet pan.
- Heat the cake mix in the oven at 350°F for about 5 minutes.
- Mix heavy cream, salt, and sugar in a large stockpot.
- Once the sugar has dissolved, turn off the heat.
- Add the cake mix and whisk in well.
- Add heavy cream and milk into the pot and mix well.
- Pour the mixture into a bowl.
- Cover it and refrigerate it for at least 4 hours.
- Stir the ice cream mixture again before putting it in an ice cream maker.
- Freeze according to the ice cream manufacturer’s directions.
- Serve frozen.
Recipe Notes
- It is unsafe to consume raw flour, so it’s really important to cook the cake mix for about 5 minutes before adding it to the ice cream.
- Mix everything together, and then allow the ice cream mix to chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. This will give the cake mix time to fully incorporate into the mixture.
- If you want this recipe to taste exactly like Cold Stone Creamery ice cream, you will need to use Duncan Hines Butter cake mix. It’s the only one I found that matches perfectly, so do not make any substitutions with the cake mix.
Recipe Variations
It’s easy to incorporate other flavors with mix-ins. Just add some toward the end of churning it.
- Birthday Cake Ice Cream – Rainbow sprinkles
- Chocolate Chip Cake Batter Ice Cream
- Nutty Cake Batter Ice Cream – Your favorite nuts or butter pecan.
What To Serve With Cake Batter Ice Cream
Although this cake batter ice cream is delicious by itself, it’s even better when paired with a classic pastry. For instance, you can make a hot fudge cake to serve alongside the frozen treat!
The rich, fudgy cake and fluffy ice cream are a match made in heaven. You can also serve it a la mode with an equally delicious warm cookie or brownie.
Alternatively, add toppings to the ice cream, like Oreo crumbs, sprinkles, whipped cream, caramel sauce, or assorted chopped nuts. You can also purchase different waffle cones to serve the ice cream.
Storing Homemade Ice Cream
Homemade ice cream should be kept in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to two weeks; after that, ice crystals will start to form.
Love Desserts? Check out these recipes!
- Easy Cheesecake Recipe
- Red Velvet Cheesecake Recipes – Cheesecake Factory
- Oreo Cheesecake
- Dairy Queen Oreo Cookie Blizzard
- Oreo McFlurry
- Cherry Mash Recipe
- Mrs Fields’ Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
- Pineapple Angel Food Cake Recipe
- Bisquick Cobbler Recipes – Peach
- Jello Dessert
- KozyShack – Rice Pudding
More Homemade Ice Cream Recipes
Be sure to look at more of my copycat restaurant desserts and the best ice cream recipes.
What is your favorite ice cream flavor? Let us know in the comments below. Remember to share your ice cream creations by TAGGING US ON INSTAGRAM. And sign up for our newsletter so you never miss a copycat recipe.
Cold Stone Cake Batter Ice Cream – Easy Copycat Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup milk
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup Duncan Hines Butter Recipe Cake Mix
Instructions
- Spread the cake mix on a baking sheet or Silpat, and bake for about 5 minutes at 350°F. Let cool completely.
- In a heavy stockpot mix together 1 cup of heavy cream, salt, and 3/4 cup of sugar. Heat over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.
- When the sugar is dissolved turn off the burner, add 1/2 cup Duncan Hines Butter Recipe cake mix, and whisk in well.
- Add 2 cups of heavy cream and 1 cup of milk into the pot and mix well. Refrigerate mixture for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- Before freezing ice cream according to your ice cream freezer whisk together well, the mixture will be a little lumpy. I like to freeze the ice cream for a few hours before serving the ice cream.
The recipe is way off. Cold Stone ice cream is actually frozen pudding, that is why it doesn’t really mely
Huck, I mentioned that mine does melt, and it was not *exactly* like their recipe.
A Coldstone owner told me that they use a baked cake, smooshed up, in the cake batter flavor. It didn’t make much sense, consistancy wise.
Hmmm, I think that owner may have been pulling your leg.
They only use the baked cake in the Cake N Shake. They use the cake batter ice cream with pieces of baked yellow cake and milk, then blend.
The locations that I have been to do not have any baked cake in the ice cream. Perhaps the flavor y’all mention is different.
If you don’t have an ice cream freezer can you just put it into a regular freezer? Does it turn out the same?
If you don’t have an ice cream freezer can you just put it into a regular freezer? Does it turn out the same?
No, I don’t think that would work at all.
I actually worked as a manager for Coldstone Creamery. The cake batter mix they use is not Duncan Hines. It is a generic cake mix that they purchase in bulk. An entire box, the size of a cereal box, goes into each batch. But you are right about the Butter Cake mix; it’s probably the only cake mix on the market that can match the flavor and consistancy for the Cake Batter Ice Cream.
I actually worked as a manager for Coldstone Creamery. The cake batter mix they use is not Duncan Hines. It is a generic cake mix that they purchase in bulk. An entire box, the size of a cereal box, goes into each batch. But you are right about the Butter Cake mix; it’s probably the only cake mix on the market that can match the flavor and consistancy for the Cake Batter Ice Cream.
I actually worked as a manager for Coldstone Creamery. The cake batter mix they use is not Duncan Hines. It is a generic cake mix that they purchase in bulk. An entire box, the size of a cereal box, goes into each batch. But you are right about the Butter Cake mix; it’s probably the only cake mix on the market that can match the flavor and consistancy for the Cake Batter Ice Cream.
So yooo refrigerate it for 4 hours and then freeze it? For how long? … And by the way thanks for posting this recipe I am so excited to make it tonight!
So yooo refrigerate it for 4 hours and then freeze it? For how long? … And by the way thanks for posting this recipe I am so excited to make it tonight!
Yes, you need to refrigerate before putting into your ice cream freezer. Depending upon how hard you like your ice cream is what I would use as your guide for how long to freeze it for, my ice cream machine freezes at pretty much the right temperature so its thick when done.
Can i ask a dumb question never made ice cream before when youmput it in freezer what do you.put it in? Tupperware?
Yes, I store it in tupperwear when I put in the freezer.
So yooo refrigerate it for 4 hours and then freeze it? For how long? … And by the way thanks for posting this recipe I am so excited to make it tonight!
Thanks for such a great post, I am totally impressed! Keep stuff like this coming.
Thanks for such a great post, I am totally impressed! Keep stuff like this coming.
Great Job on the website. I’m in the middle of creating a recipe website myself that will revolutionize the industry. Looks like you do banner ad’s? I got a system that you can drive traffic to yoursite with banner ads. Contact me for more info.
it was so gross. dont waste your time. i was hoping for it to taste at least close to the real thing. but not even.
Lol one person so far complaining out of how many? Can’t please everyone. It’s good.
Great job on the blog, it looks great.
Should be delicious making it to day. Thanks a lot for your nice and delicious recipes.
Woman, thy name is Evil 🙂 Love it! Making it! 🙂
its in the first line. it goes into the pan with the cream and sugar.
its in the first line. it goes into the pan with the cream and sugar.
what do you do with the salt that is not listed in the recipe . when do you add the salt
Add it with the heavy cream and sugar.