Praline Ice Cream Cake

Softened vanilla ice cream is the secret ingredient in this praline-style sheet cake. It replaces the milk and most of the fat you’d normally cream into a batter, delivering tenderness, richness, and a subtle vanilla backbone in one shortcut move.

The graham cracker crumbs folded into the flour give the crumb a honeyed, slightly sandy character that plays into the praline theme. After baking, a mixture of sour cream and caramel ice cream topping gets poured over the warm cake so it soaks down into the surface rather than sitting on top like glaze.

A handful of chopped pecans goes on last. The warm cake toasts them gently from below, releasing their oils.

Chef Tips

• Pull the ice cream out 15 minutes before starting. It should be pourable but not soupy.
• Add the caramel topping while the cake is still warm so it seeps in. A cooled cake just has sticky sauce on top.
• Toast the pecans in a dry skillet for 3 to 4 minutes before sprinkling for a noticeably deeper flavor.
• Cut squares with a sharp knife wiped clean between slices. The caramel is sticky and will drag crumbs otherwise.

Variations

• Swap vanilla for butter pecan or dulce de leche ice cream to double down on the praline notes.
• Drizzle warm chocolate sauce alongside the caramel for a turtle cake effect.
• Fold ½ cup mini chocolate chips into the batter for extra indulgence.