3 Layer Ice Cream Cake

This is the most awesome ice cream cake, and it's so easy to make! You have to try this!

Ingredients:
1 pack of Oreos
3 quarts of your favorite ice cream
1 box ice cream sandwiches - keep in freezer until ready to use
Cool Whip

Instructions:
1. You will need a springform pan. Spray the pan with non-stick cooking spray. Cut strips of wax paper to line the pan. The spray will help the wax paper stick to the pan.

2.. Put about half of the Oreos in a blender and blend to make fine crumbs, or small chunks, whichever you prefer. (You can also put the Oreos in a bowl or zip lock bag and crush with a wooden mallet. Sometimes I use the bottom of a drinking glass and gently tap to break the cookies into small pieces.) Save a tablespoon of crumbs or chunks to sprinkle on top of the final layer. Add a little water to your crushed Oreos so that they stick together a bit and you can press them into the bottom of your springform pan. I used a little too much water by accident and made almost an Oreo brownie. : )  It was good, but I prefer the bottom more crumbly instead of gooey.

3. Cut several ice cream sandwiches into 4ths like the picture shows. You will need enough to line the whole pan. That will depend on the size of your springform pan. I used about 8 ice cream sandwiches for mine. I personally like the WalMart brand better than some of the name brands I have tried.They have a good shape and texture for this. It's a messy job, so be prepared to ruin a few and eat them.

4. Line the pan with the pieces of ice cream sandwich. Make sure the outside rounded edge of the icecream sandwich is facing up and against the pan. This will be what everyone sees when you take off the springform pan, so try to make it pretty.

5. Scoop out about 3/4 of the ice cream for your first layer and put into a bowl. The whole quart would be too much. If you have a smaller springform pan, then maybe half of it would do...I have bought the fancy pints of ice cream for making these in a smaller springform pan. Stir the ice cream until soft and smooth. We have been known to add chunks of brownie, nuts, huge Oreo chunks, or whatever we are craving in each layer! Yum! Pour into pan. You may want to put it in the freezer for 15-30 minutes or so to let that layer get firm. if you don't, your layers will not be straight.

6. Repeat step 5 for the 2nd layer.

7. Repeat step 5 for the 3rd layer. 

8. Spread Cool Whip over the top. Try to make it look pretty. I make little peaks on mine by using the back of the spoon. I can't explain that...just try to make it look pretty. : )

 9. Sprinkle some Oreo crumbs on the top. This is as creative as I get, but I'm sure you could add some special touches to make it look really pretty. 

10. Put it in the freezer and let it freeze hard for 24 hours. Every time I have made it in the morning and tried to serve it that night, it was not frozen enough and it was more of a blob than beautiful layers. Take out of freezer and remove the outside of the springform pan and the wax paper. Cut and serve! Everyone will love it! : )

Notes: 

1. I did not freeze each layer before I added the next because I was trying to hurry, and I ended up with waves of color and not exact layers. (See picture below.) No one cared though and we ate every last bite of this! 

2. My favorite one I have made had pink, white and green layers. The colors were beautiful with the Oreo bottom and the Cool Whip topping. I used a strawberry ice cream, but the ice cream was white, so we added a drop or two of red food coloring to make it pink. Then we used a vanilla bean vanilla ice cream for the middle. For the 3rd layer, we used a mint chocolate chip ice cream, but the ice cream was white, so we added a few drops of green food coloring. It was stunning and the flavors were amazing!

3. Feel free to add cookie pieces, brownie chunks, nuts, mini marshmallows, or whatever you like in your ice cream!