No Bake - Ice Cream Cake

We all have many roles to juggle, and I am no exception to that list. I wear many hats, however a baker's hat is not one of them. My sister always says to me, " A cooker you are, a baker you are NOT!", and it's very true I am lacking the baking gene. I have no idea why but whenever I bake I am disappointed by the results. There's just no passion between me and baking a dessert, eating the dessert on the other hand is a perfect match!  I have daughters and I need to be able to do something for their birthdays!! So I have mastered the art of the ice cream cake! Obvi it is oven free, so easy to make, and it tastes ahhhhhmazing!!!  The girls love when I set up a buffet of toppings for the cake and just let them go nuts. The toppings can be festive for any occasion depending on what you use. Its perfect for kiddie parties but also for any group of dessert loving adults.

Happy Eating!

xo 
Kelly

Prep
Remove paper wrap from all 17 ice cream sandwiches and put sandwiches in freezer up to 10 minutes before starting recipe.

Ingredients

• 17 Ice Cream Sandwiches (I used 3 boxes of 6 and had 1 leftover)
• 1 jar (11.75 ounces) hot fudge ice cream topping
• 2 Tablespoons of your favorite peanut butter
• 1/2 carton (4 ounces) frozen whipped topping (Thawed) - Cool Whip can always do the trick here
• Suggested toppings - crumbled oreos, crumled pretzels, mini reese's cups, sprinkles, maraschino cherries

Directions:

1. Heat the Fudge in a small saucepan. (If fudge is tough to remove from the jar , microwave jar for 15 seconds) Once it starts to warm stir constantly and stir in peanut butter. Leave stove-top on low.
2. In an 11x7.5 in pan place 6 sandwiches horizontally down the left long side of the pan, then place 2 sandwiches vertically down the right long side of the pan (see pictures). Then cut 1/4 of a sandwich to fill in the small space.  (Do NOT throw away the rest of the cut sandwich)
3. Take half of the fudge & peanut butter mixture and spread evenly over the entire surface of the ice cream sandwiches.
4. Repeat step 2 except this time line up the horizontal sandwiches down the right side and the vertical sandwiches down the left side. (this is to prevent the small 1/4 pieces from ending up on top of one another)
5. Spread the rest of the fudge & peanut butter mixture evenly over the entire surface of the ice cream sandwiches.
6. Spread thawed whipped topping across the entire top of cake.  You should only need half of the 8 ounce carton to cover but you can use more to make a thicker layer if desired. 

* Now you can decorate the cake before freezing or save the decorating for when the cake is served if  you prefer  guests  
     to use toppings of choice.

        7.  Cover and freeze cake for at least 2 hours before serving.  Can freeze for up to 2 months.  Remove  from freezer  10-15 minutes before serving.