Desserts

Find over 1,000 easy, fun, and delicious dessert recipes for you and your family!

If you liked Hostess Cupcakes in your lunchbox as a kid, you'll love this cake version that's all grown up!

Hostess Cupcake Cake Recipe

If you liked Hostess Cupcakes in your lunchbox as a kid, you’ll love this cake version that’s all grown up!

If you liked Hostess Cupcakes in your lunchbox as a kid, you'll love this cake version that's all grown up!

OH my gosh. This cake. YOU GUYS! Where to even begin?!? Because, honestly, this cake was all kinds of ridiculous. In the very best way…

I remember back when my mom would pack my lunches and would on a very rare occasion send me to school with a Hostess Cupcake in my lunchbox. I tried to not let my friends see me geek out over a cupcake in (but seriously, how come none of the other 5th graders ever seemed as fall-over-yourself excited about cupcakes as I did?? Was I truly alone in that feeling?!). So I’d carefully set it aside until I had finished my lunch. I wanted it to be the very last thing that I tasted before going back to class.

And there was no just shoveling the whole thing in my mouth. Oh no. I took my time and savored each component separately. First, I peeled (yes, peeled, you know what I’m talking about!) off the chocolate icing and ate that first. Next I scooped out the cream filling. And finally, I’d eat the remaining cake. If I was lucky enough to get a Hostess Cupcake in my lunchbox, you can darn well believe I made it a full-blown experience when it came time to eat it!

If you liked Hostess Cupcakes in your lunchbox as a kid, you'll love this cake version that's all grown up!

Being the mature adult that I am today, it’s been long, long time since I’ve sampled fine packaged delicacies such as a Hostess Cupcake. But that doesn’t mean I hold it in any less regard. In fact, I made this cake as an ode to my favorite lunchbox treat!

Basically, if a Hostess cupcake grew up to be a full-blown layer cake, this is what it would be. And it’s nothing short of OMG SO GOOD. To use my most eloquent terminology there.

If you liked Hostess Cupcakes in your lunchbox as a kid, you'll love this cake version that's all grown up!

If you liked Hostess Cupcakes in your lunchbox as a kid, you'll love this cake version that's all grown up!

Today’s cake recipe combines layers of my all-time favorite chocolate cake with a copycat Little Debbie cream filling (that I also used in these Oatmeal Cream Pies), and it’s topped with a sinfully indulgent chocolate ganache.

It’s literally a larger-than-life Hostess Cupcake with better chocolate frosting, a better cream filling, and much better chocolate cake.

So, what I’m say is pretty much this: if you were that child geeking out in the cafeteria over a Hostess Cupcake… this one’s for you ????.

The ultimate soft baked, super chewy cookie loaded with hearty oats and Snickers candy bars!

Snickers Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

The ultimate soft baked, super chewy cookie loaded with hearty oats and Snickers candy bars!

The ultimate soft baked, super chewy cookie loaded with hearty oats and Snickers candy bars!

I get asked this question all the time: what’s your favorite recipe??

And, honestly, I have a few. Definitely my mom’s frosted brownies. And this peanut butter apple dip is a daily snack in our house. M&M Brownie cookies, obviously. And omg these Baked Chocolate Donuts. I love them all, and any one of them is worthy of being my most top-notch favorite recipe.

But, as my frequent readers know, my heart will always and forever belong to chocolate chip cookies. As of now, I have 21 chocolate chip cookie recipes on my site (not including all the variations of those recipes). Some of my favorites have included these DoubleTree Hotel Cookies, AllRecipes.com #1 Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe,  and these King Arthur Chocolate Chip Cookies.

The ultimate soft baked, super chewy cookie loaded with hearty oats and Snickers candy bars!

One of my very, very favorite recipes I’ve found as I’ve dug around for new chocolate chip cookie recipes has been this King Arthur Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. I have used it over and over and over again (here with M&MS and here with Reese’s Pieces), and it is consistently phenomenal.

And the recipe couldn’t be more straightforward.

Butter.

Brown sugar

Sugar.

An egg and an egg yolk (for extra thick and chewy cookies!).

Oatmeal and flour.

Aside from a few littles teaspoons of this and that, that’s really all there is to the recipe!

The ultimate soft baked, super chewy cookie loaded with hearty oats and Snickers candy bars!

Oh, and today, Snickers OF COURSE!

I couldn’t resist taking my favorite oatmeal chocolate chip cookie recipe and adding my current candy bar crush to it.

You know the best part about adding Snickers to cookies? The ooey, gooey melted caramel and nougat. It’s THEE best, and I don’t know why we bother eating cookies any other way.

The ultimate soft baked, super chewy cookie loaded with hearty oats and Snickers candy bars!

The ultimate soft baked, super chewy cookie loaded with hearty oats and Snickers candy bars!

Take it from me: happy people eat warm cookies stuffed with Snickers.

So go out there and make some people happy!

You don't need a mix to make these soft and buttery chocolate chip cookies that taste like a sprinkle-filled piece of cake!

Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies From Scratch Recipe

You don’t need a mix to make these soft and buttery chocolate chip cookies that taste like a sprinkle-filled piece of cake! Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies are handheld cakes.

You don't need a mix to make these soft and buttery chocolate chip cookies that taste like a sprinkle-filled piece of cake!

If you’re anything like me, you’re obsessed with freshly baked chocolate chip cookies. Obsessed. Could you tell? I like my cookies a little crispy and golden around the edges, soft and chewy in the middle, and PACKED with chocolate.

I also LOVE funfetti cake. Which is why I created this cake batter-cookie hybrid with lots of chocolate, sprinkles, and that buttery golden yellow cake taste (without using a cake mix).

You don't need a mix to make these soft and buttery chocolate chip cookies that taste like a sprinkle-filled piece of cake!

What gives these Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies that cake batter taste without the cake mix?

Three simple extracts that, when combined, become a magical funfetti taste twin. Vanilla extract, almond extract, and butter extract (you can find all three of these at virtually any grocery store) all come together in this recipe to create cookies that taste just like cake batter.

If you’re not a fan of almond extract, have no fear. It won’t stand out on it’s own at all.

You don't need a mix to make these soft and buttery chocolate chip cookies that taste like a sprinkle-filled piece of cake!

Also necessary in this recipe? SPRINKLES.

Lots of sprinkles ????.

You don't need a mix to make these soft and buttery chocolate chip cookies that taste like a sprinkle-filled piece of cake!

Enjoy, friends!

I took my favorite homemade yellow cake and made it better.

Another Yellow Birthday Cake with Chocolate Frosting Recipe

I took my favorite homemade yellow cake and made it better.

I took my favorite homemade yellow cake and made it better.

I am particularly excited about this cake, because…. IT’S MY BIRTHDAY!

And I like my birthdays. A LOT.

I took my favorite homemade yellow cake and made it better.

So, in celebration of my very favorite day of the year, I’m sharing my very favorite birthday cake: yellow cake with chocolate frosting and lots of sprinkles!

I’ve actually shared this cake before. Here.

But I’ve made some upgrades to the cake recipe, so that it’s moister, softer, and fluffier! And I couldn’t use the same chocolate frosting as before. That particular frosting was made to be EXTRA creamy. Which is amazing. But it doesn’t work quite as well on a stand-alone layer cake. I needed to make a chocolate buttercream that could hold it’s own for this cake.

I took my favorite homemade yellow cake and made it better.

I took my favorite homemade yellow cake and made it better.

Let’s talk about this cake.

Hopefully, you guys know by now that I put the SIMPLICITY of a recipe at the top of my priority list before I post something new. It’s important to me that all of my recipes are completely do-able in a REAL LIFE chaotic, busy, never-enough-time, at-home setting.

In 99% of my recipes you will NOT find much chilling, softening, sifting, or anything else that is time consuming. With that being said, I hope you’ll trust me when I tell you something like this…

The ingredients that go into the batter of this cake must be brought to room temperature. I wish I was joking. But after umpteen hard and dry yellow cakes, I’ve finally conceded the fact that I have to let all the cold ingredients come to room temp before whisking up the batter.

If you plan it right, it’s really not a big deal. Set the stuff on the counter early morning or even the night before and you’re ready to go a few hours later. And great news– you can actually just melt the butter! So that’s one less cold ingredient you have to worry about.

I took my favorite homemade yellow cake and made it better.

I took my favorite homemade yellow cake and made it better.

Just promise me you’ll wait for the ingredients to come to room temp. If you’re desperate for a quick cake, use a mix. I won’t judge you. But don’t rush this recipe!

I could not believe the difference it made to simply let the ingredients come to room temperature before mixing. The cake was moister, fluffier, and downright yummier than any other from-scratch yellow cake I’ve ever made before!

I took my favorite homemade yellow cake and made it better.

I took my favorite homemade yellow cake and made it better.

I took my favorite homemade yellow cake and made it better.

And that chocolate frosting is everything. I don’t know what it is about yellow cake and chocolate frosting, but I just don’t think it gets any better than that. The only thing I would dream of adding is a gigantic scoop of vanilla bean ice cream!

Enjoy 🙂 And Happy Birthday to all the rest of you July birthdays out there!!

No thermometer for this easy fudge! All you need are a few simple ingredients and a love of sprinkles.

Cake Batter Fudge Recipe

No thermometer needed for this easy fudge! All you need are a few simple ingredients and a love of sprinkles.

No thermometer for this easy fudge! All you need are a few simple ingredients and a love of sprinkles.

It’s been way too long since I posted a Funfetti recipe! I looked it up. It’s been over a month. And I haven’t made any fudge since Christmas!

So, yeah. This cake batter fudge was absolutely necessary.

Especially because I’m a fudge-all-year-round kinda girl. I L-O-V-E fudge.

No thermometer for this easy fudge! All you need are a few simple ingredients and a love of sprinkles.

I know making fudge can be kind of intimidating. But no need to worry when you’re here. On Something Swanky, we pretty much exclusively adhere to only shortcut fudge-making methods.

Not that I mind using a candy thermometer here or there. But when it comes to fudge, I just feel like there are so many really, really good EASY fudge-making methods, that I feel like any kind of complicated recipe is just totally unnecessary.

No thermometer for this easy fudge! All you need are a few simple ingredients and a love of sprinkles.

This recipe for cake mix fudge was really popular a few years ago, but I never got around to it for some reason. It’s always been nagging at me in the back of my mind, and I’m so thrilled that I finally tried it! It is insanely easy and SO good.

And by easy, I mean c-r-a-z-y easy. Like… melt some butter, mix some stuff, and pop it in the fridge. That’s pretty much all there is to it.

No thermometer for this easy fudge! All you need are a few simple ingredients and a love of sprinkles.

Just be sure to be gentle when you mix in the sprinkles, and don’t add them until the very end! Sprinkles tend to bleed their colors in warm mixtures, which can look kind of messy in this fudge. Still tastes good though, so no worries if yours bleed a little bit ????.

Enjoy!

This is the best banana cake! It's simple to whip up, starting with a mix, and is supremely moist and flavorful. The chocolate cream cheese frosting is amazing too :)

Banana Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

This is the best banana cake! It’s simple to whip up, starting with a mix, and is supremely moist and flavorful. The chocolate cream cheese frosting is amazing too 🙂

This is the best banana cake! It's simple to whip up, starting with a mix, and is supremely moist and flavorful. The chocolate cream cheese frosting is amazing too :)

We always, always have old bananas on the counter. Mostly because every time I go to the grocery store, I get all fired up about eating more fruits and vegetables and buy out the produce department. And then, I’m ashamed to admit, a lot of it just sits around for the rest of the week… not getting eaten. Oops!

Thank goodness, old bananas are a LOT easier to rescue than, say, slimy old green beans. ????

This is the best banana cake! It's simple to whip up, starting with a mix, and is supremely moist and flavorful. The chocolate cream cheese frosting is amazing too :)

This is the best banana cake! It's simple to whip up, starting with a mix, and is supremely moist and flavorful. The chocolate cream cheese frosting is amazing too :)

I’ve been wanting to make a banana cake that starts with a cake mix. I love the concept of just throwing a few ingredients into the bowl and whipping up a perfectly soft and fluffy cake. I’ve never been one to shy away from a cake mix, and I’ll say it again: I love that you know what you’re getting with a mix.

You know the cake is going to be soft, fluffy, moist, and flavorful. It’s just so reliable! You know the texture is going to be good and that it’s going to bake up just right. I’ve yet to use a cake mix and be disappointed.

So it’s no surprise that this recipe ended up being a slam dunk.

🍌🍌🍌 CELEBRATE BANANAS with us: our favorite Banana Bread Recipes 🍌🍌🍌

This is the best banana cake! It's simple to whip up, starting with a mix, and is supremely moist and flavorful. The chocolate cream cheese frosting is amazing too :)

All you need is a yellow cake mix, a 2-3 bananas, and a few other simple ingredients. It bakes up beautifully in less than 30 minutes, and it tastes AMAZING. Perfectly sweet with a serious banana flavor.

And the chocolate cream cheese frosting... omg.

I almost made just a regular cream cheese frosting. Which would have been good, I’m sure. But chocolate was for sure the right call to go with banana. Although… isn’t chocolate always the right call??

This is the best banana cake! It's simple to whip up, starting with a mix, and is supremely moist and flavorful. The chocolate cream cheese frosting is amazing too :)

This is the best banana cake! It's simple to whip up, starting with a mix, and is supremely moist and flavorful. The chocolate cream cheese frosting is amazing too :)

I hope you enjoy every bit of this cake as much as we did!

Rich and moist chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate chips and a decadent chocolate ganache on top!

Death By Chocolate Zucchini Cake Recipe

Rich and moist chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate chips and a decadent chocolate ganache on top!
Rich and moist chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate chips and a decadent chocolate ganache on top!
Today, we’re revisiting one of my oldest recipes. And one of my very favorites. Because (aside from my favorite chocolate cake) I’ve yet to meet another chocolate cake that rivals this chocolate zucchini cake in terms of flavor, texture, and moistness. Plus, we’re talking about FOUR layers of chocolate goodness here:

???? chocolate cake.

???? chocolate chips inside the cake.

???? chocolate ganache.

???? more chocolate chips on top of the ganache.

This is a MAJOR chocolate experience you guys.

Rich and moist chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate chips and a decadent chocolate ganache on top!

And the best part is: you’re totally getting in your veggies! Not that you’ll even notice.

You won’t believe there are TWO WHOLE zucchinis in there! And you know what they say– you need 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day. So, basically, that means you need 2 and a half cakes per day. Which seems reasonable. Amiright? ????

Rich and moist chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate chips and a decadent chocolate ganache on top!

Rich and moist chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate chips and a decadent chocolate ganache on top!

That ganache is practically a superfood on it’s own.

I mean, just look at that! Does anyone else get all ???? ???? ???? watching ganache drip down the side of a cake? Be still my heart!

Ganache is so simple to make. I actually wrote a whole post about it here (which I plan to update soon, in fact. But it’ll do for now). It just takes two simple ingredients: chocolate and heavy cream. I usually nuke it in the microwave in 30 second increments until everything is warm and melty and stirs smooth. But it’s probably a little safer to make it over medium heat on the stove top if you don’t work with chocolate much, just to avoid burning or seizing it.

Rich and moist chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate chips and a decadent chocolate ganache on top!

Rich and moist chocolate zucchini cake with chocolate chips and a decadent chocolate ganache on top!

This cake is seriously a dream come true. You are going to be obsessed with it!!

An easy recipe for gooey rice krispie treats with M&MS and a white chocolate drizzle.

White Chocolate Rice Krispies Treats with M&Ms Recipe

These White Chocolate Rice Krispies Treats with M&Ms are super easy, gooey rice krispie treats with M&MS and a white chocolate drizzle.

An easy recipe for gooey rice krispie treats with M&MS and a white chocolate drizzle.

Since the beginning of summer vacation, my kids and I have been on a major rice krispie treat kick. We buy the mega box at Sam’s club, and lasts us about a week (although, I suspect my husband is going through them faster than the kids are).

Basically, we really heart rice krispie treats.

An easy recipe for gooey rice krispie treats with M&MS and a white chocolate drizzle.

And this is the MacDaddy recipe of them all. Insane gooey-ness. M&Ms. And a white chocolate drizzle on top. These White Chocolate Rice Krispies Treats with M&Ms are my hands down favorite rice krispie treat of all time (and that includes, Biscoff RKT, Toasted Marshmallow RKT, and Butterfinger Butterscotch RKT— all of which are hard to beat).

There is something about this flavor and texture combo that is just so right, know what I mean?

An easy recipe for gooey rice krispie treats with M&MS and a white chocolate drizzle.

If you like rice krispie treats, you are going to flip for these! Added bonus: *NO BAKING*

Because it is waaaaaaaaaay too hot for that nonsense. Turn off the oven and dig into these instead! Woot!

Making White Chocolate Rice Krispies Treats with M&Ms

Making White Chocolate Rice Krispies Treats with M&Ms is a simple and fun way to create a colorful, sweet snack that’s perfect for any occasion. Start by melting together butter and miniature marshmallows in the microwave, stirring until the mixture is smooth and creamy. This step takes just a few minutes, and the gooey marshmallow blend will form the sticky base that holds the treats together.

Once the marshmallows are fully melted, mix in the Rice Krispies cereal, ensuring that each piece is evenly coated. The key to adding the M&Ms is to fold them in gently—this helps prevent the candies from cracking or the chocolate from melting too much, preserving the bright, festive look of your treats.

After the mixture is ready, press it gently into a parchment-lined or well-greased 9×9 baking dish. It’s important not to press too hard, as you want the treats to remain light and chewy. Allow the mixture to cool for about 30 minutes, or until it’s firm to the touch and no longer warm.

Once set, cut the treats into bars and drizzle them with melted white chocolate for an extra layer of sweetness. For a final touch, top with additional M&Ms to make your treats even more vibrant and fun. These White Chocolate Rice Krispies Treats with M&Ms are not only easy to make but also a hit with both kids and adults alike!

Enjoy 🙂

Moist chocolate donuts that are baked instead of fried, topped with a sweet glaze and Oreo crumbles.

Cookies & Cream Baked Chocolate Donuts Recipe

Moist chocolate donuts that are baked instead of fried, topped with a sweet glaze and Oreo crumbles.

Moist chocolate donuts that are baked instead of fried, topped with a sweet glaze and Oreo crumbles.

Happy Thursday! It’s almost the weekend, which I think calls for donuts!!

I’m obsessed with donuts. Cream filled, chocolate frosted, sprinkled, glazed, baked, fried, whatever. If it’s a donut, I want it. These baked chocolate donuts with a glaze have an especially soft spot in my heart. I love the texture– they’re a little bit crispy around the edges, just like a fried donut, but soft and airy on the inside. So much perfection in one little breakfast food!

Moist chocolate donuts that are baked instead of fried, topped with a sweet glaze and Oreo crumbles.

Today, I’m taking my favorite chocolate donut recipe, and cranking it up a notch by coating the glaze in Oreo cookie crumbles and adding a drizzle of cream cheese frosting to top it all off.

These donuts are incredibly simple to make. The ingredients are simple and straightforward, stuff you have on hand. And the mixing and baking process is a breeze as well. Basically, what I’m saying is that you can have homemade chocolate donuts in about 20 minutes.

Which I think we can agree is something we allllllllll need. ????

Moist chocolate donuts that are baked instead of fried, topped with a sweet glaze and Oreo crumbles.

Moist chocolate donuts that are baked instead of fried, topped with a sweet glaze and Oreo crumbles.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

This is THE PERFECT no churn ice cream recipe. It's just two ingredients (like the other famous no churn recipe), but this one has a way better texture, and it's not overly sweet! It seriously tastes and feels JUST LIKE real ice cream.

A Better No Churn Ice Cream (and Frozen Yogurt) Recipe

This is THE PERFECT no churn ice cream recipe thanks to a secret ingredient. It’s just two ingredients (like the other famous no churn recipe), but this one has a way better texture, and it’s not overly sweet! It seriously tastes and feels JUST LIKE real ice cream.

This is THE PERFECT no churn ice cream recipe. It's just two ingredients (like the other famous no churn recipe), but this one has a way better texture, and it's not overly sweet! It seriously tastes and feels JUST LIKE real ice cream.

YOU GUYS!!

I am so so so so sososososoooooooooooooooooo crazy excited to share this recipe with you today.

Did I mention I’m pretty pumped?? I’m SO pumped.

Why? Because I FINALLY have a two-ingredient, no-churn (read no machine required!) homemade ice cream that really, truly, 1000% tastes like ice cream. Really!

This is THE PERFECT no churn ice cream recipe. It's just two ingredients (like the other famous no churn recipe), but this one has a way better texture, and it's not overly sweet! It seriously tastes and feels JUST LIKE real ice cream.

Have you ever made 2-ingredient, no churn ice cream like this? It’s fine. I mean, I liked it well enough when I thought that was all there was. That you couldn’t make anything better with just two ingredients and no ice cream machine. Back when I thought you had to settle for an overly-sweet-sort-of-weird-texture kind of ice cream. Back when that was all there was, it was good enough. It was maybe even kind of great.

But ohhhhhhhhhh, how wrong I was, my friends.

It turns out there is so much more to no-churn ice cream life than we thought there was!!

This is THE PERFECT no churn ice cream recipe. It's just two ingredients (like the other famous no churn recipe), but this one has a way better texture, and it's not overly sweet! It seriously tastes and feels JUST LIKE real ice cream.

Okay, so what were the problems with the old recipe? Primarily two things: 1) it was WAY too sweet. Especially if you used the Cool Whip shortcut (guilty). And 2) it had sort of a weird texture as it melted. Because it never really melted down to a liquid… it was more of a semi-solid. Which was weird.

How do we fix that?

Well, for starters, we need an ingredient that balances out the sweet from the sweetened condensed milk. And secondly, we probably don’t need to add another thick ingredient like whipped cream!

Enter the magical secret ingredient: SOUR CREAM.

The answer was there the whole time! So unassuming and subtle, just sitting there in the refrigerator waiting for us to notice. Waiting for us to realize that when sour cream mixes with sweetened condense milk and freezes…. BAM. Ice cream! And not just any ice cream– good ice cream.

Way good ice cream, you guys.

This is THE PERFECT no churn ice cream recipe. It's just two ingredients (like the other famous no churn recipe), but this one has a way better texture, and it's not overly sweet! It seriously tastes and feels JUST LIKE real ice cream.

Want to know what else is cool about this recipe?? You can actually substitute nonfat Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream. YES!!!! Isn’t that amazing?

Be forewarned, it does get ever-so-slightly (and I do mean only slightly) icier than the version with sour cream. But still– I think that’s totally worth it for an easy homemade frozen yogurt that does actually have some nutritionally redeeming qualities, amiright?!

So, what do you think? Is anyone else as excited about this revolutionary recipe as I am?? Because I’m literally still flipping out over this. I want to go make eleventy bajillion flavors of no churn right now. Imagine the possibilities now that easy homemade ice cream doesn’t suck! WOOT!

Easy Ice Cream Cookie Cake Recipe

Here’s how to make a super simple and delicious cookie dough ice cream birthday cake!

Here's how to make a super simple and delicious cookie dough ice cream cake!

Summer is in full force around here! Swim lessons, air conditioning, hot leather seats sticking to your legs in the van, and daily ice cream runs.

Plus, in our house, summer = all.the.birthdays!!!

So I figure this easy ice cream cake is super appropriate.

Here's how to make a super simple and delicious cookie dough ice cream cake!

Let me break down these layers for you:

????Sara Lee pound cake (it’s in the frozen section)

???? Vanilla ice cream

????Homemade eggless cookie dough recipe for one 🙂

???? Rainbow Chips (Wilton)

???? Hot fudge or chocolate syrup or chocolate ganache or whatever else you want on top!

That’s it!! How easy is that??

And really, you could use any flavor of ice cream you wanted to. I’m a vanilla girl, but I can think of plenty of other flavors that would be delicious in this cake. Cookies & Cream, chocolate peanut butter, or chocolate chip just to name a few!

Here's how to make a super simple and delicious cookie dough ice cream cake!

Can you see those huge chunks of cookie dough in the ice cream? That’s my favorite part. I’m such a cookie dough snob when it comes to ice cream. I like knowing that I made the cookie dough in this dessert. And I like that I can make the dough a little softer if I want (I don’t like really hard chunks of dough in my ice cream) by simply adding a little more milk to the recipe.

Here's how to make a super simple and delicious cookie dough ice cream cake!

This cake is so easy and SO good. I love that it doesn’t take a ton of effort. Outside of making the cookie dough (which is easily done with just a small bowl and a fork– no mixer required!), there’s hardly any hands on effort required here.

So what are you waiting for? You’re just a few minutes away from the yummiest ice cream cake you’ve ever made! Happy Summer!

Strawberry Shortcake Donuts | www.somethingswanky.com @driscollsstrawberries #strawshortcake

Strawberry Shortcake Donuts Recipe

 Dricoll’s has been the strawberry in everyone’s shortcake for more than 100 years, which makes them the perfect inspiration for this recipe! I worked in collaboration with Driscoll’s Strawberries to develop a unique strawberry shortcake recipe and have received compensation accordingly. Opinions expressed are always my own.

Strawberry Shortcake Donuts | somethingswanky.com @driscollsstrawberries #strawshortcake

Summertime is practically here! Can’t you just feel it?? This time of year is just so intoxicating, so full of sunlight and flower buds. It’s like walking into a big hug after a long and dreary winter, followed by a very wet spring.

In between packing what must be thousands of boxes (okay… it’s closer to, like, 12) and move prep, we’ve been trying to soak up every moment of this new found sunshine! We’re taking nature walks, catching butterflies, running in the sprinklers, and eating lots and lots of strawberries.

Like…. gazillions of strawberries.

Strawberry Shortcake Donuts | somethingswanky.com @driscollsstrawberries #strawshortcake

I think strawberries may be the real reason I fight to get through the winter at all. And when strawberry season comes, I’m eating them with every meal and every snack in between.

Like every other strawberry lover on the planet, I’m pretty crazy about strawberry shortcake. Besides being utterly delicious and a versatile flavor combo, strawberry shortcake is also classic and timeless. It’s an iconic American dessert, and I find the sheer patriotism of it as appealing as anything else. Did you know that Americans have been feverishly eating strawberry shortcake for over 100 years? And Driscoll’s has been growing beautifully plump, ruby red strawberries for just as long!

Strawberry shortcake has taken on many forms throughout the decades. Sometimes the variations are as simple as switching up the cake part and using a spongecake (like the ones you see in the grocery stores by the strawberries) or pound cake instead of a traditional sweet biscuit. Others are more creative and incorporate the flavors into desserts like ice cream or crepes!

Strawberry Shortcake Donuts | somethingswanky.com @driscollsstrawberries #strawshortcake

I wanted to get a little creative with this recipe but also incorporate some tradition at the same time. Classic, old-school, southern-style strawberry shortcake is made with a biscuit (sort of like this blueberry shortcake I posted). Using biscuits happen to be my favorite way to eat this dessert, so I knew I didn’t want to deviate from that route.

As I started thinking about the different ways you can use biscuits in dessert-making, strawberry shortcake donuts became this blaring, neon sign in my mind as the perfect way to combine both tradition and creativity! By simply frying the biscuit dough, instead of baking, a classic strawberry shortcake goes rogue and becomes a donut. You can fry made-from-scratch biscuit dough or use refrigerated biscuit dough like I did for a delicious shortcut!

One more thing before you head to the kitchen… it’s a little obvious, but it’s worth saying anyway: be sure to buy the very best strawberries for the very best tasting donuts. Driscoll’s has been the strawberry in everyone’s shortcake for over 100 years, and there’s a reason– they’re the best!