Cold, rich, smooth, and creamy with a bit of crunch. It turns out you can have your cake and eat it too – plus a frozen treat in the middle. There is nothing better than finishing off a summer celebration with an ice cream cake, the best of both worlds for cake and ice cream lovers alike.
Ellen Sledge, Penny Lick founder and CEO, is one of the few people who makes her shops’ ice cream cakes in Mamaroneck and Hastings-on-Hudson, and is the designated cake writer due to her top-notch handwriting. “It’s sweet to know that your ice cream cake is part of someone’s annual birthday tradition,” she says.
While the first place you might think to see an ice cream cake is a kid’s birthday party, they are so much more versatile. Ice cream cakes are the perfect dessert for any summertime celebration: a graduation party, barbecue, baby shower, and more. To avoid a melty disaster, transport your cake in a cooler (for longer trips, include ice packs, too). Remove the cake from the freezer and allow it to soften before serving to achieve the perfect – not rock-solid or melted – texture.
Ben & Jerry’s
639 E Main St, Mount Kisco; 914.666.2555
The only Ben & Jerry’s store in Westchester makes a large variety of ice cream cakes for any occasion and flavor-combination craving. Whether you choose a design, like the colorful Groovy Tie-Dye cake, or you customize your own, the cakes are made with any two signature Ben & Jerry’s flavors (even non-dairy) and tasty fillings like crumbled brownies. Who doesn’t dream of a cool cake with famous flavors like Phish Food and The Tonight Dough?
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Bona Bona Ice Cream
10 Westchester Ave, Port Chester; 914.481.5712
71 US-6 Baldwin Pl, Somers; 914.600.3004
Bona Bona, known for its delicious small-batch ice cream topped with torched homemade Italian meringue, also makes incredible ice cream cakes. Choose a signature ice cream cake such as Nutella S’mores or Rainbow Cookie, or customize one with fun flavors such as Holy Cannoli and Frosted Animal Cracker. Bona Bona’s over-the-top cake designs are sure to amaze guests at any celebration; vegan cakes are available, too.
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Carvel
287 Halstead Ave, Harrison; 914.835.5081; other locations
With at least 18 additional Westchester locations besides Harrison, many credit Carvel as the original home of the ice cream cake. (The first ever Carvel storefront opened in Hartsdale in 1936!) The classic vanilla and chocolate ice cream cake is hard to beat. The signature chocolate Crunchies in the center of every cake take these cakes to the next level. Carvel offers many fun cake shapes; aside from the famous Fudgie the Whale and Cookie Puss, choices include a 3D ice cream cone and the Colossal Cupcake, among others. Flavors can be customized, and non-dairy Oatly ice cream cakes are available, as well as gluten-friendly options.
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Ice Cream Social
481 Mamaroneck Ave, White Plains; 914.358.4323
Ice Cream Social offers fully customizable cakes using two of its all-natural ice cream flavors and a range of icing colors from which to choose. Co-founder and owner Erin O’Keefe recommends the fun Blue Zoo flavor: blue ice cream with animal crackers and chocolate chips, tinted naturally with spirulina (algae) instead of artificial dye. Add an Oreo crumble center to any cake for extra textural dimension, and border it with unicorn sprinkles for additional flair. Ice Cream Social’s cakes are especially popular with vegans because the shop’s vegan ice cream, available in delicious flavors such as Brownie Batter and Cookie Butter, is creamy and almost imperceptibly dairy-free. For impromptu celebrations, order a premade cake for delivery via Grubhub. You can still add an inscription, too!
Penny Lick Ice Cream
580 Warburton Ave, Hastings-on-Hudson; 914.525.1580
1212 W Boston Post Rd, Mamaroneck; 914.839.2840
Penny Lick’s ice cream confections are popular year-round and available from the Hastings and Mamaroneck locations. Buy a delicious vanilla-chocolate or cookies-and-cream stock cake, or customize a cake with unique ice cream flavors such as Chai Latte and Lavender Truffle. All cakes are iced with a light chantilly cream and decorated with an elegant chocolate drip and optional sprinkles. Over the summer, Penny Lick makes seasonal vanilla-strawberry ice cream cakes with a vanilla shortbread cookie crumble in the center. Penny Lick CEO Erin Sledge said she “gets a kick out of” the customers who return every year, often because their kids have allergies and trust Penny Lick’s allergy-free cakes. All these cakes are free of peanuts, tree nuts, and sesame. She appreciates being a small part of people’s celebrations and believes “it’s hard to be unhappy [working] in ice cream.”
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Honorary Mentions: Ice Cream Pies!
You’ve heard of ice cream cakes, but have you heard of ice cream pies? Say hello to your new summer (or year-round) obsession! Delicious scoops of ice cream in a sweet and crunchy graham cracker or Oreo crust make for a decadent treat. Find ice cream pies at these spots in Westchester:
The Blue Pig
121 Maple St, Croton-on-Hudson; 914.271.3850
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Flour Power
4668 Boston Post Rd, Pelham; 914.222.0704
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Village Creamery & Sweet Shop
32 Broadway, Valhalla; 914.421.1300
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Related: Where You Should Be Eating Ice Cream in Westchester Right Now
