Turtle Pumpkin Ice Cream Cake: Creamy pumpkin ice cream in a gingersnap crust with a crunchy chocolate drizzle on top creates a delightful contrast of flavors and textures in this gorgeous fall pumpkin ice cream cake!

Turtle Pumpkin Ice Cream Cake on a plate before being cut into.

Why We Love This Turtle Pumpkin Ice Cream Cake Recipe

Something I look forward to every fall is finding pumpkin ice cream in the grocery stores. Why they don’t sell this all year long, is beyond me.

This Thanksgiving, I am taking classic pumpkin ice cream and turning it into a Turtle Pumpkin Ice Cream Cake that will have everyone in serious dessert bliss!

The “turtle” element comes into play with chocolate-shell drizzled over the top and edges, a candied pecan garnish, and a hidden layer of dulce de leche underneath the pumpkin ice cream.

This pumpkin ice cream cake could not be easier to prepare, and would make a fantastic Thanksgiving dessert, when you’ve got so many other dishes to manage.

The only real cooking going on, is baking the gingersnap crust for a few minutes. Other than that, it’s all layering and presentation.

Of course, you could make the pumpkin ice cream, the dulce de leche, the candied pecans, and the chocolate shell from scratch. But I find, with a few good quality store-bought ingredients, you’ve got an impressive and indulgent dessert with very little time invested.

This is one of those ice cream desserts, that no one can resist. It disappears with so much ooooohing and ahhhhing, no one will miss the plain old pumpkin pie when they have this pumpkin ice cream pie!

Side view of pumpkin ice cream cake on a cake stand.

Ingredients You Need

This pumpkin ice cream cake recipe uses easy-to-find ingredients and a simple layering technique to make it in no time! Here’s what you’ll need:

  • Gingersnaps – for the cookie pie crust
  • Butter – to make the cookie crust nice and buttery
  • Egg – this will help provide structure to the crust
  • Dulce de Leche – canned works just fine!
  • Pumpkin Ice Cream – homemade pumpkin ice cream or store-bought are both great
  • Chocolate Magic Shell – store-bought is easy to use and delicious
  • Candied Pecans – for a crunchy, nutty topping
ice cream cake from the side on a cake stand with words "turtle pumpkin ice cream cake"

How to Make This Ice Cream Cake Recipe

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Trace the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan on parchment paper, and cut out a circle to lay in the bottom of the pan.

Using a food processor or high-powdered blender, pulse the gingersnaps until they reach a fine crumb. Add the melted butter and egg and pulse a few more times to combine.

Press the gingersnap mixture evenly over the bottom of the spring form pan, and up the sides approximately 2 inches. Bake for 10-12 minutes. This will serve as the crust in this pumpkin cake.

Once out of the oven, cut a parchment paper strip 4 inches high, and a little over 2 feet long, to line the perimeter of the pan. Tuck the parchment strip carefully between the crust walls and the sides of the pan. Adjust the paper ring to fit snugly around the crust then secure with a paper clip. Press the crust back gently if it has slumped a little.

Spread the entire can of dulce de leche over the bottom of the crust. Then place the crust in the freezer for 15 minutes to chill.

Scoop the ice cream into the crust and press down using a piece of wax paper. Smooth the top with a spatula. Place back in the freezer to firm up for 30-60 minutes.

Then release the sides of the spring-form pan and remove the ring and parchment paper. Shake the chocolate magic shell vigorously, then drizzle around the edges. Once the edges of the cake are covered in chocolate, drizzle the magic shell in the middle of the cake. Quickly top with candied pecans, before the magic shell hardens.

Place back in the freezer until ready to serve. If you plan to wait more than 1 day to serve the cake, wrap it well with foil, followed by a layer of plastic wrap.

Slice of pumpkin ice cream cake on a plate.

Tips & Tricks

  • Serve your turtle pumpkin ice cream with whipped cream for an extra layer of goodness! Or, top it off with a drizzle of extra caramel sauce.
  • Don’t like pumpkin ice cream? You can make a regular turtle ice cream cake by using vanilla ice cream instead!
  • All of the pumpkin flavor in this pumpkin ice cream cake comes from the pumpkin ice cream. For extra pumpkin flavor, add a dash of pumpkin spice or cinnamon to the gingersnap mixture prior to baking it!
  • Before serving, let the cake sit just for a few minutes so that when you slice the cake, it isn’t super difficult to cut!
Slice of ice cream cake on a plate with the cake in the background on a cake stand.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do ice cream cakes go bad?

Ice cream cakes can get freezer burn, since you are freezing more than just ice cream. I recommend eating this cake within one week of making it. If you have leftovers, store it in the freezer and make sure to eat it all within one week!

Why is my ice cream cake stuck to the springform pan?

Turtle pumpkin ice cream cake can be sticky and will stick to the spring-form pan if you don’t line it with parchment paper! I recommend lining it with parchment before you build the layers above the gingersnap crust so that when you release the spring form pan, you can peel off the parchment easily and nothing will stick!

Looking for More Thanksgiving Recipes to Try? Be Sure to Also Try:

Print Recipe
5 stars (5 reviews)
Leave a Review »

Turtle Pumpkin Ice Cream Cake

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Freezing Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours 32 minutes
Creamy pumpkin ice cream in a gingersnap crust with a crunchy chocolate drizzle on top creates a delightful contrast of flavors and textures in this gorgeous fall pumpkin ice cream cake!
Servings: 12 slices

Ingredients

  • 1 pound ginger snaps
  • 1/2 cup butter melted
  • 1 large egg
  • 14 ounces dulce de leche
  • 3 quarts pumpkin ice cream pumpkin pie, pumpkin swirl, you name it!
  • 1 bottle chocolate Magic Shell
  • 3/4 cup candied pecans

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Trace the bottom of a 9-inch spring-form pan on parchment paper, and cut out a circle to lay in the bottom of the pan.
  • Using a food processor or high-powered blender, pulse the gingersnaps until they reach a fine crumb. Add the melted butter and egg and pulse a few more times to combine.
  • Press the gingersnap mixture evenly over the bottom of the spring-form pan, and up the sides approximately 2 inches. Bake for 10-12 minutes.
  • Once out of the oven, cut a parchment paper strip 4 inches high, and a little over 2 feet long, to line the perimeter of the pan. Tuck the parchment paper strip carefully between the crust walls and the sides of the pan. Adjust the paper ring to fit snugly around the crust the secure with a paper clip. Press the crust back gently if it has slumped a little.
  • Spread the entire can of dulce de leche over the bottom of the crust. Then place the crust in the freezer for 15 minutes to chill.
  • Scoop the ice cream into the crust and press down using a piece of wax paper. Smooth the top with a spatula. Place back in the freezer to firm up—30-60 minutes.
  • Then release the sides of the spring-form pan and remove the ring and parchment paper. Shake the chocolate magic shell vigorously, then drizzle around the edges. Once the edges of the cake are covered in chocolate, drizzle the magic shell in the middle of the cake. Quickly top with candied pecans, before the magic shell hardens. Place back in the freezer until ready to serve. If you plan to wait more than 1 day to serve the cake, wrap it well with foil, followed by a layer of plastic wrap.

Notes

Before serving, let the cake sit just for a few minutes so that when you slice the cake, it isn’t super difficult to cut!

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice, Calories: 758kcal, Carbohydrates: 88g, Protein: 11g, Fat: 41g, Saturated Fat: 22g, Cholesterol: 138mg, Sodium: 479mg, Potassium: 607mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 60g, Vitamin A: 1250IU, Vitamin C: 1.4mg, Calcium: 341mg, Iron: 2.8mg
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Author: Sommer Collier
Making this recipe?Follow us on Instagram and tag @ASpicyPerspective so we can share what you’re cooking!

Share This Recipe With Friends!