Turtle Pumpkin Ice Cream Cake

Turtle Pumpkin Ice Cream Cake: A seasonal celebration Ice Cream Dessert that doubles as a Thanksgiving Dessert.

Alright, alright, I’m cheating a little today.

I’m selling this as a Thanksgiving dessert, when really I made it for my sweet friend Rachel.

Sneaky, right?

Rachel of RachelCooks.com is having a precious baby boy and we are partying it up in her honor!

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.

For Rachel’s Virtual Baby Shower, I took my beloved pumpkin ice cream and turned it into an pumpkin ice cream cake with a gingersnap crust.

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.

Told you I was sneaky.

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!

I’m serving this today, because I know Rachel loves pumpkin and chocolate, and because all pregnant women deserve an over-the-top ice cream dessert every now and again.

Rachel’s Virtual Baby Shower Menu also includes…

Savory:

Jamie from Thrifty Veggie Mama ~ Roasted Butternut Squash and Sage Pesto Crostini
Kathryn from London Bakes ~ Mini Onion and Feta Pizzas
Kita from Pass the Sushi ~ Sweet Potato Soup with Maple Cream
Krista from Budget Gourmet Mom ~ Baby Blue Cheese Burgers
Mackenzie from Susie Freaking Homemaker ~ Cucumber Sandwiches
Marnely from Cooking with Books ~ Curried Salmon Phyllo Cups
Sarah from Sarah’s Cucina Bella ~ Apple Asiago Prociutto Bites
Sheila from Eat 2 Gather ~ Chicken Salad
Shelby from Diabetic Foodie ~ Cranberry Citrus Meatballs
Susan from 30A Eats ~ Southern Cheese Straws

Sweet:

Amanda from Fake Ginger ~Mini Snickerdoodle Scones
Barbara from Creative-Culinary ~ White Chocolate Quilt Cake
Brandi from Bran Appetit ~ Bourbon Toffee Popcorn
Brandy from Nutmeg Nanny ~ S’mores Popcorn
Carrie from Bakeaholic Mama ~ Caramel Popcorn Pretzel Bars
Cassie from Bake Your Day ~ Caramel Cashew Popcorn Bars
Deborah from Taste and Tell ~ Blue Layered Jello
Donna from Cookistry ~ Walnut Streusel Coffee Cake
Erin from The Spiffy Cookie ~ Sweet Potato Pie Dip with Pie Crust Dippers
Heather from Farmgirl Gourmet ~ Dark Chocolate Cashew Brittle Cookies
Jennifer from Mother Thyme ~ Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Jessie from Bread & Butter ~ Primal Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Liz from The Lemon Bowl ~ Chewy Molasses Cookie Bars
Milisa from Miss in the Kitchen ~ White Chocolate Biscoff Muddy Buddies
Tara from Chip Chip Hooray ~ Itty Bitty Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

Congratulations Rachel!

I cannot wait to see pictures of that sweet baby boy.

Print Recipe

5 from 5 votes

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Turtle Pumpkin Ice Cream Cake

Prep Time: 20 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes

Freezing Time: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 2 hours hours 32 minutes minutes

A Thanksgiving dessert and celebration ice cream dessert cake!

Servings: 12 slices

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

• 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.

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

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