Whether you are planning a birthday party or an anniversary party, you will likely be ordering or preparing a cake for the gathering. Dairy Queen cakes can provide a unique solution that will make your occasion stand out. This article looks at Dairy Queen’s ice cream cake options, the styles available for each cake and the flavor combinations you can choose from. In addition, we will take a look at a couple of nationally known competitors to see how well they stack up when placed beside the following choices.
Most of us have gotten into the habit of only having ice cream on special occasions or the end of a night out. However, the cakes listed here are so good, it is worth it to make any day a special occasion. The silky-smooth consistency of the soft-service ice cream that makes up these cakes is the perfect end to any party or day.
Ice Cream Cake
If you’ve never heard of an ice cream cake, it is exactly what it sounds like. While some brands do make their products with actual cake as part of the mix, Dairy Queen chooses to make their ice cream cakes entirely from ice cream.
Generally, an ice cream cake is made from the joining of two or three layers, usually of at least two different ice cream flavors. Dairy Queen has the trend-setting Blizzard lineup on their menu, so they also have a line of cakes that take advantage of the same process of blending toppings with ice cream. With wonderful flavor options like Reese’s Peanut Butter cup or the summer favorite, S’mores, there is a Blizzard cake to please pretty much everyone.
Dairy Queen Cakes Styles
Dairy Queen offers a number of cake style varieties. The three main options are round, heart-shaped, and rectangular or sheet cake. Round cakes are available in both an 8-inch and 10-inch options and can serve 8-17 people depending on the size selected. Sheet cakes are much larger, measuring 10 inches x 14 inches and can easily feed up to 25 people.
Round Cake
Perhaps the most popular style that Dairy Queen offers, the round cake is available in both an 8-inch and 10-inch size. The 8-inch style will feed 8-11 people, while the 10-inch option feeds 12-17. This basic design can be easily decorated and would work great for a retirement, graduation or birthday party. The 8-inch style runs around $23, and the 10-inch is about $27. The most popular flavors are covered with the chocolate base layer that is covered by a fudge and crunch center. The top layer is soft-serve vanilla ice cream.
Round cakes are a popular option because they are easily transported. The shape is also good because it is small enough to fit easily in most freezers. That is very important if you won’t be serving your cake right away.
Heart Cake
The heart-shaped cake will dress up any event and is perfect for an engagement or anniversary party. Adding some pink or blue edging can completely change the look of this cake. It is large enough to feed about 10-12 people. You can pick one up for around $23 at most locations.
Heart-shaped cakes are great for holidays like Mother’s Day or Valentine’s Day. It’s also a fun shape to share at an engagement or anniversary party. Little ones often like the heart shape as well.
Sheet Cake
For larger parties, you will likely want a rectangular or sheet cake. The sheet cake is 10 inches x 14 inches and will serve 20-25 people for around $37. The size of this cake makes it the easiest to customize, so it’s the perfect option for everything from going away parties to confirmation celebrations.
The big surface area of a sheet cake is ideal for adding additional decorations. Add some characters or writing to personalize the cake. Strategically placed sprinkles or candy toppings can also change the look and flavor of this option.
Dairy Queen Cakes: Blizzard Cakes
In addition to the basic cake styles, Dairy Queen also offers Blizzard Cakes for unique flavor options. With five main flavors, including Choco Brownie Extreme and Reese’s Peanut Butter cup, there is one that will appeal to every crowd. These cakes come in three sizes.
- 8-inch round for $31
- 10-inch round for $33
- 10-inch x 14-inch sheet cake for $47.
OREO Blizzard Cake
Imagine one of the most popular cookies crushed and spread throughout a layer of soft-serve vanilla ice cream. That’s what you get with the OREO Blizzard Cake. Under that top layer is a layer of fudge crunch to add some additional chocolatey goodness. All of that is on a vanilla soft-serve foundation. Anyone that likes the cookies and cream flavor will love this flavor option, and it will work well with both a very young and not so young group.
Choco Brownie Extreme Blizzard Cake
For chocolate lovers, you should consider the Choco Brownie Extreme Blizzard Cake. The base layer is chocolate soft-serve ice cream topped with a fudge and crunch center. The top layer is chocolate ice cream with bits of chocolate and brownie pieces mixed in. The whole cake is then sprinkled with more chocolate and brownie pieces. There is no shortage of chocolate in this cake, and it will satisfy even the biggest chocolate lover.
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups Blizzard Cake
The classic joining of chocolate and peanut butter makes up the basis for this Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups Blizzard Cake. A layer of vanilla soft-serve ice cream is topped with a crunchy fudge center. The top layer is made by putting together broken peanut butter cups with vanilla ice cream. All peanut butter lovers will like this cake. Kids especially enjoy this flavorful choice.
You may want to consider your partygoers when selecting this cake option. While it is a most popular flavor, many people suffer from peanut allergies. If you are unsure about any of your guests and any allergies they might have, you may want to choose a flavor without peanuts as part of the mix.
Cookie Dough Blizzard Cake
This cake was specifically designed for all the cookie dough lovers out there. The Cookie Dough Blizzard Cake features bite-size pieces of cookie dough that are mixed throughout vanilla soft-serve to make up the top layer of this cake. Under that is a layer of fudge and crunch topping that sits on a foundation layer of vanilla ice cream. This cake would go well with a festive idea like a baby or bridal shower but is also casual enough to top off a backyard barbecue.
Some people will tell you not to eat cookie dough, but it is completely safe. For that reason, though, this option does not fit every crowd. However, for the fun people that do understand just how wonderful it can be to have cookie dough, you will love this stellar flavor combination.
S’mores Blizzard Cake
You can capture that camping feeling any time of year with the S’mores Blizzard Cake. It starts with a base of creamy, vanilla soft-serve ice cream and is topped with a combination of ice cream mixed with pieces of marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate. Additional pieces of the main s’more ingredients are sprinkled on the top of the cake to add to the festive look.
Kids and adults alike will love this fun flavor. Kick off summer with this cake for Mother’s or Father’s Day or any other day of the year that you have that s’more craving.
Dairy Queen Cakes: Design Options
There are quite a few choices you can make when selecting an ice cream cake. The round cakes can easily be designed to look like a baseball or basketball. Sprinkles and toppings can be added for additional flavor and to make the cake stand out. Piping colors can be changed to make the cake more masculine or feminine. Many stores can put airbrush graphics on the top of the cake, including popular movie heroes or cartoon characters. That said, a store’s cake decorator may not always be on hand, so if you want personalized decorations, be sure to order your cake well in advance of when you need it.
Dairy Queen Cakes: Pricing
The price you pay for an ice cream cake will vary a little by location and is based on the size and shape of the cake you choose. In general, the price range runs between $23 on the low end up to $47. Round cakes are the least expensive option, while sheet cakes are a little pricier based solely on the overall quantity of ice cream involved in making them.
Dairy Queen Cakes: Timing
Most Dairy Queen locations have several ice cream cakes that are ready to go. If you are not concerned with personalized decorations, you can walk in and grab one to go.
For those times that you do want a superhero or other character on a cake, you will want to give the store at least one day to get the cake ready. Keep in mind, a cake decorator may not always be present in the store at all times. If you want something specific or complicated, it’s important that you order your cake well in advance of your event.
Dairy Queen Cakes: Competitors
There are only a handful of chains that make and sell ice cream cakes. There is also some disparity when it comes to the flavors available. For instance, Ben & Jerry’s has their unique Cherry Garcia flavor, while neither Dairy Queen nor Baskin-Robbins has a comparable flavor option when it comes to ice cream cakes.
Two of the most widely available options for ice cream cakes are Baskin-Robbins and Ben & Jerry’s, though there may be other options available closer to your home. Each ice cream shop has its own particular strengths and signature flavors.
Dairy Queen
- Cake Option: 8-inch round cake
- Price: $23
- Comparison: Dairy Queen cakes stand out exclusively as the only cake maker that uses soft-serve ice cream in their cakes. In addition, it has the signature Blizzard feature that is unmatched in any other brand. Their price point is also much lower than their competition.
Baskin-Robbins
- Cake Option: 8-inch round cake
- Price: $33
- Comparison: Baskin-Robbins is different in the fact that its cakes contain a layer of actual cake, so they are not a true apples-to-apples comparison. Cake pricing seemed to be considerably higher than Dairy Queen cakes.
Ben & Jerry’s
- Cake Option: 8-inch round cake
- Price $38
- Comparison: Ben & Jerry’s only offers ice cream cakes at select locations. While their pricing is consistently higher, they also offer the option of choosing two unique flavors for the ice creams that make up the cake. Flavors like Cherry Garcia and Butter Pecan make cakes from Ben & Jerry’s unmatched from competitors.
Dairy Queen Cakes: Pros and Cons
It’s hard to come up with a list of pros and cons when talking about ice cream cake. That said, we looked specifically at how Dairy Queen’s offerings compare with its competitors. The following lists were created as a result.
PROS
- Soft-serve ice cream
- Unique Blizzard flavors
- Easy to order
- Readily available at most locations
CONS
- No actual cake
- Limited flavor choices for the base layer
- Fewer shapes than competitors
- Soft-serve ice cream melts quicker
Conclusion
Ice cream cakes are the perfect cap for your next party. Most everyone loves ice cream, and an ice cream cake is an option that many people might not think of serving, so you will be memorable for your dessert option.
While it is common to think of cakes for special occasions like birthdays and holidays, these frozen delights are a great way to cap off even a boring Wednesday. The cake will be a highlight of any party for children and is a fun alternative to serve at the end of a summer dinner party.
Really, you can’t go wrong when choosing Dairy Queen cakes. The smooth texture from soft-serve ice cream makes these cakes standout when compared to other options in the market. The Blizzard cakes are especially unique with flavor combinations not available from most competitors. With that in mind, we strongly recommend Dairy Queen cakes.
Rating 5/5