Serve up this timeless Vienetta ice cream cake for a dessert. This classic summer dessert is layers of ice cream, magic shell, all in one layered ice cream dessert.
If you haven’t had viennetta ice cream cake, you are missing out. I like to refer to it as an ice cream lasagna. Layers of creamy ice cream and a crunchy magic shell layer.
Why Make This Viennetta Dessert..
- Easy
- Quick To Make
- A classic dessert that guests will love
- Fancy ice cream
Ingredients Needed
- Some good quality vanilla ice cream
- Magic Shell (one or two flavors, up to you)
- Waxed paper
- Brand new-reserved for kitchen use only- hair pick.
What is Viennetta Ice Cream
Viennetta is a popular dessert that Breyer’s made years ago. It was like a cake log but made with ice cream and a crispy chocolate layer all throughout the dessert.
So each bite you get creamy ice cream, with crispy sweet chocolate.
What Ice Cream Should I Choose?*
Do y’all remember how Breyer’s tasted when it first got really popular back in the day? They took ice cream to a whole new level. Breyers is still good and all, but I want you to go get the absolute best quality vanilla ice cream you can find. I suggest Blue Bunny (this is the best I have tasted in a while) or something from Bluebell if you have that where you are. Edy’s also makes some very good ice cream and a lot of people swear by Purity, but I haven’t had a chance to taste any of theirs yet so I’m just sticking to the ones I know as recommendations. Just go for the absolute best in your area.
How To Make Homemade Vienetta Step by Step Instructions
- Line a loaf pan with waxed paper. This will help you get your loaf out.
- Spread 1/3 of your ice cream into the bottom of the loaf pan.
- Run the pick along it to form deep grooves. These will fill in with our yummy magic shell.
You can make homemade magic shell if you want…but you can also buy it for about a dollar. No sense in making extra work for yourself…
- Pour a layer of magic shell over and allow to harden a minute.
- Add another 1/3 of your ice cream and dig grooves into it with your pick again.
- Pour magic shell over that as well. I’m using butterscotch this time.
- Now add the rest of our ice cream and dig grooves into it as well.
- Top this final layer with a drizzle of chocolate magic shell and immediately cover with aluminum foil and place in the freezer until firm.
- When ready to serve, allow to sit out for about five minutes and then remove from the pan using the waxed paper. Remove the waxed paper and place on a platter to slice and serve.
Storage
Your ice cream can store for 3-4 months in the freezer. Just make sure to place it in a proper container for the freezer.
I recommend placing your ice cream cake on the back shelf, that way if you open and close the freezer it does not melt the ice cream.
Variations To Recipe
Now you can add in fun mix-in items to add flavor. Or use a different flavor of a magic shell. There is something about that crispy chocolate layer in this layered viennetta dessert that leaves you wanting one more bite.
- Crush up and sprinkle with cookies
- Add on some diced up candy bars
- Use a different flavor of magic shell for flavoring
- Swap the vanilla ice cream with chocolate or any other ice cream flavor
- Etc
Expert Tips
- Using a fork or pick to create ridges into the ice cream helps to create that classic groove look from the ice cream and chocolate layer of the cake.
- Quality ice cream is key. Since the ice cream is the main flavor, reach for your favorite brand.
- You can use any flavor of the Magic shell to create a different flavor pairing.
- Work somewhat fast, as the ice cream will melt pretty fast once you get started assembling your dessert.
Recipe FAQs
What Ice Cream Should I Choose?
Quality ice cream is key in this vienetta cake. The reason being is the ice cream is going to be a stand-out flavor. So reach for a creamy and delicious vanilla ice cream for this dessert.
How To Serve Up This Ice Cream Dessert?
When ready to serve, allow to sit out for about five minutes and then remove from the pan using the waxed paper. Remove the waxed paper and place on a platter to slice and serve
Servings: 4Calories: 834kcalIngredients
- 1.5 - 1.75 quarts good quality vanilla ice cream your favorite
- 1 bottle chocolate magic shell
- 1 bottle butterscotch magic shell*
- 1 hair pick brand new, labeled for kitchen use only
- Waxed paper
- Loaf Pan
Instructions
*The original Viennetta did not have butterscotch so go with 2 bottles of chocolate if you want to be more in line with that.
Nutrition
Calories: 834kcalTried this recipe?Mention @southernplate or tag #southernplate!You may also like these ice cream recipes:
- Oreo Ice Cream Cake A Family Favorite
- No Churn Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream
- Almost No Sugar Ice Cream Grahamwiches
- No Fry Fried Ice Cream
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Oh my goodness – Guess I shouldnt even be on here as I am 78 years old.
We were so poor in the “old” days that ice cream was never served at our home. But everytime I saved up a dime I would buy an ice cream cup. Only two flavors were available then – vanilla and chocolate. The cardboard cups had a top made of cardboard too, and when you opened it, there were pictures of movie stars. If i only knew then what I know now as these are very collectible. Christy I only recently found your website and I just love it. I have it in my favorites now. I am a widow but still love to bake. I dont cook many meals now as it is no fun eating alone, but I still make cakes and pies.
Your site is wonderful and I will be looking at it every day.
Your comments touched my heart…I’m a little younger than you are (70)…but I too remember getting ice cream in the little cups with the movie stars pictures on the lids…remember saving them myself. 🙂
I really enjoy Christy’s site also…such good recipes and so enjoy hearing her stories about her family!
You have a blessed day!
Ann
I’d love to know how one can make Magic Shell!!
I remember those and while that looks delicious I am lazy and would rather just put the ice cream and magic shell in a bowl and eat it right away.
Hello christy! I used to work for an ice cream factory for 8 years and thru those years they made changes like using powder milk instead of real milk and I agree the taste has changed. That company now is about to go under.
Eek, I hate that for them but I’d read something like what you said, always better to hear it first hand! Thank you and I hope you know you put smiles on many kids faces with all of the yummy ice cream you helped make 🙂 I bet that was an interesting job!
Gratefully,
Christy
what does the code spell all I got is what and is… help in gunna go crazy! &i come from the 90s shame on me .
The code is: What Time Is Your Curfew.
Thanks for the simple recipe.
WOAH!!!!!!!!!! Easy peasy!! Just think of all the different ice creams you can use!! YUMMY!!!!!! Thanks for this!!
Are you kidding me?! We had a Commodore 64 too! We were the first people we knew to have a computer. Ours had no monitor. It was hooked up to the spare TV! Haha we had this dot matrix printer that had to be wound with the paper and they would forever go ‘off the tracks’ and you had to reload and start again!
They still sell Vienetta here but I haven’t had it for years. I only have had it a few times actually as they were pretty expensive treats. Much more expensive than plain ice cream so we never really bought them.
As much as I love and live for our modern technologies I think I’ll always feel nostalgic for the reminders of my childhood. There’s a picture that has made the rounds on Facebook of an unwound tape and a pencil with the caption “our children will never know the connection”. Haha! So true!
Christy,
I have something that holds a tomato when you slice it from pampered chef that has the prongs, would probably do the same as the hair pick. I do remember that ice cream, that’s neat.
I remember all that stuff and how a #2 pencil works great at reeling back in the ribbon on a cassette tape. We started off with a borrowed TI-99 then moved up to commodore 16, 64 and 128. My grandparents had a intellivision which of course had burgertime as a game. I asked for that and have it but have never plugged it in. I also still have most of my fashion plates. Did you have those? My daughter likes to use mine when I let her. People sell them on ebay. It was a fun coloring activity. I also remember helping my boyfriend at the time run a BBS in college. Boy the internet has really changed over the years that’s for sure!
I loved fashionplates!! Thank you for reminding me of those!