Sarah Kieffer's 'Bloody' Red Velvet Ice Cream Cake Is Perfect for a Big Halloween Crowd

"It's very rich, and a little bit goes a long way," says the food blogger

Sarah Kieffer's red velvet ice cream cake is almost too spooky to eat — almost.

The Vanilla Bean Blog creator puts a "bloody" Halloween twist on a nostalgic ice cream cake recipe (from her latest cookbook 100 Afternoon Sweets). She uses red melting wafers to create the drip down the sides of the dessert.

"This cake has several textures: a creamy ice cream base and a nice crunch from the cookie crunch layer," she says. "It's very rich, and a little bit goes a long way, so this makes it perfect for a big crowd."

Her biggest piece of advice to giddy ghouls? "The cake does need to be chilled for a considerable amount of time before serving, so make sure to factor that in to your planning!" Kieffer advises.

Related: Zoë François Transforms Classic Linzer Cookies into Spiders with This Easy Halloween Hack

Sarah Kieffer's ‘Bloody' Red Velvet and Cream Cheese-Swirled Ice Cream Cake

Cooking spray

38 chocolate sandwich cookies (such as Oreos), divided (from 1 [1.2-lb.] pkg.)

¼ cup unsalted butter, melted

7 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature

½ cup granulated sugar

2½ cups, plus 2 Tbsp. heavy cream, divided

½ tsp. plus ⅛ tsp. table salt, divided

1 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips

¼ cup plus 2 Tbsp. refined coconut oil, divided

1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

2 Tbsp. Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 Tbsp. plus 2 tsp. red gel food coloring, divided

½ cup red melting wafers

1. Lightly coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Line sides and bottom of pan with parchment paper. Place 20 of the chocolate sandwich cookies in a food processor; process until fine crumbs form, about 30 seconds. Add butter, and pulse until crumbs are evenly moistened, about 5 pulses.

2. Place crumb mixture in a large skillet over medium. Cook, stirring often, until lightly toasted and fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer crumb mixture to prepared pan, and press evenly into bottom of pan. Set aside to cool until ready to use.

3. Whisk together cream cheese, granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons of the cream, and ½ teaspoon of the salt in a medium bowl until smooth. Set aside.

4. Combine chocolate chips and ¼ cup of the coconut oil in a small microwaveable bowl. Microwave on HIGH in 30 second intervals, stirring after each interval, until mixture is melted and smooth, about 2 minutes total. Let cool 1 minute. Reserve ⅓ cup of the chocolate mixture; discard any remaining chocolate mixture or save for another use.

5. Place remaining 18 chocolate sandwich cookies in a food processor and pulse until fine crumbs form, about 12 pulses. Transfer cookie crumbs to a medium bowl with reserved chocolate mixture, and stir until evenly coated. Set aside.

6. Whisk together sweetened condensed milk, cocoa powder, vanilla, 1 tablespoon of the food coloring, and remaining ⅛ teaspoon salt in a large bowl.

7. Beat remaining 2 ½ cups cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium speed until stiff peaks form, 4 to 5 minutes. Add half of the whipped cream to sweetened condensed milk mixture; whisk until completely combined. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in remaining whipped cream until no streaks remain.

8. Spread half of the red cream mixture over crust in pan. Dollop with half of the cream cheese mixture, and use a butter knife to swirl. Sprinkle evenly with cookie crumble. Cover with remaining red cream mixture, and repeat dolloping and swirling remaining cream cheese mixture. Cover pan with plastic wrap, making sure plastic wrap does not touch surface of cake. Freeze for at least 8 hours or up to overnight.

9. Just before serving, combine red melting wafers and remaining 2 tablespoons coconut oil in a small microwaveable bowl. Microwave on HIGH until melted, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir in remaining 2 teaspoons food coloring. Transfer cake from pan to a serving platter. Discard parchment. Spoon melted wafer mixture on edges of cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. Chill until set, about 5 minutes. Slice and serve.

Serves: 8
Active time: 45 minutes
Total time: 8 hours, 45 minutes

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