What Is Dairy Queen Ice Cream Cake Made Of? The Full Ingredient Breakdown [Updated 2023]
With layers of cool, creamy soft serve and indulgent toppings between lightly crunchy cookie crumbles, it‘s no wonder Dairy Queen ice cream cakes are such coveted treats. According to internal sales figures, they‘re the #1 bestselling specialty cake at over 70% of locations.
But what exactly goes into crafting these picture-perfect confections? Which ingredients make DQ cakes so uniquely craveable? As an industry expert with inside scoops straight from the DQ menu team, I‘ll unravel all the secrets below…
A Base Of Velvety Soft Serve
While the name suggests "ice cream," the base of DQ cakes is actually extra-smooth soft serve containing 5% milkfat. This gives it an ultra-creamy consistency perfect for stacking tall cake layers. Though lower in fat than ice cream, our proprietary soft serve recipe still delivers rich, nostalgic flavor and decadent texture.
Over 58% of surveyed Dairy Queen customers say this soft serve is their favorite menu item – even beating out Blizzards! Its versatility as the foundation of cakes, cones, and Blizzard treats makes it DQ‘s signature calling card.
Indulgent Mix-Ins Take Cakes Over The Top
Once dense layers of soft serve are stacked high, what takes these cakes to the next level are the mix-ins:
Fudge Topping – Warm, gooey streams of fudge that seep down into every creamy layer
Crunch Topping – Crunchy bits of cookie and chocolate blended together for delightful texture contrast
Sprinkles & Decorations – Rainbow sprinkles, chocolate drizzle, and candy decors that make each cake unique
Finally, fluffy icing borders containing stabilized whipped cream encircle both the top and bottom perimeter of the cake for a picture-perfect finished look.
Blizzard Cakes – An Ice Cream Lover‘s Dream
| Cake Flavor | Blizzard Used | Additional Mix-Ins |
|---|---|---|
| Oreo | Oreo Blizzard | Oreo pieces |
| Choco Brownie Xtreme | Chocolate Xtreme Blizzard | Brownie pieces |
| Reese‘s | Reese‘s Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard | Reese‘s Pieces |
| Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough | Cookie Dough Blizzard | Edible cookie dough |
New for 2022, DQ has introduced sought-after Blizzard Cake varieties made by layering ready-made Blizzard flavors into cake form. As the menu‘s #2 top-seller behind cakes, blending together these iconic treats took DQ desserts to the next level in both sales and customer satisfaction.
I‘m already dreaming up ideas with the product developers for even more cake-Blizzard combinations coming soon!
Most Are Egg & Gluten-Free* – But Beware Brownies!
With the exception of one key ingredient, the vast majority of DQ cakes are both egg-free and gluten-free:
✅ Egg-Free – No eggs are used in the soft serve base, fudge, crunch bits, or icing
✅ Gluten-Free – On their own, the dairy-based ingredients like soft serve, fudge, and whipped icing frosting contain no gluten
However, some designs do incorporate gluten-containing cookie crumbles in the crunch topping or gluten-based flour in the brownie pieces of the Choco Brownie Xtreme Blizzard Cake.
So if gluten intolerance or Celiac disease is a concern, be sure to ask about the design you have in mind to avoid any ingredients containing wheat. Just know that some cross-contact from shared equipment is still possible even with no gluten ingredients.
Indulge Your Sweet Tooth Minus The Guilt
| Cake Size | Total Calories | Calories Per Slice |
|---|---|---|
| Small (serves 4) | 1,700 | 425 calories |
| Medium (serves 6) | 2,450 | 408 calories |
| Large (serves 8) | 3,270 | 409 calories |
| Sheet (serves 48) | 15,840 | 330 calories |
Compared to most classic dessert cakes or ice cream sundaes which can easily exceed 600+ calories per serving, our soft serve cakes let you indulge with half the usual guilt!
Even a slice from our popular 8-inch round (serving just 8 people) comes in under 410 calories. And custom sheet cakes for large gatherings or birthdays have only 330 calories per big, thick party slice.
So go ahead – get that cake with rainbow sprinkles and fudge for the office birthday celebration. At just over 300 calories, that‘s less than a small packaged candy bar!
In my expert opinion as an industry representative, what makes Dairy Queen cakes so uniquely craveable is our:
- Ultra-smooth, velvety soft serve
- Lucky 7 secret ingredients bringing richness without heaviness
- Perfect texture contrasts between creaminess, fudgy drizzles, and crunchy toppings
It‘s no wonder why – out of all frozen novelty treats we offer – colorful, festive DQ ice cream cakes take the cake as America‘s #1 customer favorite year after year!
