Perry’s Inspired Piece of Cake Ice Cream Recipe

When I was in high school I worked at an ice cream shop down the street. What better job to have?!

On rainy days when we didn’t have many customers, my co-worker (still one of my best friends to this day!) and I would do blind taste tests of all the Perry’s ice cream flavors.

Perry’s ice cream has so many incredible flavors (truly!), but my favorite flavor ever is their Piece of Cake!

Piece of cake ice cream is a more unique version of the standard “birthday cake” ice cream. I mean… yellow cake flavored ice cream with pound cake chunks and swirls of chocolate frosting?!? Sign me UP!

I used to always request yellow cake with chocolate frosting for my birthday, so in way I felt like Perry’s ice cream made this flavor specifically for me!

When I moved to North Carolina, I was shocked and saddened to learn that Perry’s ice cream wasn’t anywhere to be found! I try to get it anytime I visit home (upstate NY), but even still it can be difficult to find this particular flavor.

So I learned to make it myself! And you guys… it is almost identical in flavor! Let me tell you everything I know…

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Tips for making Piece of Cake Ice Cream

How do you make cake flavored ice cream?

All you have to do is incorporate some cake mix into the batter! For this recipe, I used Betty Crocker’s super moist yellow cake mix.

I also used this method for my Lemon Poppy Seed Cake Ice Cream… yum!

Is cake mix safe to eat raw?

It isn’t a good idea to eat raw cake mix. Since you’re not baking this, you’ll need to heat treat it.

Here’s an easy way to do this:

• Measure it out
• Put it in a microwave-safe bowl
• Microwave for 30 seconds
• Stir and then check the temperature
• Continue doing 30 second increments until the cake mix reaches 165 degrees F

Where do you get the pound cake?

If you’re feeling ambitious, you can make a homemade pound cake… that would be delicious!

However, both times I’ve made this I just grabbed some at the grocery store! Super easy!

Don’t forget you’ll need to cube them up and freeze them for at least 30 minutes or so before adding them into the ice cream!

What’s the best way to get chocolate frosting swirls?

The first time I tried this recipe I felt like I overdid it on the chocolate frosting… oops!

This time was the perfect amount for me! Here’s a photo so you can see! I did 3 large dollops and used a butter knife to gently swirl them in!

For the frosting I just used Betty Crocker’s rich and creamy chocolate frosting. You can use whatever kind you’d like or make some homemade!

Homemade Ice Cream FAQ

I’m no professional (like, at all), but i’ve been sharing about my homemade ice cream journey on Instagram since 2020. 

Many people in my community have been inspired to start making their own homemade ice cream and it makes me so happy!! If you’re one of those people, these questions might be helpful to you!

Do you need an ice cream maker?

You don’t need an ice cream maker to make homemade ice cream. However, if you want quality, creamy ice cream, I promise it’s worth investing in an ice cream maker!

Once you have an ice cream maker, you won’t have any interest in buying ice cream from the grocery store ever again. Okay, except maybe when you need a quick Ben & Jerry’s run…

What is the best budget ice cream maker?

Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker is best ice cream maker for a beginner. It’s affordable, easy to use, incredibly cute, and most importantly- makes the creamiest ice cream! It’s been really good to me. 

I’ve had many friends and family members purchase this machine and they always thank me later! All of my homemade ice cream recipes are specific to this Cuisinart ice cream maker.

Do you have recipes that don’t require an ice cream machine?

I don’t, but if you’re in interested in one of my flavors, look up “no churn” homemade ice cream recipes for that flavor. There are plenty of options out there… most use a sweetened condensed milk!

I’ve made no-churn ice cream in the past, and it definitely does not provide the same creamy texture as when you churn ice cream. To me, the texture seemed more firm and icy.

How long does it take to make homemade ice cream?

You have to be a little prepared when you make your own ice cream. The most important thing to remember is to put your ice cream maker bowl in the freezer for 24 hours before churning. 

So as long as the bowl is frozen, you could make the ice cream batter in the morning and refrigerate for a few hours before churning. (The churning process only takes about 20 minutes)

However, if you leave your ice cream mixture in the fridge longer, it will result in a creamier ice cream. I almost always leave my mixture in the fridge overnight.

Here’s an example of my homemade ice cream making schedule:

• Friday Afternoon– place the freezer bowl in the freezer then make the ice cream mixture, cover, and refrigerate. (Both for 24 hours)
• Saturday Afternoon– churn the ice cream mixture! It’ll be ready to eat in soft-serve consistency at this point, but I prefer more of a hard ice cream texture so I put it back in the freezer for at least a few hours
• Saturday Evening– enjoy the ice cream!

What if my ice cream isn’t thickening?

Without fail, the most common mistake when making homemade ice cream is forgetting to put the bowl in the freezer ahead of time. Or, not giving the bowl enough time to freeze before churning. 

Trust me, I’ve made this mistake myself and it’s incredibly frustrating. You’re all excited to enjoy your ice cream and then you realize your ice cream mixture is not thickening at all and you have to wait another 24 hours to try again.

What’s the difference between ice cream and custard?

They’re almost the same, except that custard has egg yolks cooked into the ice cream, making it smoother and creamier. (This homemade coffee ice cream recipe is technically a custard)Making custard does require a little extra technique. Here are my tips for making a custard:

Tempering the eggs

In order to prevent having scrambled eggs in your ice cream (ew!), you have to temper the eggs.Basically, the egg yolks and heated custard mixture have to be very carefully combined together. You’ll do this slowly while continuously whisking or stirring.

Strain the mixture!

It’s not uncommon to get just a few small chunks of egg yolk that cooked, so it’s essential that you strain the mixture!

Can I use non-dairy or low-fat milk?

Yes and yes! Regarding non-dairy recipes, you’ll have to look those up. I made a non-dairy homemade vanilla ice cream once and it was pretty good. It definitely had a different flavor…more nutty! But the texture was great and I think if you’re used to non-dairy alternatives, you would enjoy it! As for low-fat milk, that is definitely an option as well. You would just replace the whole milk amount with the low-fat option. It won’t be the same creamy texture as a full-fat ice cream.

How do you store homemade ice cream?

When I first got our machine I used to just leave it in the freezer bowl and put a plastic wrap over it. It wasn’t the best method, but it did the job.I recommend putting it in an air-tight container. It will keep longer than just using plastic wrap! These are the containers I use!

How long does homemade ice cream last?

Homemade ice cream will be best to eat within one week, but it can last up to two weeks. After that, it starts to get icy and grainy.

I hope you enjoyed this recipe! It would mean so much if you left a comment and a rating if you try it out 🙂

Thank you for being here!

Elisha