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If you love ice cream cake (and seriously, who doesn’t?), a delightful new treat has arrived at Baskin-Robbins stores nationwide. It’s a permanent addition, we couldn’t happier, and it’s our Top Pick Of The Week.
Baskin-Robbins’ new Cake in a Box is a line of festive ice cream cakes: layers of cake, ice cream, ice cream toppings, and whipped frosting, designed for convenience, sharing, and any occasion.
You don’t even need an occasion! Be like Mame Dennis and declare, It’s Today!
Cake in a Box is a most welcome addition to grab-and-go festive desserts, and far more interesting (and tasty!) than the usual ice cream cakes on offer.
The easy to cut-and-serve rectangular cakes are currently available two flavors: M&M’S with Cookie Dough & Cookie Crave.
M&M’S® with Cookie Dough has layers of confetti cake and BR’s Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream, loaded with mini M&M’S® and nuggets of cookie dough. It’s covered with whipped frosting, a fudge drizzle, and a garnish of more M&Ms and cookie dough.
Cookie Crave is chocolate lover’s dream: layers of chocolate cake and BR’s OREO® Cookies ‘n Cream ice cream, packed with cookie dough and crushed OREO® pieces. It’s finished with whipped frosting and a generous drizzle of fudge.
Trust us—we who have reviewed 50+ brands of artisan ice cream—Cake In A Box is heavenly.
SO CONVENIENT & EASY
You don’t need to plan ahead: You can get Cake In A Box when you need it.
Pre-order in the Baskin-Robbins App for pickup in as little as 15 minutes.
Have it delivered through your preferred third-party food delivery app.
You can also have one delivered as a gift.
&nbps;
The cake is festively packaged in a resealable box that is very portable, travels well, and stores easily. The sides of the box fold down perfectly, so it’s easy to slice and serve.
Save the leftovers in the same box (as if there will be any left over…however, on second thought, we’re going to keep one in the freezer and have a small slice every now and then [mostly now]).
When the cake shows up, the festiveness begins.
In fact, Cake In A box is as worthy for celebrating a birthday or other celebration as it is for everyday, whether you feel like a special dessert or happy about finishing a project.
Why wait? Get one and add something special to your day.
Below:
> Beverage pairings for ice cream cake (and other ice cream desserts).
> Sparkling wine pairings.
> The history of ice cream cake.
> > The different types of ice cream and frozen desserts: a photo glossary.
> The history of ice cream.
> The history of cakes and the different types of cake: a photo glossary.
> Easy ice cream cake recipes.
> The year’s 50+ ice cream holidays.
> National Ice Cream Cake Day is celebrated on June 27th.
BEVERAGE PAIRINGS
The best non-alcoholic pairings either complement the cake’s flavors or provide a refreshing contrast to cleanse the palate between bites.
The key is balancing sweetness levels. You generally want the drink to be as sweet or slightly less sweet than the cake to avoid overwhelming either flavor.
You can put out a “beverage buffet” with small glasses and let guests have fun with pairings.
Along with the beverages are explanations of why they pair with ice cream cake.
Cold Beverages
Chai or black iced tea (refreshing and complementary)
Cold brew iced coffee (less acidic than regular iced coffee, smoother flavor)
Chocolate milk (rich and creamy, like the ice cream cake)
Milk, whole or 2% (a great palate cleanser)
Flavored milk (coffee, strawberry, or vanilla milk to complement matching cake flavors)
Hot Beverages
Chai tea (warm spices complement vanilla or spiced flavors like pumpkin)
Black tea (Earl Grey or English Breakfast)
Cold brew coffee (Less acidic than regular iced coffee, smoother flavor)
Espresso or strong coffee (the bitter notes balance the sweetness)
Hot chocolate (especially with chocolate ice cream cake)
Sparkling Beverages
Ginger ale or ginger beer (the spice and bubbles cut through richness)
Italian sodas (less sweet than American sodas)
Lemonade (the acidity balances the sweet, creaminess)
Sparkling water with fruit (berry, lemon, or lime adds brightness)
Other Beverages
Horchata (cinnamon-flavor pairs nicely with vanilla)
Fruit spritzes (cranberry, orange, or pomegranate for contrasting tartness)
ALCOHOL BEVERAGE PAIRINGS
Beer & Cider
Stout or porter (coffee and chocolate notes complement those ice cream flavors)
Fruit lambics (for cake or ice cream with berry flavors)
Sparkling cider (apple-based, naturally sweet)
Dessert Wines & Fortified Wines
Late-harvest Riesling (sweetness and acidity balance the creaminess)
Moscato (light, bubbly, and sweet, works especially well with fruit flavors)
Sherry, cream or Pedro Ximénez (nutty, caramel notes pair with chocolate and coffee)
Tawny Port (nutty, caramel, and toffee that complement chocolate, coffee, or vanilla)
Spirits & Liqueurs
Amaretto (with almond or vanilla flavors)
Bourbon (the vanilla and caramel notes work well with vanilla ice cream)
Coffee liqueur (a great match with coffee or chocolate ice cream cakes)
Irish Cream liqueur (can be drizzled over the cake or served alongside)
Orange liqueur (the orange notes pair well with chocolate or citrus cakes)
SPARKLING WINE PAIRINGS
We particularly love sparkling wines on the sweeter side with ice cream and cake. There are sparklers in white, red, and rosé.
White Sweet Sparkling Wines
Asti Spumante (fuller-bodied than Moscato d’Asti, sweet and fruity, from Italy)
Cava Semi-Seco (sweet sparkling wine from Spain)
Demi-Sec or Sec Champagne (sweeter styles of Champagne, with 32-50g/L residual sugar, from France)
Doux Champagne (sweetest Champagne style, with 50+ g/L residual sugar, from France)
Moscato d’Asti (light, low-alcohol, very sweet with floral and peach notes, from Italy)
Prosecco Extra Dry (despite the name, it’s sweeter than Brut)
Riesling Sekt (German sparkling Riesling, often sweet, from Germany)
Red Sweet Sparkling Wines
Brachetto d’Acqui (Italy) – Light, sweet, low-alcohol red sparkling wine with strawberry flavors
Lambrusco Dolce (Italy) – Sweet style of this Italian red sparkling wine
Red Moscato – Sweet, fruity, often with berry flavors
Sparkling Red Dessert Wines – Various producers make sweet sparkling reds
Sparkling Shiraz (Australia) – Rich, full-bodied, often with residual sugar
Rosé Sweet Sparkling Wines
Demi-Sec Rosé Champagne (sweet and festively pink Sweet)
Moscato Rosé (a pink version of Moscato, sweet and fruity
California Sparkling Wines To Pair
There are numerous options, but we find that the Schramsberg Cremant Demi-Sec or Domaine Chandon Demi-Sec offer the ideal balance of quality, sweetness level, and food-friendly acidity to complement without overwhelming the dessert.
Premium Sparklers
Iron Horse Wedding Cuvée (slightly sweeter blend from Sonoma County)
Domaine Chandon Demi-Sec (Moët & Chandon’s California venture, elegant and slightly sweet, from Napa Valley)
Roederer Estate L’Ermitage Demi-Sec (from the makers of Cristal, refined sweetness, Anderson Valley)
Schramsberg Cremant Demi-Sec (off-dry style with touch of sweetness, perfect balance, Napa Valley)
Lower-Price Options
Korbel Sweet Rosé (pink, fruity, and sweet for berry ice cream cakes, Sonoma County)
Korbel Sweet Cuvée (white, affordable, reliably sweet, Sonoma County)
Other California Dessert Wines
Bonny Doon Moscato (not sparkling but often lightly fizzy, very sweet, Central Coast)
Quady Electra Orange Muscat (orange blossom notes, slightly sparkling, Central Valley)
Pacific Echo Demi-Sec (crisp with balanced sweetness, Mendocino)
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[1] Our heart beats for this simply scrumptious ice cream cake, packed with mini M&Ms and cookie dough balls and topped with more, plus a fudge drizzle (photos #1 and #2 A.I. via Baskin-Robbins).
[2] Prefer chocolate? The Cookie Crave option layers chocolate cake and Oreo ice cream with a topping of cookie dough balls and a fudge drizzle.
[3] Popular year-round, an iced cold brew pairs with any flavor of ice cream cake (photo © Nescafe).
[4] For something refreshing with a bit of spice, serve chai iced tea (photo © Vadham Teas).
[5] For something hot, make espresso (photo © Andres Vera | Unsplash).
[6] For something chilled, plain or flavored sparkling water (photo © Maison Perrier).
[7] The spice of ginger ale adds festive flavors. You can make your own quickly by stirring Sonoma Syrup’s white ginger syrup into club soda (photo © Sonoma Syrup).
[8] For a sophisticated wine pairing, try a fortified wine like Tawny Port or Pedro Ximénez Sherry (photo © Gordon Ramsay Group).
[9] A dry sparkling wine won’t do. Look for a sweeter style. See our list > below (photo © Ninety Plus Cellars) .
[10] Irish cream liqueur is delicious by itself, and also in iced or hot coffee (photo © Diageo).
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