Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream

Light, smooth, and creamy, this strawberry shortcake ice cream is packed with juicy strawberries and buttery pound cake. Best of all, you don’t need any special equipment to make this delicious and easy homemade ice cream.

🍓 No-Churn Strawberry Ice Cream

This no-churn strawberry shortcake ice cream is just as good as any you’ll find in a grocery store, and is so easy to make. It starts with a rich and creamy no-churn ice cream base, then you stir in lots and lots of fresh strawberries and cubes of pound cake. (I use store-bought to make this extra simple!) The combination of sweet-tart berries and chunks of vanilla-scented cake is delightful, and makes this the perfect dessert for summer–or anytime!

The beauty of no-churn ice cream is that you don’t need to cook the ice cream base, and you don’t need a special ice cream maker to churn it. All you need are four simple ingredients, a few common kitchen tools, and (of course) your freezer. The resulting ice cream is fruity, refreshing, nostalgic, and a total crowd-pleaser!

If you just can’t get enough no-churn ice cream recipes, don’t miss our No-Churn Vanilla Ice Cream, No-Churn Chocolate Ice Cream, and No-Churn Peach Ice Cream!

🧾 What You’ll Need

Ingredients

Here are a few quick tips to keep in mind as you gather ingredients. (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)

• Pound cake: Since you don’t need a ton of pound cake, I recommend using store-bought cake, but of course homemade pound cake also works well. Alternately, you can use cubes of regular yellow cake or cupcakes, scones, bundt cake, or even baked and crumbled pie crust!
• Diced strawberries:Fresh strawberries work best, but frozen strawberries can also be used in a pinch.
• Heavy whipping cream: I recommend using heavy cream or manufacturing cream over whipping cream, when possible. Heavy cream and manufacturing cream have the most fat, which produces a better flavor and texture. For best results, make sure the cream is very cold before whipping it.
• Sweetened condensed milk: This thick and rich sweetener will ensure that your ice cream doesn’t freeze too hard and is a perfect scoopable consistency. Make sure you use sweetened condensed milk, NOT evaporated milk. The cans look similar and they’re usually in the same section at the grocery store, but they are not the same thing. 

Equipment

You don’t need any special equipment to make this ice cream — just a mixing bowl, an electric mixer, a spatula, and a loaf pan or other container. But if you want to make your life a little easier, I own and recommend these ice cream tools: (Links are affiliate links and I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases.)

• Ice cream scoop: for serving of course! A high-quality ice cream scoop makes it so easy to portion the ice cream out in perfect rounded scoops.
• Ice cream storage container: an ice cream storage container keeps the ice cream fresh in the freezer. I have this set, and can personally vouch that the containers are amazing. They keep the ice cream soft and fresh, while keeping out odors and ice crystals.

📋 Instructions

This ice cream is a breeze to throw together. Here’s a quick photo tutorial, and you can find printable instructions in the recipe card down below.

Make the ice cream base

• Begin by dicing both your strawberries and pound cake into 1” cubes. Set aside.
• In a chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
• Use a rubber spatula to then gently fold in your sweetened condensed milk. Be careful not to beat too much air out of your whipped cream in the process.
• Add your chopped pound cake and strawberries to your ice cream base and carefully mix until evenly distributed.

Chill well

• Transfer the mixture to an ice cream storage container or 9×5 inch loaf pan. Cover tightly, then place in the freezer for 4-6 hours.
• Scoop, serve, and enjoy!

💭 Variations

Make this ice cream your own by getting creative with your toppings and variations! Try serving it with some of these toppers, or stir them into the ice cream before chilling it. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Chocolate pound cake instead of regular
• Homemade whipped cream
• Strawberry sauce or syrup on top
• Brownie cubes
• Shortbread cookies
• Chopped Oreo cookies
• Chocolate shavings
• Strawberry popping boba
• Waffle cone pieces
• Fresh berries
• Rainbow sprinkles
• Thinly sliced bananas
• Chopped walnuts or other nuts

💡 Tips and FAQs  

• Check the milk. It’s far too easy to grab evaporated milk instead of sweetened condensed milk. The sweetened condensed milk is key!
• Chill the bowl and whisk. The colder equipment creates a lighter whipped cream which creates a lighter ice cream.
• Don’t over mix. When you’re mixing the ice cream ingredients, gently fold only until just combined. Over-mixing deflates the cream.
• Store in the back of the freezer. The further back the ice cream, the better the temperature is regulated. If the ice cream temperature fluctuates too much, ice crystals can form.
• For smooth swirls: Not a fan of whole fruit in your ice cream? Try using a strawberry sauce or jam instead of strawberry chunks.
• For big chunks: If you like bigger swirls of fruit and cake throughout your ice cream, be sure to leave your berries and shortcake in bigger chunks before mixing into your ice cream base.

❤️ More Strawberry Recipes

Strawberry desserts are some of our most popular recipes! Try one of these reader favorites next:

• Strawberry Crisp
• Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Cakes
• Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
• Strawberry Swirl Bundt Cake
• Strawberry Rose Tarts
• More strawberry dessert ideas

🍦More Delish Ice Creams

We aaaaaallllll scream for ice cream recipes, so satisfy your sweet tooth with one of these:

• No-Churn Peach Ice Cream
• Circus Animal No-Churn Ice Cream
• Strawberry Lemonade Ice Cream Pie
• Doughnut Funfetti Ice Cream
• Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream