Turtle gelato waffle cake recipe

Sponsored post by Lunchbox. All opinions and recipe are my own.

One thing I remember most about summers growing up in Ohio, was how much ice cream was a part of it. Whether it was ice cream from the family-run neighborhood drive up, the franchise on the hill, or a bomb pop straight out of the freezer, dusk always proved to be delicious.

It’s funny how the simplicity of those memories stick with you. As the weather heats up, my taste buds have expectations of traditions devoured in summer’s past – and they are insatiable for more ice cream. I’d hate to disappoint my palate, or worse yet, rob my own child from memories of the same deliciousness! So in an effort to imprint the importance of ice cream on my legacy, I made this. I’m calling it “turtle gelato waffle cake,” but I’ll tell you right now, the Cupcake renamed it, “the best ice cream cake in the history of ice cream cakes!” (Exclamation point to express the enthusiasm in which she shouted the name.) Big Daddy even said it was the best ice cream cake he’s ever eaten. He’s (frustratingly) the most understated person I know so it’s (bleep) good.

Basically you’re going to want to make this for your next summer party so get ready to pin this.

You’ll need:

• Butter pecan cake mix plus the ingredients on the box: eggs, oil, substitute the water with milk
• Buyers salted caramel truffle gelato

• Heavy cream
• One package salted caramel hot chocolate mix (melt and add or remove tiny butterscotch chips)
• One package dark chocolate hot chocolate mix
• Dark chocolate sauce
• (Optional) Dark chocolate chips, pecans
• Waffle Iron
• Mixer

Here’s how to put this frozen delicousness together.

1. Set gelato on counter to thaw slightly while you make the cake. 

2. Prepare the cake mix according to the package.

3. Warm up your waffle iron and make waffles with the cake mix. Be careful not to overfill or you’ll have this hot mess.

4. Let the waffles cool.
5. Place one waffle on a cake plate. Spread the soft (but not melted) gelato on top GENEROUSLY.

6. Place second waffle on top of the gelato.

7. Put your gigantic gelato sandwich in the freezer until you’re ready to eat it — but not overnight. Just for a few minutes to keep it from completely melting.
8. Now do this right before serving: Pour your whipping cream (I used around 2 cups) into your mixer and sprinkle in the hot chocolate mixes.
9. Whip cream until stiff.
10. Put chocolate whipped cream into a pastry bag with large tip and decorate the top and sides of your cake. If you don’t have a pastry bag and tips, carefully spoon it into a zip lock bag and snip a corner off. Press the whipped cream through the hole in the bag to make “dots” all over the top and sides of your cake.

11. Drizzle the dark chocolate sauce over the top.
12. (Optional) Sprinkle some dark chocolate chips and/or pecans on top too.

Cut your piece first because it won’t last long!

You’ll have to make this over and over, so good news for you is that from May 6th through September 30th, Unilever is going to give you a $5 reward when you purchase $20 worth of ice cream from these brands: Magnum, Klondike, Popsicle, Fruttare, Good Humor, and Breyers; from these stores: Safeway, Albertsons, VONS/Pavillions, Randalls, Jewel and our favorite, Tom Thumb.

AND if you’re one of the first 1,000 to register on their website IceCreamRewards.com, you’re entered to win a year’s supply of free ice cream!

(*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited. Ice Cream Rewards Begins 5/1/16 and ends 9/30/16. Unilever Ice Cream Sweepstakes 5/6/16 and ends 9/30/16. For complete Official Rules, visit IceCreamRewards.com.)

And THAT’S what summer’s made of.

If you haven’t shopped summer ice cream treats yet, here’s a collection of the Unilever favorites at Chez Perot:

The Cupcake loves the Popsicle brand treats. She filled my cart with these:

I might be guilty of hiding these Magnum treats under the frozen spinach so no one else will eat them.

Or really, any of these will do.

Since I’m going through thin mint withdrawal, these fill the void.

And big daddy prefers straight up vanilla, so Breyers does right by him!

For more information about the Ice Cream Rewards promotion, visit: icecreamrewards.com