No-Churn Cake Batter Ice Cream with Golden Oreos

Nora turned 5 Saturday. Butterfly party.

Eight kids. Maya, three other girls from pre-K, two boys (including Isaiah, who Liam invited as his plus-one and Nora allowed grudgingly), Sean III (age almost 3, a guest of honor), Aidan (age 6, also grudgingly allowed).

Butterfly cake — Ma did it. She used food-dye fondant for the wings. It was stunning. Nora stared at it like it was a miracle. She blew out five candles. She wished for — this is a direct quote — "all the butterflies in the world to come to my room." I said good wish baby.

The butterfly piñata. Patrick lit the candles and then supervised the piñata. Nora got the last hit. Candy everywhere. Chaos.

Gifts: a butterfly net and bug book from my dad (he is leaning into Nora's phase), a small art set from Meghan, a Lego Friends set from Colleen, a pair of butterfly wings (fabric) from Patrick, books from Ma. From me: a full butterfly bedroom decoration kit. Decals, a butterfly lamp, a butterfly pillow. Overkill. She was incandescent.

Sean III tried to eat piñata candy and Colleen ran interference. Aidan wanted to leave twenty minutes in because the party was "too girly" and Meghan said tough, stay. He stayed. He later liked the pizza.

After everyone left, Nora sat on my lap on the couch and said, Mommy, five is a LOT of years old. I said yes it is. She said, did Daddy see my cake. I said yes. She said good. She went to bed at 8 and asked me to say goodnight to Daddy for her. I said okay. In the kitchen, alone, cleaning up frosting, I said, goodnight Sean, she's five.

Group Tuesday. I told them about Nora's question. Bernadette said children are our teachers. I wrote it down.

Saturday pancakes before the party. Burned the first one. Nora had birthday pancakes — I put five blueberries on the top in a smiley face. She declared it a good start to being five.

Food of the week: Ma's butterfly cake. Vanilla sponge. Buttercream. Fondant wings. An act of love.

Butterfly cake gets the glory — and Ma’s fondant wings absolutely deserved every bit of it — but the week after a birthday party, when the streamers are down and the piñata candy is half-eaten and Nora is still floating two feet off the ground because she is five now, you need something to extend the celebration just a little longer. I made this no-churn cake batter ice cream the Monday after the party, scooped it into bowls while Nora wore her butterfly wings at the kitchen table, and it felt exactly right — sprinkles, Golden Oreos, zero fuss, pure joy.

Prep Time: 15 min | Cook Time: 0 min | Total Time: 6 hrs 15 min (includes freezing) | Servings: 8

Ingredients

2 cups heavy whipping cream, cold
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 cup yellow boxed cake mix (dry, unpacked)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (optional, but lovely)
1/2 cup rainbow sprinkles, plus more for topping
15 Golden Oreo cookies, roughly chopped
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Whip the cream. In a large chilled bowl, beat the heavy whipping cream with a hand mixer or stand mixer on medium-high until stiff peaks form, about 3–4 minutes. Set aside.
Mix the base. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sweetened condensed milk, dry cake mix, vanilla extract, almond extract (if using), and salt until fully combined and smooth. The batter will be thick.
Fold together. Gently fold the condensed milk mixture into the whipped cream in two additions, using a rubber spatula. Work slowly to keep the mixture light and airy — don’t stir aggressively.
Add the fun. Fold in the rainbow sprinkles and roughly half the chopped Golden Oreos, distributing them evenly throughout.
Freeze. Pour the mixture into a 9x5-inch loaf pan or a freezer-safe container. Scatter the remaining Oreo pieces over the top and add a generous pinch of extra sprinkles. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, pressing it directly against the surface to prevent ice crystals.
Set overnight. Freeze for at least 6 hours, or overnight. The ice cream is ready when it holds a clean scoop.
Serve. Let the pan sit at room temperature for 3–5 minutes before scooping. Serve in bowls or cones with extra sprinkles on top.

Nutrition (per serving)

No-Churn Cake Batter Ice Cream with Golden Oreos — Because Five Is a Lot of Years Old