National Ice Cream Cake Day
June 27
About National Ice Cream Cake Day
National Ice Cream Cake Day falls on Saturday, 27 June 2026, an annual celebration of the chilled, layered dessert that brings ice cream and cake together in one indulgent slice. Observed each year on 27 June, the day invites people across the United States and beyond to order, bake, and share their favourite ice cream cakes. It is a light-hearted food holiday with a surprisingly heartfelt origin story.
How to Celebrate National Ice Cream Cake Day
This is a day made for indulgence, so the best way to mark it is simply to get your hands on a slice. Here are plenty of ways to join in.
- Order from a specialist ice cream shop – Baskin-Robbins, Carvel, Dairy Queen, Cold Stone Creamery, and Ben & Jerry’s all sell ready-made ice cream cakes in a huge range of flavours and sizes, from cakes for two to ones that serve forty.
- Make your own at home – Layer softened ice cream with cookies or cake crumbs, drizzle over hot fudge or caramel sauce, then freeze. It is easier than it looks and lets you control every flavour.
- Throw an ice cream cake party – Invite friends and family round, set out toppings and sauces, and let everyone decorate their own slice with sprinkles, fruit, and whipped cream.
- Experiment with creative flavours – Try a peach cobbler ice cream cake with graham crackers and pecans, or a watermelon version using watermelon sorbet with chocolate chips standing in for the seeds.
- Attempt a themed design – Stack two round ice cream cakes and pipe icing to create a llama, a favourite character, or a birthday centrepiece that is almost too cute to eat.
- Host a taste test – Buy a few different shop-bought cakes, slice them up, and rank them blind with friends to crown your favourite brand.
- Pair it with a film night – An ice cream cake is the perfect cold treat for a warm summer evening in, so cue up a film and serve generous slices.
- Share a slice in someone’s memory – Given the day’s origins, it is a lovely moment to enjoy a cake in honour of a loved one who appreciated life’s small celebrations.
What is National Ice Cream Cake Day?
National Ice Cream Cake Day is an unofficial American food holiday dedicated to the ice cream cake, a dessert that combines layers of cake or biscuit with ice cream, often topped with whipped cream, fudge, or sprinkles. It is celebrated by dessert lovers, families marking birthdays, and anyone with a sweet tooth. The day has no commercial owner and is embraced by ice cream parlours and home bakers alike. It falls in the run-up to summer, making it a natural fit for a frozen treat.
When is National Ice Cream Cake Day?
National Ice Cream Cake Day is held on 27 June every year. In 2026 it lands on a Saturday, which makes it especially convenient for a weekend gathering. The date is fixed and does not move from year to year, so you can always count on celebrating on 27 June.
The History of National Ice Cream Cake Day
The dessert itself is far older than the holiday. Ice cream cakes are believed to descend from elaborate Victorian-era desserts known as bombes, which were made from fruit and ice cream set frozen in a mould and sometimes lined with biscuits or cake. The earliest ice cream cake recipes date back to the 1870s. A close relative, Baked Alaska, was created in 1867 and named in honour of the United States’ acquisition of the Alaska territory, pairing sponge and ice cream beneath a layer of meringue.
Through the twentieth century, ice cream cakes became a fixture of American birthdays, helped enormously by the Carvel chain. In 1972, Carvel introduced its now-iconic Cookie Puss character cake, designed by corporate chef Andrew Bianchi. A franchisee later reworked the design using sugar cones and Flying Saucer ice cream sandwiches already stocked in stores, and by May 1974 Carvel had adopted this as the official Cookie Puss design. Alongside Fudgie the Whale and Hug Me the Bear, these character cakes turned ice cream cake into a pop-culture staple. By 1985 Carvel had grown to 865 stores with an income of more than 300 million dollars.
The holiday itself is much more recent and carries a moving backstory. National Ice Cream Cake Day was submitted to National Day Calendar in May 2018 by the Jurado family and Cupcakes for a Cause. Jenna Jurado created the day in tribute to her mother, Johanna Jurado, a devoted fan of ice cream cakes and of celebrating the many unofficial holidays on the National Day Calendar. Johanna died in a car accident just two months before her 27 June birthday. On 22 June 2018, the Registrar at National Day Calendar proclaimed that the day would be observed annually on 27 June, turning a daughter’s tribute into a celebration shared across the country.
Fun Facts About National Ice Cream Cake Day
- The day exists because of a daughter’s tribute to her late mother, whose birthday fell on 27 June.
- The most popular ice cream cakes use alternating layers of cake and ice cream rather than ice cream simply covered in cream.
- Baked Alaska, a cousin of the ice cream cake, was created in 1867 and named after the US purchase of Alaska.
- Ice cream cakes are hugely popular in the United States and Australia but far less common across Europe.
- Carvel’s Cookie Puss was famous enough to inspire a 1983 Beastie Boys song.
- Baskin-Robbins makes roll-style ice cream cakes resembling a Swiss roll, drawing on its signature range of 31 flavours.
Why National Ice Cream Cake Day Matters
Beyond the obvious pleasure of dessert, this day is a reminder of how small celebrations can carry real meaning. It began as one family’s way of honouring a woman who loved marking life’s quirky occasions, and that spirit lives on each year. It also supports local ice cream parlours and bakeries during the busy summer season. If you enjoy marking food holidays, you might also love National Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day, which kicks off the following month.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is National Ice Cream Cake Day?
It is an annual American food holiday celebrating the ice cream cake, a layered frozen dessert made from cake or biscuit and ice cream. It is enjoyed by dessert fans, families, and ice cream shops across the country.
When is National Ice Cream Cake Day in 2026?
National Ice Cream Cake Day is on Saturday, 27 June 2026. The date is fixed and falls on 27 June every year.
How did National Ice Cream Cake Day start?
It was created by the Jurado family in tribute to Johanna Jurado, a lover of ice cream cakes whose birthday was 27 June. National Day Calendar proclaimed the day on 22 June 2018, to be observed annually.
Spread the Word
Join the celebration and share your best ice cream cake photos on social media with #NationalIceCreamCakeDay and #IceCreamCakeDay2026. Tag your friends and challenge them to take part!
Related Awareness Days
- National Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day – Celebrates inventive, unexpected ice cream flavours on 1 July, perfect for ice cream lovers.
- National Ice Cream Month – A month-long July celebration of all things ice cream across the United States.
- National Bomb Pop Day – Another frozen summer treat marked in late June, ideal for warm-weather celebrations.
Links
- Visit the official National Ice Cream Cake Day page at National Day Calendar
- Explore more awareness days at AwarenessDays.com
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