Expert Tips On How to Make the Ultimate Ice Cream Cake at Home

— -- With the heat reaching into the upper 90s across the country, there’s no better time than now to master making an ice cream cake.

It may seem intimidating, but according to Carvel’s head chef Dave Fenner, it couldn’t be easier.

“It doesn’t take a lot of time, there’s not a big mess factor and it’s whatever you want it to be,” Fenner told ABC News. “Just have fun with it.”

Beyond the classic chocolate and vanilla with chocolate crunchies combo, Fenner recommends remaking classics like key lime pie with a graham cracker crust, key lime ice cream and whipped cream topping. Or you could recreate s’mores with graham crackers, chocolate ice cream and marshmallow topping. Make a Thin Mint version with mint chocolate chip ice cream, chocolate crunchies and a chocolate fudge topping. The options truly are endless and completely customizable.

Here’s how to get started.

Pick and freeze your mold. You could go with a classic round or rectangle cake mold, or buy a fun-shaped version at your local craft store. Make sure to chill it before you begin.

Soften your ice cream. Bring your ice cream up to between 10 and 20 degrees Fahrenheit so it’s pliable and easy to spread into your mold.

Spread the ice cream you want on the top of the cake first. You’ll be inverting the cake at the end, so pick the flavor you want on top and fill the mold just under halfway.

Fill in the crunchy layer. You can go with the classic chocolate wafer crunch, or use crushed Oreos, M&M’s, Reese’s, graham crackers and more. Get creative here, just make sure it has some crunch for texture. If you’d like, you can also add fudge or caramel here.

Add the bottom layer of ice cream. Put in your next flavor – or the same one if you want – and fill it to the top, filling in all corners.

Freeze it. Top the cake with parchment paper and stick it back into the freezer for a few hours to get the ice cream completely refrozen and in shape.

Unmold it. Once it’s frozen, take it out of the freezer and run the mold upside down under lukewarm water to pop it out of the mold. It will land in your hand, parchment face down. Flip it onto a plate and peel off the parchment.

Frost it. Whipped cream is the classic ice cream cake topper, but you could use frosting, buttercream, chocolate syrup, caramel and more.

Decorate it. This part is optional, but it’s fun to add candy and any other toppers you’d like.