Root Beer Float Ice Cream Cake

I made a really delicious root beer float cake for Jeran's birthday. I looked for recipes for a root beer float ice cream cake and was surprised that there weren't very many to be found. Maybe two. Luckily, the one I tried is very scrumptious and simple (I would be lying if I said this cake was easy for me to make, but that is only because the cake stuck to the pan big time).

Here's a link to the original recipe post by Keep It Sweet Desserts.

And here's the recipe:

Root Beer Float Ice Cream Cake

Ingredients (Serves 12)

• 1 (18.25) ounce box white cake mix
• 1 (12 ounce) can root beer (I used diet)
• 4-5 cups light vanilla bean ice cream
• 2 (8-ounce) containers fat free cool whip

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350°F.
• Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with cooking spray; set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk together cake mix and soda until almost all the lumps are gone. Divide cake batter evenly between cake pans and bake for 16 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Set cake aside to cool (you can even cool the cake layers in the freezer so the ice cream doesn't melt when you build the cake. )
• When cake is cooling, prepare ice cream layer. Line an 8-inch cake pan with wax paper and press ice cream down into pan. Put this layer in the freezer until firm, about 1 hour. Once the cake and ice cream layers are ready you can build you cake.
• Place first layer down on a cake plate. Top cake with ice cream layer by turning wax papered ice cream upside down over cake and then peeling wax paper. Top ice cream with second layer of cake and press down lightly. Cover cake with saran wrap and re-freeze cake until ice cream is frozen again, about 20 minutes.
• Ice entire cake with cool whip and refreeze for 2 hours or until cool whip is set. Slice and serve. Store leftovers in the freezer covered tightly with saran wrap for two weeks.

I would either really lather the pan in cooking spray or line them with a baking liner. I had such a hard time getting the cake out intact. Maybe freezing it in the pan would help. Not sure, but don't stress over it because between the freezing and the frosting, it is very forgiving of crumbling cake.  Good luck!