(Note: this post was originally published on September 29, 2019. It has since been updated with a few tweaks.)

A Show-Stopping Nicecream Cake

If you're looking for a special dessert for late-summer or early-fall, you're going to love this unique and beautiful fig ice cream cake. It features some of the season's best flavors and is completely photo-worthy, yet it's easy to make. Best of all, this vegan ice cream cake is made from simple, whole-food ingredients like fruit and nuts.

Curious about when to enjoy this season-spanning treat? The flavors are inspired by fall, but the format is more summery. That means that this decadent-seeming (yet secretly healthy) nicecream cake is perfect for a late-August gathering, Labor Day, a September or October harvest dinner, or even Thanksgiving.

Although this recipe is simple, it does require a few different steps and some patience in between. Keep reading to get all the details before you launch into making it.

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A Vegan Ice Cream Cake with Nourishing Ingredients

Even though this fig ice cream cake may seem decadent, it's actually loaded with ingredients that are good for the body. You'll be amazed to see that almost all of the ingredients are just fruit and nuts.

The "crust" of this cake is essentially a protein bar in disguise; it's just dried figs, almonds, and cinnamon. Have you seen my guide to Homemade Lara Bars? This crust is the same idea as a Lara Bar, just pressed into a pan. The ice cream filling is actually "nicecream", made with pureed frozen bananas (and dressed up with more figs, cinnamon, a dash of maple syrup, and a dash of bourbon). Roasted pecans on top bring it all together.

Thanks to all those great ingredients, this nicecream cake is surprisingly high in protein. It's vegan, free of refined sugar, and you can make it entirely fruit-sweetened with one minor tweak. Doesn't that just make you want to have another slice?

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How to Make this Fig Ice Cream Cake

While nothing about this cake is difficult, it does require a few steps, with freezing time in between. Because of that, this dessert is entirely make-ahead and is great for a party or holiday.

My recommendation for how to get this cake made is as follows:

• Day 1: Slice and freeze the bananas, make and freeze the crust, simmer and cool the dried figs for the filling
• Day 2: Make the nicecream and assemble the cake
• Day 3: Add the pecans on top, slice, and serve

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A Secret Surprise Inside

As you can see in these photos, it's gorgeous to embed some fresh figs inside. Isn't this the most beautiful vegan ice cream cake you've seen? You'll just place some fresh figs on top of the crust, before adding the nicecream. Pack them in as tightly as you can so they stay in place. Then, nestle the nicecream around them, being sure to fill in all the gaps. When you serve the cake, slice it so that you expose the center of each fig.

That said, this nicecream cake will work fine without the fresh figs. If you can't find them, just omit that step from the directions. I'd also suggest making a 1.5x batch of the nicecream in order to make sure you have enough to fill the pan.

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A Note About Bourbon

You'll see that this recipe calls for bourbon. There are actually two reasons for this: (1) you need a flavorful liquid to plump up the dried figs for the fig ice cream, and (2) adding bourbon to the nicecream keeps it from freezing too hard.

For item #1, boiling the figs in bourbon helps them soften up and become more easily-incorporated into the nicecream. This step actually cooks off the alcohol. If you'd rather not use the bourbon, doing this step in water will still soften them but won't add any additional flavor. If you go that route, I'd add a teaspoon of vanilla to the water.

For item #2, the alcohol actually serves a very important purpose: it depresses the freezing temperature. That means this vegan ice cream cake won't freeze into a hard block (see my Boozy Nicecream Guide for more detail). If you don't consume alcohol or are making this recipe for kids, feel free to omit the bourbon; however, note that the cake will be harder and you might need to let it sit out for 15 minutes before cutting.

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Ingredients and Substitutions

Here's what you'll need for this fig ice cream cake recipe, as well as some thoughts, tips, and possible substitutions. If you make any substitutions, I'd love to hear about it in the comments section below.

• Dried figs. You'll use these for both the crust and the nicecream.
• Almonds. Roasted and salted almonds will provide the best flavor, although raw will work alright too. If you use unsalted nuts, add a few pinches of salt to the crust mixture.
• Cinnamon. This warming spice makes an appearance in both the crust and the nicecream. You could also add a bit of ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and/or cardamon if you like those flavors.
• Bourbon. You'll use this to plump up the dried figs and you'll also add it directly to the nicecream to keep it creamy in the freezer overnight. See the note above if you'd rather avoid the bourbon.
• Fresh figs. For nestling inside the cake. See the note above if you prefer to omit this component or can't find them.
• Ripe, frozen bananas. Make sure to slice and then freeze them ahead of time.
• Maple syrup. If you're trying to avoid sugar, you can certainly omit this, although the cake may not feel sweet enough. You can always taste the nicecream and adjust the sweetness level as you see fit.
• Plant milk. You'll use this to thin out the nicecream if needed. Any milk will work fine, or even water in a pinch. You could also use an additional dash of bourbon instead.
• Roasted pecans. To garnish the top of the cake. Walnuts would be tasty too. Maple-roasted pecans or walnuts are fabulous if you can find them.

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Closing Thoughts

Aren't you amazed by this vegan ice cream cake? It has such great flavors, as well as a really unique blend of fall ingredients in a summer dessert format. It feels decadent and fancy, yet is made primarily from just fruit and nuts. Because this recipe is plant-based, has very little added sugar (which you can omit), and can be made without the bourbon if needed, it's a festive treat that almost anyone can enjoy.

Since frozen desserts mandate a make-ahead approach, they're great for parties and holidays. You could enjoy this seasonal nicecream cake from late August through the fall and even for Thanksgiving. The slices are so beautiful and eye-catching that you'll want to keep coming back to this one for all your autumn occasions.

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Share It!

It makes me so happy to hear from you and see your creations! Please leave a comment below and let me know what you think about this recipe. If you post a photo on Instagram, hashtag #TheRogueBrusselSprout and tag me (@TheRogueBrusselSprout) in the post text so that I'm sure to see it.

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Suggested Pairings

Honey Fig Gin and Tonic

Savory Pumpkin Hummus

Vegan Brussels Sprouts Waldorf Salad

Orange and Cinnamon Roasted Delicata Squash

Roasted Vegetable Harvest Pasta