It is often said that the simple things in life are the best, and this ice cream cake proves that point. With just four ingredients and a few minutes of effort, this no-bake treat is perfect for special occasions or your everyday dessert needs. (Because we all have those, don’t we?)

I love layered desserts like this because they incorporate so many textures into one dish. This one has a crunchy cookie base, a creamy layer of ice cream, velvety fudge, and a fluffier layer of whipped topping. It’s like a smorgasbord of taste and texture.

Upon tasting it, it’s a cake that seems like it took a lot of effort, but in reality, you only need four ingredients to make it – Oreo cookies, a carton of ice cream, a jar of fudge sauce, and a container of whipped topping. That’s it! The magic here is in how well these layers work together.

For the cookie crust layer, there’s no need to crush your cookies into superfine crumbs. Small chunks do fine and provide a bit of structure and bite to the creamy layers above it. For the ice cream layer, the key is to let the ice cream sit out for about a half an hour until it becomes soft enough to stir up. This allows you to smooth it easily over the cookie layer without disturbing it too much.

The only thing that’s hard about making this dessert is waiting for it to set up in the freezer. But, as they say, patience is a virtue, and trust me when I say that this sweet treat is well worth waiting for!